Natural Resources: Five-Year Bibliography 1991-1995 (Letter Report,
08/01/96, GAO/RCED-96-165W).

GAO published a list and abstracts of its natural resources-related
reports and testimony issued from January 1991 through December 1995,
regarding such issues as: (1) land and natural resources management; (2)
the National Park System; (3) national forests; (4) concessioners; (5)
recreation activities; (6) financial management; (7) endangered species
and wildlife conservation; (8) wetlands conservation; (9) fisheries;
(10) wilderness areas; (11) grazing fees and rangeland management; (12)
mine reclamation; (13) oil and mineral production and transport; (14)
water resources, quality, and pollution control; (15) timberlands and
timber sales; and (16) Native Americans and tribal lands.

--------------------------- Indexing Terms -----------------------------

 REPORTNUM:  RCED-96-165W
     TITLE:  Natural Resources: Five-Year Bibliography 1991-1995
      DATE:  08/01/96
   SUBJECT:  Land management
             National parks
             National forests
             Wildlife conservation
             Native Americans
             Financial management
             Timber sales
             Water supply management
             Natural resources
             Oil resources
IDENTIFIER:  Bibliographies
             
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Cover
================================================================ COVER



August 1996

NATURAL RESOURCES - FIVE-YEAR
BIBLIOGRAPHY 1991-1995

GAO/RCED-96-165W


(140108)


Abbreviations
=============================================================== ABBREV

  BIA - Bureau of Indian Affairs
  AML - Abandoned Mine Land
  BLM - Bureau of Land Management
  CUP - Central Utah Project
  DOE - Department of Energy
  EOR - Enhanced Oil Recovery
  FDIC - Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
  FERC - Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
  FFS - Federal Financial System
  FY - Fiscal Year
  FWS - Fish and Wildlife Service
  GAO - General Accounting Office
  I&D - Irrigation and Drainage
  IHS - Indian Health Service
  IIM - Individual Indian Money
  JOBS - Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training
  JTAC - Garrison Unit Joint Tribal Advisory Committee
  M&I - Municipal and Industrial
  MMBF - Million Board Feet
  MMS - Minerals Management Service
  NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  NMFS - National Marine Fisheries Service
  NOAA - National Atmospheric and Oceanographic Administration
  NPR - Naval Petroleum Reserve
  NPR-1 - Naval Petroleum Reserve No.  1
  NPRC - Naval Petroleum Reserves-California
  NPS - National Park Service
  NRDC - National Resources Defense Council
  OSMRE - Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement
  RAMP - Rural Abandoned Mine Land Program
  RCED - Resources, Community, and Economic Division
  RDA - Rural Development Administration
  SEIS - Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement
  SMCRA - Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
  TAPS - Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
  TSPIRS - Timber Sale Program Information Reporting System
  USDA - Department of Agriculture

PREFACE
============================================================ Chapter 0

The General Accounting Office (GAO), an arm of the Congress, was
established to provide independent oversight of federal programs and
activities.  GAO's Natural Resources Issue Area examined the
activities of such entities as the Department of the Interior, the
Department of Agriculture's Forest Service, the Commerce Department's
National Marine Fisheries Service, and the U.  S.  Army Corps of
Engineers.  The Issue Area's work generally focused on (1) increasing
revenues by obtaining a better return for the sale or use of natural
resources on federal lands or by eliminating federal subsidies, (2)
improving efficiency within and coordination among federal land
management agencies, and (3) improving collaboration and consensus
building among federal and nonfederal stakeholders to address
problems or issues related to natural resources.  In December 1995,
the Natural Resources Issue Area was combined with the Energy and
Science Issue Area to create the Energy, Resources, and Science Issue
Area. 

Organized into seven areas, this 5-year bibliography lists the
natural resources-related products issued from January 1991 through
December 1995.  The products are listed chronologically, with the
most recent reports first.  To help you locate individual reports, a
subject index is located in the back of this document. 

Questions can be directed to me at the U.  S.  General Accounting
Office, Room 2440, 441 G Street, N.  W., Washington, D.  C.  20548. 
I can also be reached on (202) 512-3841 or on the Internet at
[email protected].  Readers interested in ordering documents or
in requesting bibliographic searches on a specific topic should call
the Document Handling and Information Service at (202) 521-6000 or
fax a request to (301) 258-4066.  A mailing list request form is
included in the back of this document; single copies of products are
free of charge. 

Victor S.  Rezendes
Director, Energy, Resources,
 and Science Issues
Resources, Community, and
 Economic Development Division


FEDERAL LAND OWNERSHIP AND
MANAGEMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION
============================================================ Chapter 1

NPS Projected Returns from Concessioners.  GAO/RCED-96-48R.  November
28, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the
assumptions that the National Park Service (NPS) used to project
future financial returns to the government from concessioners through
year 2002.  GAO noted that NPS:  (1) overstated its projections of
future returns under the Concessions Policy Act by assuming it could
increase franchise fees as contracts expired and that monies and
franchise fees would remain in the same proportions; (2) overstated
its projections of future returns under H.R.  773 and S.  309 by
assuming that the bills would increase competition and that it would
gradually extinguish the concessioners' processory interest; and (3)
understated its projections of future returns under H.R.  2491 by
assuming that the bill's performance incentive would impede
competition. 

Land Management Systems:  Progress and Risks in Developing BLM's Land
and Mineral Record System.  GAO/AIMD-95-180.  August 31, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Automated Land and
Mineral Record System/Modernization, which is estimated to cost $428
million, is intended to improve BLM's ability to record, maintain,
and retrieve land description, ownership, and use information.  To
date, the Bureau has been completing most of the project's tasks
according to the schedule milestones set in 1993.  In coming months,
the work will become more difficult as BLM and the primary contractor
try to complete, integrate, and test the new software system and meet
the current schedule.  The Bureau is trying to maintain the project
schedule, but slippages may yet occur because little time was
allocated to deal with unanticipated problems.  BLM recently sought
to obtain independent verification and validation to ensure that the
new system software meets the Bureau's requirements.  A key risk
remains, however.  BLM's plans include stress testing only a portion
of the Automated Land and Mineral Record System/ Modernization,
rather than the entire project, to ensure that all systems and
technology can successfully process workloads expected during peak
operating periods.  By limiting the stress test, BLM cannot be
certain that the system's information technology will perform as
intended during peak workloads. 

National Parks:  Difficult Choices Need to Be Made About the Future
of the Parks.  GAO/RCED-95-238.  August 30, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO concludes that there is cause for concern about the
health of national parks.  Visitor services were deteriorating at
most of the park units that GAO reviewed.  Services were being cut
back, and the condition of many trails, campgrounds, and other
facilities was declining.  Trends in resource management were less
clear because most park managers lacked enough data to determine the
overall condition of their parks' natural and cultural resources.  In
some cases, parks lacked an inventory of the resources under their
protection.  Two factors strongly affected the levels of visitor
services and the management of park resources--(1) additional
operating requirements placed on parks by laws and administrative
requirements and (2) increased visitation, which drives up the parks'
operating costs.  These two factors seriously eroded funding
increases since the mid-1980s.  The national park system is at a
crossroads.  Although the system continues to grow, conditions at the
parks have been deteriorating and the dollar amount of the
maintenance backlog has soared from $1.9 billion in 1988 to more than
$4 billion today.  Congress is faced with the following difficult
policy choices:  (1) increasing the amount of financial resources
going to the parks, (2) limiting or reducing the number of units in
the park system, and (3) reducing the level of visitor services.  The
Park Service should be able to stretch available resources by
operating more efficiently and by improving its financial management
and performance measuring systems. 

Federal Lands:  Information on the Use and Impact of Off-Highway
Vehicles.  GAO/RCED-95-209.  August 18, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Executive orders were issued during the 1970s regulating
the use of off-highway vehicles, including motorcycles, all-terrain
vehicles, and four-wheel drive vehicles, on federal lands.  Sometimes
these vehicles damaged natural or cultural resources, or their use
clashed with other outdoor recreation activities, such a hiking,
picnicking, or horseback riding.  Compliance by the Bureau of Land
Management (BLM) and the Forest Service with the two executive orders
has been mixed.  According to off-highway vehicle program managers
and staff at eight locations GAO visited, both agencies have given
higher priority to other activities and have allocated limited
funding and staffing to their off-highway vehicle programs.  Further,
both agencies have relied heavily on state support for their
off-highway vehicle programs.  Should such support waiver or cease in
the future, the agencies' ability to comply with the executive orders
would be further hampered.  Some BLM and Forest Service locations
have targeted their monitoring and enforcement to the most heavily
used or the most environmentally sensitive lands.  Also, some have
formed coalitions with state governments, local communities, and
private groups to supplement their resources for off-highway vehicle
programs.  As the agencies continue to inventory, map, and post signs
to identify their off-highway vehicle areas, roads, and trails, they
should be able to implement the executive orders more fully. 

Natural Resources Management Issue Area Plan:  Fiscal Years 1996-97. 
GAO/IAP-95-16.  August 1, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO presented its Natural Resources Management issue
area plan for fiscal years 1996 through 1997.  FINDINGS:  GAO plans
to assess:  (1) ways to obtain a better return on the sale or use of
natural resources on federal lands or eliminate or reduce federal
subsidies; (2) efficiency improvements within and coordination among
the four primary federal land management agencies; (3) improvements
in collaboration and consensus-building among federal and nonfederal
stakeholders to address problems or issues related to natural
resources; and (4) whether agencies are meeting existing production
and conservation requirements. 

Federal Lands:  Views on Reform of Recreation Concessioners. 
GAO/T-RCED-95-250.  July 25, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony summarizes GAO's work on federal policy
governing the recreation concessioners and provides GAO's views on
four bills pending before Congress.  Federal agencies' concessions
policies and practices are based on at least 11 different laws and,
as a result, vary considerably.  GAO concludes that more competition
is needed in awarding concessions contracts and that the federal
government needs to obtain a better return from concessioners for the
use of its lands, including obtaining fair market value for the fees
it charges ski operators.  GAO supports the changes proposed by the
four bills to current concessions policies and practices. 

National Parks:  Views on the Denver Service Center and Information
on Related Construction Activities.  GAO/RCED-95-79.  June 23, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  One of the major organizational units of the National Park
Service is the Denver Service Center, which supports construction
activities throughout the park system.  The Center works with
individual parks in planning, designing, and building projects, which
range from rehabilitating historic structures to building new visitor
centers to repairing and replacing utility systems.  Parks are
expected to use the Center's services for projects costing more than
$250,000, although exceptions are granted if the parks have the
expertise needed for the projects and they receive approval from Park
Service headquarters.  In response to congressional concerns about
the quality of services provided by the Center, GAO surveyed park
managers on the quality and the timeliness of those services.  This
report also (1) describes how the Park Service sets priorities for
funding construction projects and how the priorities may be modified
during congressional consideration of the Park Service's annual
appropriations requests, (2) describes the process the Park Service
uses to develop cost estimates for projects, and (3) provides
information on the makeup of projects' contingency and supervision
funds. 

National Park Service:  Difficult Choices Need to Be Made on the
Future of the Parks.  GAO/T-RCED-95-124.  March 7, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The overall level of visitor services offered by the
National Park Service is deteriorating.  Visitor services are being
cut back and the condition of many trails, campgrounds, exhibits, and
other facilities is declining.  The Park Service estimates that since
1988 the backlog of deferred maintenance has more than doubled to $4
billion.  The following two factors have had a major impact on the
level of visitor services and resource management activities:  (1)
additional operating requirements resulting from more than 20 federal
laws affecting the parks and (2) an increase in the number of
visitors.  Since substantial increases in appropriations seem
unlikely in today's tight budget climate, difficult choices must be
made on the future of the national parks.  These choices involve
generating more revenue within the parks, limiting the number of
parks in the system, and reducing the level of visitor services and
expectations. 

Federal Lands:  Information on Land Owned and on Acreage with
Conservation Restrictions.  GAO/T-RCED-95-117.  March 2, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  During fiscal years 1964-93, the amount of federal land
managed by the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service decreased by
77 million acres, from about 700 million acres to about 623 million
acres.  However, the decrease is skewed because of two unique land
transfers in Alaska--the transfer of about 76 million acres of
federal land to the state of Alaska in accordance with the Alaska
Statehood Act of 1958 and the transfer of about 36 million acres to
native Alaskans in accordance with the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act of 1971.  Excluding these two large land transfers,
the amount of land managed by the four agencies actually increased by
34 million acres.  During the same 29-year period, the number of
acres managed by the four agencies that were set aside for
conservation purposes increased from about 51 million acres at the
end of fiscal year 1964 to about 271 million acres at the end of
fiscal year 1993. 

National Park Service:  Better Management and Broader Restructuring
Efforts Are Needed.  GAO/T-RCED-95-101.  February 9, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The National Park Service lacks necessary financial data,
internal controls, and performance measures that would allow the
agency to shift resources among competing goals, rank priorities so
that the most pressing issues receive attention, and link the
agency's planning process directly to budget decisions to better
allocate resources.  Although the Park Service's restructuring plan
addresses some of the challenges facing the agency, such as the need
to meet the demands of an expanding system, growing numbers of
visitors, and increasingly complex resource protection problems, the
plan does not address the potential to improve operations through
land management collaboration among Interior's three land management
agencies and Agriculture's Forest Service.  It also does not consider
which functions or programs could be eliminated or turned over to
state or local governments or to the private sector. 

National Parks:  Information on the Condition of Civil War Monuments
at Selected Sites.  GAO/RCED-95-80FS.  February 1, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  National Park Service records show that 98 percent of the
2,510 monuments at the 11 Civil War battlefield parks GAO reviewed
are in good or fair condition, meaning that they need little or no
repair.  The remaining two percent--54 monuments--are in poor shape,
with statuary and pedestals suffering from the following problems: 
broken or missing parts, chips and cracks, and wear and erosion.  The
most common causes of these problems are weathering and vandalism. 
Other causes include erosion, structural deficiencies, and neglect. 
Park officials estimate the cost to repair 34 of the monuments at
$2,403,000.  Cost estimates were not provided for the other 20
monuments because officials were unsure what work was needed or how
much it would run. 

Federal Lands:  Information on Land Owned and on Acreage with
Conservation Restrictions.  GAO/RCED-95-73FS.  January 30, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  During fiscal years 1964-93, the amount of federal land
managed by the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the
Fish and Wildlife Service, and the National Park Service decreased by
77 million acres, from about 700 million acres to about 623 million
acres.  However, the decrease is skewed because of two unique land
transfers in Alaska--the transfer of about 76 million acres of
federal land to the state of Alaska in accordance with the Alaska
Statehood Act of 1958 and the transfer of about 36 million acres to
native Alaskans in accordance with the Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act of 1971.  Excluding these two large land transfers,
the amount of land managed by the four agencies actually increased by
34 million acres.  During the same 29-year period, the number of
acres managed by the four agencies that were set aside for
conservation purposes increased from about 51 million acres at the
end of fiscal year 1964 to about 271 million acres at the end of
fiscal year 1993.  GAO summarized this report in testimony before
Congress; see:  Federal Lands:  Information on Land Owned and on
Acreage With Conservation Restrictions, by John H.  Anderson, Jr.,
Associate Director for Natural Resources Management Issues, before
the House Committee on Resources.  GAO/T-RCED-95-117, Mar.  2, 1995
(11 pages). 

Monuments at Vicksburg National Military Park.  GAO/RCED-95-55R. 
November 15, 1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the overall condition of the monuments at Vicksburg
National Military Park, focusing on the cost estimates for replacing
or repairing monuments in poor condition.  GAO noted that:  (1) most
of the 640 monuments at Vicksburg are in good or fair condition and
need no repair or rehabilitation; (2) 2 of the monuments at Vicksburg
are in poor condition and need substantial repair; and (3) National
Park Service officials estimate that it could cost more than $1
million to repair one of the monuments and $3,200 to $4,000 to repair
the other monument. 

Forest Service:  Land Acquisitions Within the Lake Tahoe Basin. 
GAO/RCED-95-22.  October 31, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Santini-Burton Act, enacted in 1980, authorized the
sale of about 7,000 acres of federal lands within Clark County,
Nevada, to allow more orderly development of the communities there. 
The federal lands were owned by the Bureau of Land Management.  The
act also required the bulk of the proceeds from the land sales to be
used for a buyout program in which the government would purchase
environmentally sensitive private lands around Lake Tahoe in an
effort to stem further degradation of the lake.  Concerns have been
raised about whether property owners in the Lake Tahoe Basin have
been treated fairly when the lands were acquired under the act.  This
report determines the extent to which (1) the Forest Service acquired
lands within the basin under the act's buyout program, (2) the
classification of lands within the basin as environmentally sensitive
may have harmed their value, and (3) the Forest Service's acquisition
of environmentally sensitive land in the basin may have involved the
federal government taking private property under the Fifth Amendment
to the U.S.  Constitution. 

National Park Service:  Reexamination of Employee Housing Program Is
Needed.  GAO/RCED-94-284.  August 30, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Since 1916, the National Park Service has provided rental
housing in parks to many of its employees.  The Park Service has an
inventory today of about 4,700 housing units.  Nearly half of the
housing inventory is more than 30 years old.  Park Service estimates
of what it would cost to repair, rehabilitate, repair, and replace
this housing inventory have increased significantly during the past
several years; the total estimate is now more than half a billion
dollars.  This report (1) describes the Park Service's housing
program and compares it with the housing programs run by two other
large land management agencies--the Forest Service and the Bureau of
Land Management--and (2) identifies options that are available to the
Park Service to deal with its housing problems. 

Federal Lands:  Fees for Communications Sites Are Below Fair Market
Value.  GAO/RCED-94-248.  July 12, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
are the two major federal agencies whose lands are used as sites to
broadcast radio, television, and other electronic signals.  These
sites, mainly located in the western United States, are for the most
part leased to private entities that build and operate communications
facilities.  The annual fees being charged for such communications
sites are, in many cases, significantly below fair market value. 
Forest Service and BLM officials estimate that charging fees on the
basis of fair market value would boost total federal revenues by more
than 500 percent--from about $4 million to about $23 million
annually.  Although the Forest Service and BLM have been trying to
set fees reflecting fair market value, annual appropriations
legislation has limited the amount by which these fees can be
increased.  As long as these limits are in effect, the fees charged
will not reflect fair market value.  Both the Forest Service and BLM
lack reliable and complete information needed to manage their
communications site programs.  In addition, many unauthorized
communications users are operating on Forest Service lands, and
annual inspections to ensure that the sites are properly maintained
are rarely done.  GAO summarized this report in testimony before
Congress; see:  Federal Lands:  Fees for Communications Sites Are
Below Fair Market Value, by John H.  Anderson, Jr., Associate
Director for Natural Resources Management Issues, before the
Subcommittee on the Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources, House
Committee on Government Operations, and the Subcommittee on Natural
Parks, Forests, and Public Lands, House Committee on Natural
Resources.  GAO/T-RCED-94-262, July 12 (13 pages). 

Federal Lands:  Fees for Communications Sites Are Below Fair Market
Value.  GAO/T-RCED-94-262.  July 12, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
are the two major federal agencies whose lands are used as sites to
broadcast radio, television, and other electronic signals.  These
sites, mainly located in the western United States, are for the most
part leased to private entities that build and operate communications
facilities.  The annual fees being charged for such communications
sites are, in many cases, significantly below fair market value. 
Forest Service and BLM officials estimates that charging fees on the
basis of fair market value would boost total federal revenues by more
than 500 percent--from about $4 million to about $23 million
annually.  Although the Forest Service and BLM have been trying to
set fees reflecting fair market value, annual appropriations
legislation has limited the amount by which these fees can be
increased.  As long as these limits are in effect, the fees charged
will not reflect fair market value.  Both the Forest Service and BLM
lack reliable and complete information needed to manage their
communications site programs.  In addition, many unauthorized
communications users are operating on Forest Service lands, and
annual inspections to ensure that the sites are properly maintained
are rarely done. 

Natural Resources:  Lessons Learned Regarding Public Land Withdrawn
for Military Use.  GAO/T-NSIAD-94-227.  June 29, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Military operations had not been hampered at the six
withdrawn sites GAO visited in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, and New
Mexico, but these operations had constrained resource management
activities.  Military commanders at five of the sites said that they
changed some training exercises to accommodate concerns for wildlife;
at one site, officials expressed concern about meeting training needs
because of environmental constraints.  However, the Defense
Department restricted access to three sites, making it difficult for
the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to carry out resource management
activities.  Such restrictions and the overall military presence have
led BLM to assign a low priority to resource management on military
lands.  A lack of information on resource conditions prevents an
overall assessment of the impacts.  The six sites could improve
resource management by enhancing interagency cooperation and by
strengthening systems to monitor resource management actions. 
Resource management at the Goldwater Range in Arizona was an example
of effective cooperation between BLM and the military. 

Federal Lands:  Land Acquisitions Involving Nonprofit Conservation
Organizations.  GAO/RCED-94-149.  June 15, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  In May 1992, the Interior Department's Office of Inspector
General reported on problems it found with land acquisitions between
nonprofit conservation organizations and three federal agencies--the
Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the
National Park Service.  The Inspector General said that the prices
for some acquisitions exceeded fair market values, the related land
appraisals were sometimes out of date or were not well reviewed, and
nonprofits reaped financial windfalls on land acquisitions by the
Interior Department.  This report discusses the (1) extent to which
agencies other than the Interior Department buy land from or with the
help of nonprofits, (2) adequacy of controls for protecting the
government's interest in such acquisitions, and (3) extent to which
nonprofits realize large financial gains in such transactions. 

Hawaiian Homelands:  Hawaii's Efforts to Address Land Use Issues. 
GAO/RCED-94-24.  May 26, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Although the Interior and Justice Departments maintain
that the federal government has never had a trust responsibility to
native Hawaiians, the state of Hawaii disagrees.  Hawaiian state
courts and the state's Attorney General have concluded that the
federal government had a trust responsibility during the territorial
period, and the state's Attorney General believes that such a
responsibility continues today.  In GAO's opinion, territorial
governors lacked authority to withdraw Hawaiian homelands for
nonfederal public purposes through executive orders and
proclamations.  However, many of these unauthorized withdrawals
appear to have (1) benefitted native Hawaiians or (2) involved lands
that were unsuitable for authorized homeland uses, such as
homesteading or leasing, during the territorial period.  Territorial
governors also lacked authority under the Hawaiian Homes Commission
Act to withdraw homelands for federal purposes through executive
orders or other means.  Because such withdrawals took place more than
50 years ago, there is no guarantee that all information relevant to
these withdrawals is still available.  Therefore, GAO is unable to
express an opinion on the propriety of homeland withdrawals for
federal purposes.  GAO believes that the methodology used by a
consultant to the state to estimate the lost income from and the
current market value for parcels of lands was generally reasonable. 

Natural Resources:  Defense and Interior Can Better Manage Land
Withdrawn for Military Use.  GAO/NSIAD-94-87.  April 26, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Military Lands Withdrawal Act of 1986 removes from
public use until the year 2001 more than 7 million acres and makes
them available to the military for training and weapons and equipment
testing.  GAO reviewed the experiences at the six sites named in the
act, which are located in Alaska, Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico,
and found that resource management results have been mixed.  Military
operations have not been hampered, but military commanders have
changed some training exercises to accommodate concerns for wildlife. 
Five of the six sites had resource management plans, but only about
half of the planned actions had been started as of November 1993. 
Three sites had access restrictions that made it hard for the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM) to carry out resource management activities. 
These restrictions and the military presence led BLM to assign a low
priority to resource management on military land.  At three sites,
BLM allocated considerably less money to manage lands used for
military training than for other property under its care.  All six
sites had opportunities to improve resource management by
strengthening cooperation between BLM and the military and by beefing
up monitoring of progress on planned resource management actions. 
This report includes photographs of the terrain at the six sites. 

Hurricane Iniki Expenditures.  GAO/RCED-94-132R.  April 18, 1994. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO reviewed whether the U.S.  Fish and Wildlife Service
(FWS) used emergency appropriated funds for the repair and
replacement of national wildlife refuge facilities damaged by
Hurricane Iniki.  GAO noted that:  (1) FWS did not have authorization
to use emergency funds for reconstruction work at two refuges; (2)
FWS planned to use emergency funds for enlarging selected buildings
at one refuge and remodeling the visitors' center at another refuge;
(3) approximately $12.8 million in emergency disaster assistance was
appropriated to FWS for construction projects; and (4) of the amount
appropriated, FWS allocated $6.2 million for the rehabilitation of
the refuges. 

Forest Service Management:  Issues To Be Considered in Developing a
New Stewardship Strategy.  GAO/T-RCED-94-116.  February 1, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Budgetary constraints and scientific findings on ecosystem
management will challenge the Forest Service as never before to find
new ways to achieve program goals with fewer resources.  GAO
testified that the Forest Service needs to work closely with Congress
to get a better return on the sale or use of natural resources on
public lands.  It also needs to work with Congress and other federal
land management agencies to find ways to work more efficiently and to
manage federal lands so as to preserve the nation's natural resources
and sustain their long-term economic productivity.  GAO believes that
a coordinated interagency strategy may be needed to link Forest
Service reforms to changes being considered by other federal land
management agencies.  The goal would be to coordinate and integrate
these programs, activities, and functions so that these agencies can
function as a unit on the local level. 

The Gettysburg Address:  Issues Related to Display and Preservation. 
GAO/RCED-94-12.  January 26, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Of the five known original manuscripts of the Gettysburg
Address, two are in the collection of the Library of Congress.  Since
1979, the Library's two drafts have been displayed during the spring
and the summer at the Gettysburg National Military Park, which is run
by the Park Service.  The Library plans to substitute a high-quality
facsimile for display at the park after 1994, a move the Park Service
opposes.  This report discusses (1) the risks inherent in exhibiting
a draft at the park or elsewhere, (2) whether the Park Service has
met the Library's exhibition and preservation requirements and can
meet future requirements, and (3) the estimated cost of exhibiting
the document at the park in the current or an upgraded facility
versus the cost of building a comparable facility at the Library. 
GAO notes that exhibiting the drafts at the park has allowed millions
of Americans to see the original documents in a historic setting and
that the Park Service seems capable of meeting evolving exhibition
and preservation requirements.  The conference report accompanying
the fiscal year 1994 legislative branch appropriations act supports
exhibiting an original draft in Gettysburg and encourages the Library
and the Park Service to reopen discussions on extending the loan of
the address.  Ultimately, it is Congress' call as to where the drafts
should be displayed. 

National Park Service:  Activities Outside Park Borders Have Caused
Damage to Resources and Will Likely Cause More.  GAO/RCED-94-59. 
January 3, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Activities outside the boundaries of the national parks,
including pollution generated by power plants and manufacturers, are
threatening unique natural and cultural resources.  The Park Service,
however, is unaware of the extent to which these resources are being
threatened because it does not maintain an inventory of the number,
types, and sources of threats or the damage caused.  The Park Service
needs this information to pinpoint and counter the most urgent
threats.  The Park Service has a resource planning system to identify
resource management problems but does not use it to identify and
inventory threats.  GAO surveyed park managers, who identified more
than 600 threats that fell into the following categories:  urban
encroachment, water quantity and quality issues, air pollution, and
human activities.  Park managers claim that about two-thirds of the
threats have already resulted in damage, including diminished scenic
views, polluted streams, and destruction of wildlife and habitat. 
Furthermore, they expect that virtually all of the threats will
inflict additional damage during the next five years.  Although park
managers say that action has been taken to counter more than half of
the threats, this typically involved community outreach, which
requires the cooperation of multiple parties and often is the first
step toward minimizing damage to park resources. 

Federal Lands:  Public Land Access.  GAO/T-RCED-94-72.  November 9,
1993. 

ABSTRACT:  According to managers at the Forest Service and the Bureau
of Land Management (BLM), access to more than 50 million acres of
public land in the United States is inadequate, a situation that can
potentially reduce the public's recreational opportunities and
interfere with the government's land management.  Private landowners
are increasingly unwilling to grant public access across their land
because of concerns about vandalism and potential liability or
because of desires for privacy or exclusive personal use.  To
overcome access problems, the Forest Service and BLM may acquire all
rights and interests associated with the land or obtain perpetual
easements.  In fiscal years 1989-91, the Forest Service and BLM
acquired permanent legal public access to about 4.5 million acres of
federal land.  The two agencies had plans as of October 1991 to open
another 9.3 million acres of federal land to the public. 

Fisheries Management:  Administration of the Sport Fish Restoration
Program.  GAO/RCED-94-4.  November 8, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The long-term decline in the quality of sport fishing in
the United States prompted the creation in 1950 of the Sport Fish
Restoration Program, which seeks to restore, conserve, and enhance
the nation's sport fishery resources.  During fiscal years 1998-92,
the program received nearly $1 billion in federal funding.  In
response to congressional concerns about the program's rapid
expansion and about whether program money was being used for its
intended purposes, this report determines (1) the extent to which the
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) used these funds to run the program,
(2) whether FWS' use of program funds for special investigations
helped the agency to achieve the program's goals, (3) whether the
states allocated the required amount of funds to freshwater and
marine projects, and (4) the extent to which the states programmed
funds to enhance fish habitat.  GAO limited its review to five
coastal states--California, Florida, North Carolina, Texas, and
Washington--that historically have either received the largest
apportionments of program funds or have underwritten a diverse range
of sport fish projects. 

Department of the Interior:  Transfer of the Presidio From the Army
to the National Park Service.  GAO/RCED-94-61.  October 26, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The proposed uses of the Presidio Army Post under the Park
Service's preferred alternative are generally consistent with the
goal of creating a Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  The extent
to which the costs to rehabilitate the Presidio's buildings and run
the Presidio will be offset by tenant payments and philanthropic
donations, however, is unknown.  Thus, the level of future annual
appropriations needed to manage the Presidio cannot be estimated with
any certainty at this time.  Given the costs and the potential impact
of the Presidio's rehabilitation on the Park Service's deferred
maintenance and reconstruction backlog, close oversight by the
Department of the Interior and Congress is warranted.  In addition,
once an alternative for managing the Presidio is decided upon, the
Park Service needs to establish a plan that will (1) prioritize the
objectives, (2) identify their associated costs and funding sources,
and (3) estimate their completion dates.  GAO summarized this report
in testimony before Congress; see:  Department of the Interior: 
Transfer of the Presidio From the Army to the National Park Service,
by James Duffus III, Director of Natural Resources Management Issues,
before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands,
House Committee on Natural Resources.  GAO/T-RCED-94-64, Oct.  26,
1993 (11 pages). 

Department of the Interior:  Transfer of the Presidio From the Army
to the National Park Service.  GAO/T-RCED-94-64.  October 26, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The proposed uses of the Presidio Army Post under the Park
Service's preferred alternative are generally consistent with the
goal of creating a Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  The extent
to which the costs to rehabilitate the Presidio's buildings and run
the Presidio will be offset by tenant payments and philanthropic
donations, however, is unknown.  Thus, the level of future annual
appropriations needed to manage the Presidio cannot be estimated with
any certainty at this time.  Given the costs and the potential impact
of the Presidio's rehabilitation on the Park Service's deferred
maintenance and reconstruction backlog, close oversight by the
Department of the Interior and Congress is warranted.  In addition,
once an alternative for managing the Presidio is decided upon, the
Park Service needs to establish a plan that will (1) prioritize the
objectives, (2) identify their associated costs and funding sources,
and (3) estimate their completion dates. 

National Park Service:  Condition of and Need for Employee Housing. 
GAO/RCED-93-192.  September 30, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The National Park Service, which has been housing park
employees since 1916, now has an inventory of about 5,200 housing
units.  Park Service records suggest that about 40 percent of this
inventory is in "good" or "excellent" condition, needing no more than
routine maintenance; about 15 percent was rated "poor" to "obsolete,"
requiring extensive repairs.  Most of the Park Service housing is
used to shelter (1) seasonal employees, (2) permanent employees at
isolated parks, and (3) permanent employees at more-accessible parks
who provide visitor services or protect government property.  GAO
questioned the justification for about 12 percent of the units.  For
example, at 11 nonisolated parks GAO visited, park managers
subjectively determined the need for housing instead of relying on an
analysis of local housing availability, as required by Park Service
guidance.  GAO could not verify the accuracy of the Park Service's
$546 million estimate for employee housing repair and replacement. 
Park Service officials claim that a sizable backlog of repairs exists
because rental income has covered only about half of all maintenance
costs and operating funds have not been enough to make up the
difference.  Rental income has been limited because (1) the Park
Service reduces its rates because of factors such as isolation and
lack of amenities and (2) Congress has set a cap on rental rate
increases. 

Bureau of Reclamation:  Unauthorized Recreation Facilities at Two
Reclamation Projects.  GAO/RCED-93-115.  September 16, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO concludes that the Department of the Interior exceeded
authorized spending limits when it built recreation facilities at
both the Boise Project, a series of reservoirs providing irrigation,
hydroelectric power, and flood control in Idaho, and the Minidoka
Project, a dam and reservoir located in Idaho and Wyoming.  The
recreation facilities include recreational vehicle and tent
campsites, group picnic shelters, trails, and paved roads and parking
lots.  Plans are also under way to build a marina complex and a
visitor center.  In addition, Reclamation has not entered into all of
the required cost-sharing agreements with nonfederal entities.  As a
result, the taxpayers and users of Bonneville hydroelectric power
have picked up much of the tab to run the facilities, rather than
those who have benefitted from them.  Reclamation has avoided
congressional scrutiny of the costs to build the recreation
facilities by identifying them as minimum public health and safety
facilities.  In GAO's view, Reclamation should be forced to comply
with the law or obtain specific congressional authorization to
continue running the facilities at taxpayers' expense. 

Federal Lands:  Improvements Needed in Managing Short-Term
Concessioners.  GAO/RCED-93-177.  September 14, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Nationwide, about 6,000 short-term agreements (of 5 years
or less) exist under which concessioners provide goods and services
to the public on federal land.  The services they provide include
sightseeing tours and guided fishing, hunting, and rafting trips. 
This is one in a series of reports on concessioners' operations on
federal recreation land.  GAO reviews the federal government's policy
and practices for (1) evaluating short-term concessioners' overall
performance; (2) ensuring that short-term concessioners comply with
federal, state, and local health and safety laws and regulations; (3)
ensuring the reasonableness of the prices charged to the public by
short-term concessioners; and (4) setting fees for the use of federal
land by short-term concessioners. 

Federal Land:  Little Progress Made in Improving Oversight of
Concessioners.  GAO/T-RCED-93-42.  May 27, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Concessioners are often the primary operators in
recreation areas containing some of the nation's greatest national
treasures.  Despite GAO's warnings during the past three years,
however, federal agencies are still doing a poor job of managing
concessioners on federal land.  The agencies lack enough data to
adequately manage concession operations, they cannot demonstrate that
they are receiving a fair return, and they have to revise or develop
some policies to improve their management of concessioners. 
Deterioration in federal areas is widespread, and the existing
infrastructure--approaching $200 billion in value--is increasingly
run down; the cost of deferred maintenance in the national parks and
forests alone is nearly $3 billion.  The federal government has a
huge investment in its recreation resources, and GAO believes that
the government needs to ensure that it is fairly compensated for the
use of its land, the visiting public is provided with healthy and
safe services, and the nation's recreation resources are adequately
protected for future generations. 

National Park Service:  Scope and Cost of America's Industrial
Heritage Project Need to Be Defined.  GAO/RCED-93-134.  May 14, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  America's Industrial Heritage Project consists of several
sites scattered throughout southwestern Pennsylvania that will
explain how the region's iron and steel, coal, and transportation
industries contributed to the nation's industrial growth.  The
project is expected to revitalize the region's economic base through
tourism.  Much uncertainty exists, however, about the development and
the completion of the project.  Although one estimate pegs the cost
of completing the project at about $355 million, including $155
million in federal funds, this estimate lacks documentation and the
final scope of the project has yet to be defined.  Uncertainty also
exists about the operation and maintenance of project sites on
nonfederal land.  Although some of the sites will be run by the
National Park Service, other projects built on nonfederal land are to
be run by nonfederal entities.  Yet GAO was told that federal funds
will be used for up to 5 years to run several projects on nonfederal
land.  Finally, it is unclear who will be responsible for managing,
operating, and maintaining the projects.  The Southwestern
Pennsylvania Heritage Commission, part of the Interior Department,
has been overseeing the project's implementation, but the
Commission's term expires in November 1998.  Although the Commission
favors the establishment of a not-for-profit corporation that would
run all the projects, it has yet to make a final choice among the
options being considered. 

Forest Service:  Little Assurance That Fair Market Value Fees Are
Collected From Ski Areas.  GAO/RCED-93-107.  April 16, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Ski operators on Forest Service land are required to pay
the government fees that are based on fair market values.  Although
these ski operators had $737 million in gross sales in 1991, they
paid the government only about $13.5 million in fees.  GAO concludes
that the current fee system does not ensure that the Forest Service
receives fair market values for using its land.  When the graduated
rate fee system was put into place more than 20 years ago, it was
expected that rates would be adjusted periodically to reflect
economic changes.  Yet the rates by which fees are calculated have
not been updated in more than two decades.  The fee system developed
by the ski industry also does not deliver fees that reflect fair
market value.  GAO agrees with the Forest Service that a simplified
system is desirable.  The goal of developing a simpler system,
however, must be secondary to ensuring that fees are based on fair
market value. 

Natural Resources Management:  Issues to Be Considered by the
Congress and Administration.  GAO/T-RCED-93-5.  February 2, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony discusses GAO's December 1992 transition
series report entitled Natural Resources Management Issues
(GAO/OCG-93-17TR).  During this era of budgetary constraints,
Congress and the new administration face hard choices in how to
protect the nation's natural resources.  Current funding is
inadequate to handle the declining condition of the nation's natural
resources and related infrastructure on federal lands.  A number of
proposals to obtain a better return for the sale or use of natural
resources have not succeeded, GAO believes, because (1) the full
extent of the staffing and funding shortfalls facing federal natural
resources management agencies has not been clearly articulated and
(2) the proposals and the dialogue surrounding them have not focused
on the need to encourage uses that are compatible with sustaining the
nation's natural resources for future generations. 

Natural Resources Management Issues.  GAO/OCG-93-17TR.  December
1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This report is part of the transition series, a set of 28
reports summarizing GAO's findings on major problems confronting
federal agencies, as well as economic and management issues facing
Congress and the incoming Administration.  One cluster of transition
reports, including those on the budget deficit and investment,
addresses broad policy issues affecting government as a whole and its
relationship to the economy.  Another group of reports addresses
issues affecting specific federal agencies, such as the Defense
Department and the Internal Revenue Service.  A third group of
reports looks at cross-cutting management issues--everything from
financial management to information management.  GAO highlighted many
of these problems in a similar set of reports issued in 1988.  In
some instances, progress has been made; all too often, however, the
problems have continued to fester and grow worse.  In general, the
state of management in the federal government is poor.  Too many
management ideas--and resulting agency structures and processes--that
worked well in the past now hinder the government from responding
quickly and effectively to a world in tremendous flux.  Most agencies
have no strategic vision of the future, lack sound systems to collect
and apply financial and program information to gauge operational
success and accountability, and too often do without people with the
skills necessary to accomplish their missions.  The Comptroller
General summarized the series in testimony before Congress; see: 
Major Issues Facing a New Congress and a New Administration, by
Charles A.  Bowsher, Comptroller General of the United States, before
the Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs.  GAO/T-OCG-93-1, Jan. 
8, 1993 (30 pages). 

National Parks:  Issues Involved in the Sale of the Yosemite National
Park Concessioner.  GAO/RCED-92-232.  September 10, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  In response to the Department of the Interior's concerns
about foreign ownership of the major concessioner service in Yosemite
National Park, the Yosemite Park and Curry Company, owned by a
Japanese company, was sold to an American purchaser for $61.5
million.  The new concessioner should have enough revenue to pay the
promissory note for the purchase price, cover operating expenses, and
make a reasonable profit.  GAO has not, however, reviewed the
assumptions that the Park Service used to calculate its cash flow
projections.  Although the new concessioner will be required to
implement some portion of the 1980 Yosemite General Management Plan,
which seeks to reduce congestion in the park, the Park Service has
not yet finalized what those requirements or the associated cost will
be.  Finally, the transfer of interests in the agreement between the
Curry Company's parent firm--MCA, Inc.--and the middleman in the
sale--the National Park Foundation--does not constitute a gift to the
Foundation.  Accordingly, the Foundation's participation in the
agreement is unauthorized.  Additionally, the Foundation's
involvement appears to have been unnecessary to completing the
transaction, since Interior is authorized to enter into such
transactions directly.  The Foundation appears to have been acting on
Interior's behalf. 

Arlington National Cemetery:  Improvements to the Superintendent's
Lodge.  GAO/RCED-92-208.  August 13, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Allegations surfaced in 1991 about extravagant remodeling
at the superintendent's lodge on the grounds of Arlington National
Cemetery.  Although GAO has found that the renovations made to the
lodge--a 1930s structure housing the superintendent and his
family--were reasonable, a lack of internal controls allowed the
superintendent to authorize and approve much of the work himself. 
Expenditures associated with the relocation of the new superintendent
were authorized and paid for in accordance with rules and
regulations.  The Army has acknowledged the potential for abuse
arising from these outlays and is developing policies and procedures
for repairs and renovations to the lodge that will limit the
authority of the superintendent to approve expenditures.  The Army is
also reassessing the amount that the superintendent will be required
to pay for rent, utilities, and other services. 

National Park Service:  Policies and Practices for Determining
Concessioners' Building Use Fees.  GAO/T-RCED-92-66.  May 21, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  While national park concessioners using federally owned
facilities--including lodges, restaurants, and horse corrals--report
gross revenues of up to tens of millions of dollars, many only pay a
pittance for use of these properties.  Poor management by the
National Park Service and lack of data, however, make it impossible
to determine whether the government is getting a fair return on the
use of its facilities.  A lack of policy guidance has led to
inconsistent determinations of building use fees.  Furthermore, a
lack of complete and centralized data has left the Park Service in a
quandary as to how many concession agreements contain the assignment
of federally owned facilities; how many federally owned facilities
are used by concessioners; and what other agreements have been
reached on the repair, maintenance, and improvement of these
facilities.  As a result of this lack of data, the total compensation
for the use of federally owned facilities is unknown. 

Federal Lands:  Reasons for and Effects of Inadequate Public Access. 
GAO/RCED-92-116BR.  April 14, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The public's access to more than 50 million acres, or 14
percent, of the land managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of
Land Management (BLM) is considered inadequate by agency managers. 
Private landowners' unwillingness to grant public access to their
land has increased during the past decade as the public's use of
public land has increased.  Factors contributing to inadequate access
are private landowners' concerns about vandalism and potential
liability or their desire for privacy and exclusive personal use.  To
resolve the public access problem, the Forest Service and BLM can
acquire either all rights and interests associated with the land (fee
simple acquisition) or perpetual easements (limited controls over the
land that are binding on succeeding owners).  In fiscal years
1989-91, the Forest Service and BLM acquired permanent, legal public
access to about 4.5 million acres of federal land.  As of October
1991, the two agencies had about 3,300 actions pending to open
another 9.3 million acres of federal land to the public. 

Federal Lands:  Oversight of Long-Term Concessioners. 
GAO/RCED-92-128BR.  March 20, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Nationwide, the federal government has about 1,500
long-term agreements (five years or more) with private concessioners
for recreation services ranging from ski resort operations to raft
trips.  These concessioners operate on land managed by six federal
agencies.  This report examines the (1) concessioners' overall
performance; (2) concessioners' compliance with federal, state, and
local health and safety standards; and (3) reasonableness of prices
concessioners charge the public for services. 

Federal Lands:  Status of Land Transactions Under Four Federal Acts. 
GAO/RCED-92-70BR.  December 3, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  This briefing report reviews the status of federal land
transactions authorized under four acts--the El Malpais National
Monument and National Conservation Area; the Nevada-Florida Land
Exchange Authorization Act of 1988; the Apex Project, Nevada Land
Transfer and Authorization Act of 1989; and the Targhee National
Forest Land Exchange Act.  GAO discusses (1) actions taken to
complete the land transactions and (2) the use and development of the
lands transferred out of federal ownership. 

National Park Service:  Status of Development at the Steamtown
National Historic Site.  GAO/T-RCED-92-6.  October 22, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  The Steamtown National Historic Site, established in 1986,
encompasses about 63 acres of land that formerly comprised a rail
yard in Scranton, Pennsylvania.  The site is intended to provide
year-round facilities and programs to educate visitors about the role
of steam railroads in the expansion of the United States.  This
testimony discusses the status of the site and notes that various
uncertainties raise questions about (1) the reliability of the $63
million estimated cost to complete site development, (2) identifying
and disposing of hazardous and toxic wastes at the site, and (3) the
feasibility of the planned rail excursion lines to surrounding
locations. 

National Park Service:  Selected Visitor and Cost Data. 
GAO/RCED-91-247FS.  September 30, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  This fact sheet provides information on aspects of
National Park Service operations.  GAO (1) presents data on visitor
accidents and fatalities and criminal offenses reported at the parks;
(2) discusses the Park Service's hazardous waste program; and (3)
provides a list of parks created since 1970 that have, or are
projected to have, land acquisition and construction appropriations
exceeding $40 million. 

National Park Service:  Cost Estimates for Two Proposed Park
Facilities in Texas.  GAO/RCED-91-218BR.  September 3, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  This briefing report analyzes the cost estimates for the
proposed visitor center at San Antonio Missions National Historical
Park in San Antonio, Texas, and a headquarters/visitor center and
separate maintenance facility at Big Thicket National Preserve, which
is north of Beaumont, Texas.  The Park Service's initial cost
estimate for the San Antonio facility is $8.63 million.  To date,
about $200,000 has been spent on planning and design work.  The Park
Service's initial cost estimate for the Big Thicket facilities is
$8.41 million.  So far, about $564,000 has been spent on planning,
and about $3.1 million has been spent on the maintenance facility. 

Bureau of Reclamation:  Federal Interests Not Adequately Protected in
Land-Use Agreements.  GAO/RCED-91-174.  July 11, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Bureau of Reclamation's land-use agreements with Scottsdale, Arizona,
to determine whether the:  (1) terms and conditions of the agreements
are consistent with federal law; (2) activities approved under the
agreements are consistent with applicable agency policies and
guidance; and (3) potential exists for the Bureau to enter into
similar agreements elsewhere.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1)
although the Bureau of Reclamation must approve development plans, it
does not have adequate monitoring and oversight policies and
procedures to ensure that lessees developed and operated facilities
in accordance with the agreements; (2) in two separate agreements,
transferring about 760 acres of land to Scottsdale for recreational
development, local Bureau officials agreed to the long-term use of
those lands with no compensation to the federal government, approved
several for-profit activities, approved a reservation policy granting
priority access to a select group of facility users, and allowed
private operators to set public-use fees without verifying the data
used to set such fees; (3) Bureau instructions governing land-use
agreements do not address the issue of public access or public-use
fees; (4) Scottsdale did not compensate the Bureau for the use of its
lands because local Bureau officials decided that no fee compensation
was warranted under the agreements, since leasing the lands supported
the Bureau's goal of providing its land for recreation; and (5) the
Bureau had authority to enter into agreements to promote the
development of land in the public interest for recreation, but
typically negotiated such agreements at the regional or local level
and did not maintain centralized information, making it difficult to
determine whether similar agreements were pending. 

Bureau of Reclamation:  Land-Use Agreements With the City of
Scottsdale, Arizona.  GAO/T-RCED-91-74.  July 11, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed two recreation land-use agreements between
the Bureau of Reclamation and Scottsdale, Arizona, to determine
whether the:  (1) agreement terms and conditions are consistent with
federal law; (2) approved activities are consistent with applicable
agency policies and guidance; and (3) potential exists for the Bureau
to enter into similar agreements elsewhere.  GAO found that:  (1)
while the agreements themselves were not contrary to federal law, the
absence of comprehensive oversight policies and guidance led local
officials to base many key agreement decisions on personal judgment;
(2) the law does not require nor preclude federal government
compensation for the use of its lands; (3) Scottsdale did not
compensate the government for the use of its lands because local
Bureau officials determined that leasing the lands supported the
Bureau's goal of providing its lands for recreation; (4) since Bureau
guidance governing land-use agreements does not address the issue of
public access, local Bureau officials approved a reservation policy
at a golf complex that limits public use; (5) the Bureau has not
developed guidance on establishing public-use fees for recreational
activities on its lands; and (6) although similar agreements are
being negotiated at the regional or local level, the Bureau does not
maintain centralized information, making it difficult to determine
whether similar agreements were pending. 

Federal Lands:  Improvements Needed in Managing Concessioners. 
GAO/RCED-91-163.  June 11, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the: 
(1) laws and policies governing recreation concession operations on
federal lands; (2) total number and types of concession agreements;
(3) total return to the government from concession operations; and
(4) federal recreation resources management practices of the National
Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S.  Fish and Wildlife
Service, Bureau of Reclamation, Forest Service, and Army Corps of
Engineers.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) no single law authorizing
concession operations existed; (2) none of the agencies maintained a
complete database identifying the number and types of concession
agreements; (3) the agencies could not determine total compensation
to the federal government for the use of federal recreational
resources, due to incomplete financial data and unreported nonfee
considerations; (4) the agencies identified 11 different laws
governing concession agreements and operations, many of which were
agency-specific and allowed for broad discretion in establishing
policies; (5) complete financial data were available for only 60
percent of over 9,000 concession agreements reported by the agencies;
(6) some agencies permitted field offices to accept such nonfee
compensation as capital improvements from concessioners, but the
offices generally did not report such agreements to headquarters; (7)
from those concessioners who reported complete financial data in
1989, the federal government received about $35 million in concession
fees, with gross concession revenues of about $1.4 million,
representing an average return to the government of about 2 percent;
and (8) various fee approaches by the six agencies resulted in
concessioners paying different fees to operate similar activities. 

Forest Service:  Difficult Choices Face the Future of the Recreation
Program.  GAO/RCED-91-115.  April 15, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the Forest Service's:  (1) management of its
recreation program; and (2) corrective actions in response to
previous GAO recommendations.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1)
Service funding and staffing levels were not sufficient to bring
recreational sites and areas up to Service plans and standards,
resulting in a backlog of unmet needs; (2) despite its use of
cost-sharing programs and volunteers to assist with maintenance and
reconstruction work, the Service was unable to complete the needed
work with the available resources; (3) the Service lacked uniform and
consistent data on the condition of its recreational sites and areas
or on its maintenance and reconstruction needs, making it difficult
for Congress to fully assess the future direction of the program; (4)
the Service implemented actions to gather better data on the extent
and severity of recreational sites and area conditions, enabling it
to better manage the program and inform Congress of recreation
program conditions and resource needs; (5) funding could be increased
through appropriations, although that could be difficult in an era of
fiscal constraint and competing demands; (6) the Service would
require legislative changes to impose higher fees; (7) increasing the
use of volunteers and cost-share programs could increase funds, but
not to the level of the resources needed; (8) in lieu of funding
increases, the Service could still meet its current maintenance
standards if it reduced the number of sites and areas to be developed
and maintained, but that action could further strain existing sites
and areas due to increased use; and (9) the Service could lower its
development and maintenance standards to more closely match the
resources available, but that could result in providing the public
with a lower-quality recreational experience. 

Budget Issues:  Funding Alternatives for Fire-Fighting Activities at
USDA and Interior.  GAO/AFMD-91-45.  April 4, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Departments of Agriculture's (USDA) and the Interior's budgetary
treatment of fire-fighting activities during fiscal years (FY) 1988
through 1990, focusing on alternative:  (1) methods of funding
fire-fighting activities; and (2) budget approaches for funding both
emergency and nonemergency fire-fighting activities.  FINDINGS:  GAO
found that:  (1) the agencies' budgetary treatment of fire activities
improved from between FY 1988 and FY 1990; (2) in 1990, Congress
established a separate account to fund fire-fighting activities in
both USDA and Interior; (3) in 1990, both agencies requested greater
appropriations than in previous years, and received amounts from
Congress that came closer to meeting actual fire-fighting needs; (4)
USDA and Interior began to use consistent terms to categorize and
track various fire costs to better determine whether certain costs
applied to emergency or nonemergency activities; (5) despite such
improvements, the agencies' continued use of transfer authority to
fund emergency activities created difficulties, since the agencies
could not anticipate such transfers in making budget estimates; (6)
such transfers allowed the agencies to use funds originally intended
for emergency fire activities to support nonemergency activities; and
(7) alternative methods for funding emergency fire activities within
the budget, included the provision of annual or periodic
appropriations for emergency and nonemergency activities. 

Recreation Concessioners Operating on Federal Lands. 
GAO/T-RCED-91-16.  March 21, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the issue of concession-operated
recreation services on federal lands, concerning the National Park
Service (NPS), Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service,
Bureau of Reclamation, Forest Service, and the Army Corps of
Engineers.  GAO noted that:  (1) since there was no single law
authorizing concession operations for all six agencies, the agencies'
policies regarding the types, terms, and fees of such agreements were
significantly different and inconsistent; (2) the total number of
concession agreements was not known or documented by any of the six
agencies; (3) due to either incomplete data and non-fee
compensations, the total amount of federal compensation for the use
of its recreational resources was not known; (4) the six agencies
received about $32 million in fees from gross concession revenues of
$1.5 billion, and NPS and Forest Service concession operations
accounted for about 90 percent of the revenue; (5) because the laws
did not specify the calculation of fees to the government, the
agencies developed their own varying approaches; and (6) those
various calculation approaches resulted in concessioners paying
different fees for similar activities.  GAO believes that, to more
effectively manage their concession programs, the six agencies need
to develop and analyze complete data on their concession agreements,
including data and the financial worth and non-fee compensations. 

Changes Needed in the Forest Service's Recreation Program. 
GAO/T-RCED-91-10.  February 26, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Forest Service's recreation program
and the condition of its developed recreational sites.  GAO noted
that the Service:  (1) could not maintain funding and staffing to
develop and maintain its recreational sites and areas in accordance
with its established standards; (2) had not yet developed a reliable
system to gather uniform and consistent national data on the
maintenance and reconstruction needs of its recreational sites and
areas; and (3) deferred needed maintenance and reconstruction work,
resulting in health and safety hazards that could result in the loss
of recreational sites and areas.  GAO believes that the Service:  (1)
needed at least $644 million to eliminate the maintenance and
reconstruction backlog; (2) needed additional millions to develop and
maintain special recreation and wilderness areas at current
standards; (3) will be in a better position with uniform and
consistent national data to develop a strategy to guide its
recreation program; and (4) needed to consider funding levels, the
number of sites for development and maintenance, and the revision of
maintenance standards to develop its strategy. 

Forest Service Wilderness Management Funding.  GAO/T-RCED-91-11. 
February 26, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Forest Service's funding for managing
wilderness areas.  GAO noted that:  (1) the Service reprogrammed
funds Congress designated for wilderness management to other programs
without the appropriate congressional approval; (2) of the $44.9
million Congress designated for wilderness management in fiscal years
(FY) 1988 through 1990, the Service only spent $28.3 million on
wilderness activities; (3) from FY 1989 through 1990, Service
wilderness management expenditures decreased by 4 percent despite a
20-percent increase in funds designated for such purposes; (4) the
Service could not specifically identify the activities for which it
used most of the reprogrammed funds; (5) as of January 31, 1991, the
Service planned to expend only $9.7 million of the $22.6 million
designated for wilderness management; (6) in FY 1988 through 1990,
the Service spent $17.8 million on such activities as measuring and
controlling recreational use, constructing and maintaining signs and
facilities, overseeing livestock grazing, and administering outfitter
and permit programs; (7) in FY 1988 through 1990, the Service spent
$10.5 million for headquarters oversight, regional office planning,
and forest supervision; and (8) Service district offices spent
substantially less on wilderness management in 1990 than in 1989. 

Financial Management:  National Park Service Implements New
Accounting System.  GAO/AFMD-91-10.  February 13, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
accounting capabilities of the National Park Service (NPS) and
monitored its implementation of a new accounting system for its
bureaus and major offices.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that NPS:  (1)
formerly used a system that did not comply with federal accounting
standards, but implemented its new Federal Financial System (FFS) to
improve its accounting operations; (2) expected its new accounting
system to provide proper accounting for NPS appropriations and
allocation of park entrance fees; (3) delayed establishing automatic
interfaces with its other financial data systems and deferred plans
to change its accounting codes; (4) also modified plans to provide
many of the new system's users with direct access to the system's
mainframe computer; and (5) required close monitoring to help ensure
that its system's costs do not increase beyond its needs for
effective operation, NPS uses sufficient staff to operate the system,
and system documentation is adequate. 

Parks and Recreation:  Resource Limitations Affect Condition of
Forest Service Recreation Sites.  GAO/RCED-91-48.  January 15, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO assessed the
Forest Service's maintenance of developed recreation sites, focusing
on the:  (1) extent and causes of the maintenance and reconstruction
backlogs; (2) Service's site inventory system; and (3) effects of
resource limitations on site maintenance.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that: 
(1) aging facilities, increased public use, and public demand for new
or modernized facilities contributed to the maintenance and
reconstruction backlogs at developed recreation sites; (2) funding
and staffing levels failed to adequately meet daily operation and
maintenance needs; (3) the deferral of needed maintenance resulted in
such health and safety hazards as contaminated drinking water,
disintegrating boat ramps, and unstable stairs and bridges; (4)
without routine maintenance, the environmental damage caused by
natural forces and human use and vandalism could accelerate site
deterioration; (5) the Forest Service lacked a reliable system to
monitor or report site maintenance and reconstruction needs; (6) the
extent to which districts documented site conditions and backlog data
varied widely, with 12 of the 20 districts unable to provide current
and accurate backlog data; (7) the Service planned to implement a new
recreation information management system to collect backlog data in
1991, but the new system's usefulness was questionable because of the
sources and types of data intended for the system; (8) between 1986
and 1989, the Service closed 4 percent of the 12,915 sites that
existed in 1986, but total recreation site capacity increased between
1972 and 1987; (9) resource limitations contributed to reduced or
eliminated services and reduced quality of the recreational
experience; and (10) to compensate for limited funds and staff, the
districts used such other means as volunteer and cost-share programs
to help operate and maintain developed recreation sites. 


NATURAL RESOURCES PROTECTION
============================================================ Chapter 2

Estimated Costs To Recover Protected Species.  GAO/RCED-96-34R. 
December 21, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on species protected under the Endangered Species Act,
focusing on the:  (1) costs and time needed to recover selected
species; and (2) Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) and the National
Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) species recovery plans.  GAO noted
that:  (1) the 58 species recovery plans reviewed contained cost
estimates that were not based on rigorous scientific analyses; (2)
total costs estimates ranged from $145,000 to $153.8 million and
initial-years costs estimates ranged from $57,000 to $49.1 million;
(3) cost estimates for high-priority recovery actions varied widely;
(4) while FWS and NMFS expect to achieve their species recovery goals
after the year 2000, one recovery plan is expected to take more than
100 years; (5) other federal agencies, state and local governments,
and certain private parties are expected to participate in many FWS
and NMFS recovery actions; (6) FWS and NMFS officials believe that
recovery cost estimates alert various governmental and private
entities to the possible range of costs and tasks needed for species
recovery; (7) recovery cost estimates include actions that may not be
taken because of a lack of funding or are no longer needed; and (8)
FWS and NMFS believe that high-priority species will require more
expenditures and the estimated recovery costs contained in the 58
plans reviewed are not representative of the cost estimates contained
in all approved recovery plans. 

Wildlife Protection:  Fish and Wildlife Service's Inspection Program
Needs Strengthening.  GAO/RCED-95-8.  December 29, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Growing demand throughout the world for wildlife and
wildlife parts, ranging from rhino horns to bear gall bladders, now
threatens some wildlife populations.  Although the full extent of
illegal trade is unknown, the value of such trade into and out of the
United States is estimated at up to $250 million annually.  Despite
recent increases in the Fish and Wildlife Service's (FWS) wildlife
inspection program, the program has had difficulty in accomplishing
its mission of monitoring wildlife and intercepting wildlife trade. 
Given current budget constraints and downsizing within the federal
government, increases in program funding are unlikely.  GAO raises
questions about the program's efficiency and effectiveness.  The
passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement is likely to
increase wildlife trade among the countries that are party to the
agreement--the United States, Canada, and Mexico.  The expected rise
in trade will increase the workload of FWS inspectors, who are
already stretched thin along the U.S.  borders.  Wildlife inspectors,
federal agency officials, and conservation and trade groups cited
advantages and disadvantages to transferring FWS' wildlife inspection
program to the Customs Service. 

Endangered Species Act:  Information on Species Protection on
Nonfederal Lands.  GAO/RCED-95-16.  December 20, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Congress is considering reauthorization of the Endangered
Species Act.  GAO was asked to obtain information on the efforts of
the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect species on nonfederal lands. 
A predominant number of the species protected under the Act have the
major share of their habitat on nonfederal lands.  Specifically, of
the 781 listed species for which the Fish and Wildlife Service was
responsible as of May 1993, 712 (or over 90 percent) have habitat on
nonfederal lands and of these, 516 have over 60 percent of their
total habitat on nonfederal lands.  Two processes authorized under
the Act have addressed potential conflicts between the effort to
protect species and land use activities on nonfederal lands.  The
implementation of these processes has resulted in nonfederal
landowners altering their planned or ongoing activities in various
ways to minimize and/or mitigate their potential impact on endangered
species.  In addition, the Fish and Wildlife Service and others have
initiated legal action to protect species. 

National Wildlife Refuge System:  Contributions Being Made to
Endangered Species Recovery.  GAO/RCED-95-7.  November 14, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Of the nearly 900 species listed under the Endangered
Species Act, one quarter can be found on national wildlife refuges. 
These listed species include plants, birds, and mammals.  Although a
significant portion of the current habitat for 94 listed species is
on 66 wildlife refuges, many other listed species use refuge lands on
a temporary basis for breeding or migratory rest stops.  Refuges and
refuge staff contribute to the protection and the recovery of listed
species in several ways.  First, the refuges themselves represent
about 91 million acres of secure habitat, including more than 310,000
acres that have been acquired by the Service specifically for the
protection of listed species.  Second, refuge staff are taking steps
to protect and recover listed species.  Third, refuge staff, by
identifying specific actions that can help a species recover, help to
develop recovery plans that the Fish and Wildlife Service requires
for listed species.  Funding limitations constrain efforts to manage
wildlife refuges.  Two 1993 Interior Department reports found that
available funding was not enough to meet established objectives for
refuges because the level of funding has not kept pace with the
rising costs of managing existing refuges. 

California Fire Response.  GAO/RCED-94-289R.  August 31, 1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the late 1993 California fires, focusing on:  (1)
federal airtankers' response to the fires; (2) the adequacy of
funding for the Soil Conservation Service's Emergency Watershed
Protection Program to mitigate the damage from the fires; and (3) the
use of California's FIRESCOPE Program as a national model for
disaster response.  GAO noted that:  (1) firefighters used 39 federal
airtankers to suppress the fires; (2) the California National Guard
responded within the 24-hour readiness requirement; (3) the Economy
Act provided sufficient flexibility for the use of federal funds to
activate modular airborne firefighting systems, since commercial
resources could not be provided in a timely manner; (4) the Emergency
Watershed Protection Program appeared to provide sufficient funding
for erosion prevention projects; (5) nonpriority projects are planned
for completion by December 1994; (6) California has continually
worked with other government entities to develop and implement
well-defined emergency response procedures for recurring wildfires
and has expanded the FIRESCOPE program to respond to other natural
and manmade disasters; and (7) the Federal Emergency Management
Agency and other state and local agencies already use FIRESCOPE as a
model for disaster response. 

Endangered Species:  Federal Actions to Protect Sacramento River
Salmon.  GAO/RCED-94-243.  August 15, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  During the past 15 years, the population of winter-run
chinook salmon returning to spawn in the Sacramento River has
declined by 99 percent.  The salmon was classified as an endangered
species in January 1994.  As a result of this listing, the National
Marine Fisheries Services must advise federal agencies on how to
modify actions that could harm the salmon and must enforce the
Endangered Species Act's provisions prohibiting the "taking" of
salmon.  This report identifies major actions that the Service has
taken to protect the salmon.  These actions affected the Central
Valley Project and nonfederal irrigation districts that divert water
from the Sacramento River. 

Research Fleet Modernization:  NOAA Needs to Consider Alternatives to
the Acquisition of New Vessels.  GAO/RCED-94-170.  August 3, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
in the Commerce Department operates a fleet of 18 ships that supports
its programs in fisheries and oceanographic research, and
hydrographic charting and mapping.  Because the fleet is old and
technologically obsolete, NOAA has concluded that fleet replacement
and modernization are critical to supporting its mission
requirements.  In this report on the cost-efficiency, accounting, and
operating practices of NOAA vessels compared with other federal and
private research vessels, GAO found that NOAA has generally agreed
with previous studies that it experiment with contracting and
chartering the services of private vessels as an alternative to
acquiring new ships.  NOAA's current fleet modernization plan,
however, focuses on the acquisition of new vessels and does not fully
consider the role that contracted and chartered vessels could play. 
Because NOAA does not have the data it needs to adequately assess
whether use of private ships could meet its needs, the agency has no
assurance that its fleet modernization plans are the most
cost-effective means of meeting future program requirements. 

Endangered Species Act:  Impact of Species Protection Efforts on the
1993 California Fire.  GAO/RCED-94-224.  July 8, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  In October 1993, a wildfire near Riverside, California,
raged over about 25,000 acres--an area more than one-half the size of
the District of Columbia.  The wildfire destroyed 29 homes.  Some
homeowners later alleged that the loss of some homes was caused by
the Interior Department's regulations protecting the Stephens'
kangaroo rat, an endangered species.  Specifically, the homeowners
claimed that prohibitions against "disking" for weed abatement--an
annual process of reducing the amount of vegetation around homes to
protect homes from wildfires--prevented them from saving their
property.  This report reviews (1) the development and application of
the disking prohibition; (2) the nature of the fire and the resulting
damage to homes; (3) the relationship, if any, between the disking
prohibition and the loss of homes; and (4) any developments on the
disking prohibition that have occurred since the fire. 

Pacific Whiting Harvest:  Controversy Surrounding 1993 Allocation
Between Processing Sectors.  GAO/RCED-94-122.  May 10, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The 1993 Pacific whiting harvest was controversial.  The
Department of Commerce rejected the Pacific Fishery Management
Council's proposed allocation of the whiting harvest between the
shoreside and at-sea processing sectors.  The Council had proposed
that up to 74 percent of the 1993 harvest be allocated to those
fishing vessels delivering their catch to shoreside processors and
that the rest be made available to vessels delivering their catch to
at-sea processors.  After much deliberation, Commerce--one day before
the opening of the 1993 fishing season--approved an allocation of 30
percent to the shoreside sector and 70 percent to the at-sea sector. 
GAO concludes that the allocation decision for the 1993 Pacific
whiting harvest was made in accordance with federal agency
decision-making procedures and regulations.  Commerce rejected the
Council's recommendation because of inadequate support.  The timing
of the decision, which differed little from the timing of the 1992
decision, was the result of the considerable time that federal
officials spent deliberating the Council's proposed shift in the 1993
allocation between the two processing centers. 

Ocean Research Vessels:  NOAA Fleet Modernization Plan. 
GAO/T-RCED-94-52.  October 21, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) $1.9 billion fleet modernization plan calls
for acquiring 24 new or refurbished vessels during a 15-year period. 
Several reports, including those from GAO and the Department of
Commerce, have encouraged NOAA to use more private sector ship
services to cut costs.  So far, however, NOAA has used contracting on
a very limited basis, and its fleet modernization plan makes few
provisions for vessel contracting.  NOAA needs to experiment with
contracting and leasing options to determine whether the private
sector can effectively meet NOAA's mission requirements.  In
experimenting with contracting, NOAA will need to grant contractors
flexibility in how they do the work so that NOAA obtains the cost and
operational data it needs to determine the extent that contracting
can meet mission needs. 

Endangered Species:  Public Comments Received on Proposed Listings. 
GAO/RCED-93-220BR.  September 30, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  One issue likely to be debated during the reauthorization
of the Endangered Species Act is whether a scientific peer review is
needed of decisions to list species as endangered and threatened
under the act.  The act requires that these decisions be based on the
best available scientific and commercial data, and peer review has
been suggested as a way to ensure this.  This briefing report
provides information on the public comments that were provided in
response to species' being proposed for listing, the extent and
nature of questions raised about the biological basis for the
proposed listings, and the frequency of public hearings on proposed
listings.  GAO also discusses the number of petitions to list,
delist, or reclassify species that the Fish and Wildlife Service
found not merited. 

Protected Species:  Marine Mammals' Predation of Varieties of Fish. 
GAO/RCED-93-204.  September 10, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  According to government officials, the hunting of
steelhead salmon by California sea lions at Ballard Locks in Seattle,
Washington, is the only documented case in which predation by one
species is threatening the existence of another, although federal
officials suspect that the adverse predation of fish by protected
seals may also be occurring at the Columbia River and in the state of
Maine.  Efforts to counteract the predation at Ballard Lock,
including relocating the sea lions and driving them away from the
locks, have been unsuccessful.  Other possible options include
capturing and holding the sea lions during the steelhead's migration
and making structural changes to the locks and the accompanying
spillway.  The National Marine Fisheries Service has considered but
rejected the possibility of controlling the sea lion population
through lethal means. 

Natural Resources Restoration:  Use of Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
Settlement Funds.  GAO/RCED-93-206BR.  August 20, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Under the civil settlement stemming from the 1989
grounding of the supertanker Exxon Valdez--the largest oil spill in
U.S.  history--Exxon agreed to pay a total of $900 million in 11
annual payments.  Under the criminal settlement, Exxon was fined $150
million and required to pay $50 million each to the federal
government and the state of Alaska to help restore areas damaged by
the spill.  This briefing report provides information on the amount
and distribution of money that Exxon has paid through December 1992
under the settlements.  GAO also discusses issues surrounding the
functioning of the Trustee Council, which was created to coordinate
damage assessments and to seek funds from responsible parties to
clean up natural resources.  GAO concludes that Alaska and federal
trustees managing the oil spill settlement funds will have to address
several issues before there can be confidence that the money is being
spent for natural resources restoration and other intended purposes. 

Endangered Species:  Factors Associated With Delayed Listing
Decisions.  GAO/RCED-93-152.  August 5, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Delays by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in listing
six species as either threatened or endangered were due to several
factors, the most common of which were FWS concerns about the
sufficiency of biological data and concerns about potential economic
and other impacts.  GAO found that the conservation agreements for
the Bruneau Hot Springsnail and the Jemez Mountains salamander were
inconsistent with FWS policy and guidance.  Whether a conservation
agreement is an appropriate means of protecting species that would
otherwise warrant listing is a decision for FWS to make.  On the
basis of its findings, however, GAO concludes that a conservation
agreement, if it is to be an effective alternative to listing, should
(1) address known threats to a species that would otherwise warrant
listing, (2) provide for monitoring to ensure that the agreement's
mechanisms for protecting the species are properly and fully
implemented, and (3) be implemented in a timely manner. 

Species Protection:  National Marine Fisheries Service Enforcement
Efforts.  GAO/RCED-93-127BR.  June 21, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  During 1991 congressional hearings, shrimp fishermen from
the Gulf of Mexico complained that federal agencies were overly
aggressive in enforcing regulations requiring turtle eluder devices,
which create a hole in shrimp nets allowing trapped turtles to
escape.  This briefing report examines how enforcement practices
under the Endangered Species Act compare with the enforcement of
other fisheries and marine protection laws.  GAO presents statistical
data on the level of federal agencies' enforcement efforts and
penalties assessed to enforce four major fisheries and marine species
protection laws in the southeastern United States. 

Wetlands Protection:  The Scope of the Section 404 Program Remains
Uncertain.  GAO/RCED-93-26.  April 6, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The environmental benefits of swamps, marshes, and
bogs--long considered fit only for draining and filling--are
increasingly recognized today.  Wetlands provide vital habitat for
wildlife as well as improve water quality and control soil erosion. 
How to protect these areas has become a major regulatory issue in the
1990s.  Under the Section 404 program, the U.S.  Army Corps of
Engineers is in charge of granting permits to anyone wanting to
dredge and fill in navigable waters, including wetlands.  GAO made
several suggestions in a July 1988 report (GAO/RCED-88-110) on how
the Corps could improve program management.  This report discusses
(1) the extent to which the Corps has acted on GAO's recommendations,
(2) legislative and other developments that have occurred since the
1988 report that affect the program, and (3) the extent to which
budgetary constraints have affected program administration. 

Endangered Species:  Potential Economic Costs of Further Protection
for Columbia River Salmon.  GAO/RCED-93-41.  February 23, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Despite federal and regional outlays of more than $1.3
billion to improve salmon runs in the Columbia River Basin, certain
salmon stocks--especially those that spawn far upstream in the Snake
River and its tributaries--have reached critically low levels.  As a
result, the Snake River sockeye salmon was designated an endangered
species in 1991, while the Snake River fall chinook and spring/summer
chinook were listed as threatened species the following year.  In
looking into the potential economic costs and effectiveness of
efforts to protect these salmon stocks, GAO found that a preliminary
estimate of lost jobs due to salmon protection will be unavailable
until mid-1993 at the earliest.  However, preliminary estimates of
the value of goods and services foregone--a measure of net economic
costs--suggest that the economic costs of salmon protection may range
from $2 million to as high as $211 million annually.  According to
the more than 300 agencies and organizations GAO contacted, no
studies address how effective any of the proposed protection measures
may be in increasing the number of adult salmon returning to spawn. 
Past evaluation of measures to maintain and improve salmon runs
either did not address the issue or were inconclusive. 

Wildlife Management:  Many Issues Unresolved in Yellowstone
Bison-Cattle Brucellosis Conflict.  GAO/RCED-93-2.  October 21, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Montana succeeded in eradicating brucellosis from its
cattle herds in 1985, allowing Montana ranchers to ship their cattle
to other states without first testing them for the disease. 
Cattlemen are concerned about the possibility that brucellosis, a
contagious disease that can cause abortions and infertility in
domestic cattle, may be spread from Yellowstone Park's free-roaming
bison and elk herds to livestock grazing along the park borders,
thereby jeopardizing Montana's ability to freely transport cattle
across state lines.  Although its policy is not to restrict the
movement of the park's bison and elk, the National Park Service has,
in an attempt to reduce the risk of brucellosis transmission, killed
more than 10,000 bison that have wandered out of the park in recent
years.  This report provides information on the (1) scientific
evidence that brucellosis can be transmitted from bison and elk to
domestic cattle, (2) economic damage that might arise from such
transmission, and (3) management alternatives for preventing or
reducing the likelihood of such transmission. 

Natural Resources Protection:  Reelfoot Lake Lease Terms Met, but
Lake Continues to Deteriorate.  GAO/RCED-92-99.  August 17, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Under an agreement signed in 1941, the Fish and Wildlife
Service assumed responsibility for maintaining Reelfoot Lake, the
largest natural lake in Tennessee, including controlling siltation
and the growth of undesirable vegetation.  Because the lake, which is
used extensively by fishermen, boaters, and wildlife enthusiasts,
captures drainage from adjacent eroding cropland, it has been silting
up over the years and is increasingly swampy in areas; today, more
than 40 percent of the lake is three feet deep or less.  This report
(1) discusses the extent to which the Fish and Wildlife Service has
complied with terms of the lease agreement and (2) identifies the
main causes of the lake's deterioration, options for improving the
lake's condition, and barriers to implementing these options. 

Coastal Barriers:  Development Occurring Despite Prohibition Against
Federal Assistance.  GAO/RCED-92-115.  July 17, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Coastal islands buffer the U.S.  mainland from hurricanes
and are an important source of habitat for fish and wildlife,
including some endangered species.  More and more islands, despite
being highly unstable, are being developed because of their natural
beauty and the dwindling supply of beachfront property.  This
development has also been spurred by the availability of national
flood insurance and other federal assistance.  Congress, in an effort
to cut down on environmental damage and the government's exposure to
losses from storm damage, passed legislation a decade ago that
prohibits new federal financial assistance on most coastal islands. 
Although this legislation has discouraged development on some coastal
islands and other islands are unlikely to be developed any time soon
because they are either inaccessible or unsuitable for building,
significant development has occurred since 1982 in some attractive
and accessible islands.  Extensive new development can be expected in
these and similar areas in the future.  Most federal agencies have
not provided new financial assistance for the coastal islands.  Two
exceptions involve the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which
underwrote flood insurance obtained by ineligible property owners,
and the Air Force, which granted an easement on land within Florida's
Eglin Air Force Base at no cost to a quasi-state agency that wanted
to build a bridge to one of the coastal islands.  GAO also discovered
that permits issued by agencies such as the U.S.  Army Corps of
Engineers have allowed development on certain coastal islands. 

Endangered Species:  Contract Funding For Selected Species. 
GAO/RCED-92-218.  July 17, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO looked at whether individuals or groups that petition
the Fish and Wildlife Service to put plants and animals on the
endangered species list later receive agency funds to study those
same plants and animals.  According to Fish and Wildlife Service
officials, agency contracting policies do not prohibit petitioners
from receiving Endangered Species Act funding to study the same
species for which they have submitted petitions.  Of the 228
contracts for studying endangered species that GAO examined, 38 had
been awarded to study the same species covered by the petitions.  But
in only one case was a petitioner associated with a Fish and Wildlife
Service award.  In this instance, the principal investigator for the
organization receiving funding was the same person who had petitioned
for the species to be placed on the endangered species list. 

Endangered Species:  Past Actions Taken to Assist Columbia River
Salmon.  GAO/RCED-92-173BR.  July 13, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Concerns about declining populations of wild salmon
prompted the National Marine Fisheries Service to list several kinds
of Snake River salmon as either endangered or threatened species. 
This briefing report examines past efforts to reverse declines in
salmon runs.  GAO discusses the actions, and their costs, that
federal agencies and organizations in the Pacific Northwest have
taken to maintain and restore runs of salmon--both wild and
hatchery-bred.  GAO also discusses the results of studies and
research on the effectiveness of the salmon recovery measures
undertaken. 

Hydroelectric Dams:  Proposed Legislation to Restore Elwha River
Ecosystem and Fisheries.  GAO/T-RCED-92-80.  July 9, 1992. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries
Restoration Act, focusing on:  (1) the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission's (FERC) authority to license dams on the Elwha River; (2)
the Department of the Interior's position on removal of the dams to
restore fisheries; and (3) who should pay the costs if the dams are
removed.  GAO noted that:  (1) the Glines Canyon Dam is within the
boundaries of a national park, where FERC does not have the authority
to license dams; (2) Interior, FERC, and the National Marine
Fisheries Service believe that removing both dams offers the best
prospects for restoring the Elwha River fisheries and their
surrounding ecosystem; and (3) the cost of removing the dams should
be allocated among parties in proportion to the benefits they have
received from the dams or will receive from the restoration of the
river. 

Hydroelectric Dams:  Interior Favors Removing Elwha River Dams, but
Who Should Pay Is Undecided.  GAO/RCED-92-168.  June 5, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The Department of the Interior's position is that in order
to restore fisheries in the Elwha River, two dams will have to be
removed.  As of May 1992, Interior has not worked out with the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission whether the dams should be
removed and who should pay for the cost of removing them.  Proposed
legislation before Congress would involve federal acquisition of the
two dams and subsequent comprehensive analysis of the most effective
and reliable alternative for fully restoring, enhancing, and
protecting the ecosystem, fisheries, and wildlife of the Elwha River
basin.  GAO believes that a better understanding of the estimated
costs and potential liabilities would provide for more informed
public policy decisions on whether and how best to restore the
ecosystem and fisheries of the Elwha River and who should be
responsible for paying the costs of restoration.  GAO summarized this
report in testimony before Congress; see:  Hydroelectric Dams: 
Proposed Legislation to Restore Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries,
by Keith O.  Fultz, Director of Planning and Reporting in the
Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division, before
subcommittees of the House Committee on Merchant Marines and
Fisheries.  GAO/T-RCED-92-80, July 9, 1992 (10 pages). 

Endangered Species Act:  Types and Number of Implementing Actions. 
GAO/RCED-92-131BR.  May 8, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This briefing report examines how two federal
agencies--the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine
Fisheries Service (NMFS)--have implemented the Endangered Species Act
of 1973, which sets forth processes for protecting plants and
animals.  Habitat designation has taken place for less than 20
percent of the species listed as endangered.  Agency officials doubt
whether designating critical habitats provides much additional
benefit for a species, and critical habitat designation is considered
a low priority.  During fiscal years 1987 through 1991, when other
federal agencies asked FWS or NMFS to consider the effect of proposed
actions such as construction on a listed species, the two agencies
allowed such projects to proceed as planned more than 90 percent of
the time.  While more than 650 domestic species are on the endangered
species list, 600 others are recognized by the agencies as
potentially imperiled.  At the present pace of listing, it will take
FWS until 2006 to list these species as endangered or threatened. 
Compounding this problem are the estimated 3,000 additional species
that may be threatened or endangered in the future.  The agencies
attribute their slowness to resource constraints. 

Great Lakes Fishery Commission:  Actions Needed to Support an
Expanded Program.  GAO/NSIAD-92-108.  March 9, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Sea lampreys, eel-like parasites that prey on fish, are
native to the Atlantic Ocean but gained entry to the Great Lakes
through the Erie Canal in the late 19th century.  In response to
concerns about decimated fish stocks, the Great Lakes Fishery
Commission was created in 1955 to check the sea lamprey population. 
This report discusses (1) whether the Commission, a joint
U.S.-Canadian venture, uses an ecosystem management approach that
considers the potential harmful effects of sea lamprey control
efforts; (2) what progress the Commission has made in adopting
nonchemical methods to control the sea lamprey; and (3) if the
Commission could effectively spend more funding on research for
alternative control methods. 

Wildlife Protection:  Enforcement of Federal Laws Could Be
Strengthened.  GAO/T-RCED-92-26.  February 3, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Federal statutes and international treaties give the
Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service adequate
authority to protect wildlife.  The Migratory Bird Treaty Act does
not, however, give the Service the authority to conduct a search and
seizure without a warrant, as do other laws protecting wildlife.  GAO
continues to believe that it would enhance the Service's enforcement
authority if the act were amended to provide such search and seizure
authority.  The Service investigates more than 10,000 suspected
violations each year and maintains a conviction rate averaging more
than 90 percent for cases prepared for prosecution.  The agency
cannot, however, investigate many more suspected violations or
respond to state requests to participate in certain investigations
because (1) it has a limited number of agents and (2) many of these
agents are deskbound for months at a time due to insufficient
operating funds.  Further, the Service lacks readily available
information on suspected violations and other enforcement activities
that could help to justify needed resources.  Although Interior is
developing an information system capable of recording suspected
crimes against wildlife, it also needs to (1) ensure that its agents
report all known or suspected violations, whether they are
investigated or not, and (2) document all state requests for
assistance.  This information should then be used to substantiate the
resources the Service needs to carry out its law enforcement
activities effectively. 

Natural Resources Damage Assessment:  Information on Study of
Seabirds Killed by Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.  GAO/RCED-92-22.  November
27, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  In the wake of the March 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill in
Alaska's Prince William Sound, a federally funded study sought to
estimate the number of seabirds killed as a result of the accident. 
This was one of more than 50 damage assessment studies that sought to
determine the impact of the spill on natural resources and develop a
restoration strategy.  The most controversial aspect of the seabird
study involved killing 219 seabirds, immersing them in oil, placing
them in Prince William Sound, and tracking their drift patterns to
discover the number of birds recovered versus the number lost at sea. 
This report provides information on (1) the request and approval of
the seabird damage study and (2) the study's methodology, which
required killing more than 200 seabirds. 

Wetlands Overview:  Federal and State Policies, Legislation, and
Programs.  GAO/RCED-92-79FS.  November 22, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  In recent years, the value of wetlands--such as providing
fish and wildlife habitat and abating erosion--have become better
known.  Unfortunately, an estimated 50 percent of all wetlands in the
lower 48 states have already been filled or drained, and another
290,000 acres are being lost annually to agriculture and development. 
This fact sheet provides an overview of federal and state
wetlands-related policies, legislation, and programs. 

Wetlands Preservation:  Easements Are Protecting Prairie Potholes but
Some Improvements Are Possible.  GAO/RCED-92-27.  November 7, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  Wetlands protected under the Small Wetlands Acquisition
Program are located mainly in the Prairie Pothole Region in the upper
Middle West, including parts of Montana, the Dakotas, Iowa, and
Minnesota.  Prairie potholes are shallow, freshwater depressions and
marshes that were created by glaciers thousands of years ago.  Loss
of such habitat is a major reason why populations of some duck
species, such as mallards and pintails, have declined about 60
percent over the past 50 years.  The Small Wetlands Acquisition
Program has successfully helped preserve wetlands in the Prairie
Pothole Region, primarily because the Fish and Wildlife Service has
effectively enforced easements on wetlands.  GAO believes that the
program could be made even better if the Fish and Wildlife Service
were to correct weaknesses in the (1) documentation of waterfowl's
use of wetlands under easement and (2) guidance involving the
timeliness with which damaged wetlands are restored and the
circumstances under which violators should be issued notices and
assessed fines. 

Wilderness Management:  Accountability for Forest Service Funds Needs
Improvement.  GAO/RCED-92-33.  November 4, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  To help ensure that Forest Service wilderness areas are
protected and maintained in their natural state, Congress increased
funding for wilderness management by almost 80 percent during fiscal
years 1989 through 1991.  The Forest Service, however, diverted more
than one-third of the $44.7 million designated for wilderness
management to other activities.  Of the $28.3 million spent on
wilderness management, $10.5 million was used for management
expenses--mainly salaries and administrative costs--at organizational
levels above the district offices, with the remainder spent on
wilderness management at the district level.  The Forest Service
reported that 112 of the 500 district offices managing wilderness
areas saw cuts in funding for fiscal year 1990, including some
offices that had earlier reported funding and staffing shortfalls. 
Contrary to congressional directives, the Forest Service reprogrammed
these funds without seeking prior approval by the House Committee on
Appropriations.  The head of the Forest Service recently outlined
several steps to ensure that (1) designated funds are spent as
Congress intended, (2) the Committee's reprogramming procedures are
followed, and (3) there is greater accountability over funds
designated for wilderness management.  In addition, GAO suggests that
the Forest Service refine its accounting for expenditures and
establish output targets to improve accountability over expenditures
of wilderness management funds and the performance of wilderness
managers. 

Oil Reserve:  Impact of NPR-1 Operations on Wildlife and Water Is
Uncertain.  GAO/RCED-91-129.  August 1, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
basis for the disagreements between the Department of Energy (DOE)
and its Argonne National Laboratory relating to Argonne's development
of a supplemental environmental impact statement (SEIS) for Naval
Petroleum Reserve No.  1 (NPR-1), focusing on:  (1) the DOE Naval
Petroleum Reserves-California (NPRC) and Argonne positions on NPR-1
impacts on endangered species and groundwater quality and how SEIS
would discuss those uncertainties; and (2) NPR-1 compliance with
environmental laws and regulations governing endangered species,
wastewater disposal, and historic preservation activities. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) between 1981 and 1989, the number of
foxes living free within the NPR-1 study area decreased from 164 to
between 44 and 58; (2) Argonne concluded in a SEIS draft that NPR-1
operations could have contributed to the decline of foxes in that
area; (3) NPRC and Argonne staffs disagreed about how SEIS should
describe the effects of NPR-1 operations on endangered foxes and
nearby groundwater, primarily due to a lack of definitive data; (4)
in September 1990, NPRC notified Argonne that DOE would prepare final
SEIS, but it was unclear to what extent DOE would use Argonne's data
and views; (5) DOE and others were conducting research that could
provide additional data on factors affecting the fox population and
wastewater migration; (6) DOE has not ensured that NPR-1 operations
comply with the Endangered Species Act and the National Historic
Preservation Act's regulations; (7) Argonne concluded in a June 1990
SEIS draft that NPR-1 operations violated California wastewater
disposal requirements for sumping, but DOE believed that NPR-1 had
not violated the requirements, and the state had not made a
determination on that issue; (8) factors contributing to the
noncompliance included NPRC officials' lack of knowledge regarding
environmental requirements, noncoordination with federal and state
agencies having environmental responsibilities, and mismanagement,
which could result in legal action, fines, or a temporary shutdown;
and (9) NPRC is taking action to address the problems, but unless DOE
improves its management controls, similar problems may continue to
exist. 

National Forests:  Funding Fish and Wildlife Projects. 
GAO/RCED-91-113.  June 12, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on funds spent by various sources for fish and wildlife
activities on national forest lands.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1)
between October 1987 and June 1990, fish and wildlife activities
involving Forest Service staff participation totalled over $202
million; (2) such activities included revegetation of streamside
areas, fencing installation, and erosion control projects to maintain
or improve fish and wildlife habitat or provide for the recovery of
endangered species; (3) of the $202 million, $154.6 million came from
congressional appropriations to the national forest system and the
remaining $47.8 million came from such outside sources as state and
local governments; (4) from fiscal year (FY) 1988 through FY 1989,
outside funding for fish and wildlife activities directly involving
Service staff increased from about $14.7 million to about $16.7
million and totalled about $16.4 million for the first 9 months of FY
1990; and (5) financial support from outside sources included $32.1
million in cost-sharing arrangements between the Service and outside
sources, $15.7 million in work performed by the Service but paid for
by outside sources, and $14.7 million for activities in which the
Service was not involved. 

Wildlife Protection:  Enforcement of Federal Laws Could Be
Strengthened.  GAO/RCED-91-44.  April 26, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed
whether:  (1) federal statutes and international treaties provided
sufficient authority to protect wildlife, particularly migratory
waterfowl; and (2) the Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) adequately enforced those statutes and treaties. 
FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) with the exception of the Migratory
Bird Treaty Act and the Endangered Species Act, the 11 federal
statutes and 5 international treaties provided sufficient enforcement
authority for FWS; (2) the lack of warrantless search and seizure
authority in the Migratory Bird Treaty Act hampered agents' efforts
to investigate suspected violations; (3) the issue of whether hybrid
species were protected under the Endangered Species Act of 1973
presented enforcement problems, since the only alternative to
conclusively prove an animal's species was to destroy and examine it;
(4) although new and amended legislation substantially increased FWS
responsibilities for protecting species, the number of FWS special
agents decreased by 9 percent; (5) due to insufficient funds, some
special agents were deskbound and unable to perform their basic
responsibilities for months at a time; (6) staffing and funding
shortfalls resulted in the selective enforcement of wildlife
protection legislation; (7) FWS lacked adequate information regarding
the extent of suspected crimes it was unable to investigate and the
effectiveness of its law enforcement methods; and (8) joint FWS-state
investigations of large-scale illegal commercial operations and
massive illegal harvesting of waterfowl worked well, but reductions
in FWS staffing and operating funds, coupled with its focus on
large-scale operations, rendered FWS unable to respond to many state
requests for assistance. 

Fisheries:  Commerce Needs to Improve Fisheries Management in the
North Pacific.  GAO/RCED-91-96.  March 28, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed:  (1)
federal management of the groundfish fishery in the Bering Sea and
the Gulf of Alaska; (2) systems for calculating domestic processing
capability; and (3) systems for releasing surplus allocations to
joint-venture fishermen.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the North
Pacific Fishery Management Council's recommended 2-million metric ton
cap for groundfish in the Bering Sea was conservative, based on the
National Marine Fisheries Service's (NMFS) 1984 estimate; (2) the
Council maintained the conservative cap to Americanize the fishery,
protect markets for groundfish, and sustain the ecological balance;
(3) domestic processors provided NMFS with preseason estimates which
were 43 percent higher than actual use, and NMFS believed that
estimates were inflated primarily to limit or eliminate allocations
to joint-venture and foreign fishermen; (4) the system for allocating
groundfish often gave domestic processors larger initial allocations
than they needed and reduced the allocations to joint-venture and
foreign fishermen; and (5) joint-venture and foreign fishing in the
North Pacific fishery was eliminated when all allocations of
groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea went to domestic
processors in 1990 and 1991. 

Coast Guard:  Millions in Federal Costs May Not Be Recovered From
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill.  GAO/RCED-91-68.  March 5, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the Exxon Valdez oil spill, focusing on:  (1) the
total spill-related costs reported as of June 30, 1990; (2) the
extent of the oil carrier company's reimbursement to the government
for spill-related costs through September 30, 1990; and (3)
improvements needed in the reimbursement process in the event of
future spills.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the federal
government, as of June 30, 1990, spent almost $154 million on the
spill, for which the carrier reimbursed it or was processing
reimbursement of $123 million; (2) through June 30, 1990, 10 federal
agencies reported spending $116.9 million for removal, $22.6 million
for damage assessment, and $14.2 million for other spill-related
costs; (3) 4 of those agencies accounted for 87 percent of total
costs incurred, and the Department of Defense accounted for $62.2
million, the largest portion; (4) as of September 30, 1990, the oil
carrier company reimbursed the federal government for $116.1 million
of the $153.7 million agencies reported they spent on the spill; (5)
the Coast Guard's spill coordinator did not authorize for
reimbursement a number of the agencies' activities, since it did not
believe that they were related to oil removal; (6) several agencies
lost opportunities to obtain reimbursement from the Oil Spill
Liability Trust Fund because of problems in tracking and billing
their spill-related costs completely and accurately; (7) agencies
estimated that future cleanup activities would require at least
another $26 million; and (8) the Department of Justice was
considering civil litigation against the oil carrier company to
recover damage assessment and restoration costs. 


PUBLIC LANDS MANAGEMENT, MINING
CONTROL AND RECLAMATION
============================================================ Chapter 3

Animal Damage Control Program:  Efforts to Protect Livestock from
Predators.  GAO/RCED-96-3.  October 30, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Efforts to protect livestock from predators, mainly
coyotes, constitute the major activity of the Agriculture
Department's Animal Damage Control Program.  In 1994, more than
100,000 predators were killed by the program's field personnel.  GAO
found that Agriculture field personnel in California, Nevada, Texas,
and Wyoming used lethal methods in essentially all instances to
control livestock predators.  Agriculture's written policies and
procedures call for field personnel to give preference to the use of
nonlethal methods when practical and effective.  However, according
to program officials, this aspect of written guidance does not apply
to the control of livestock predators.  These officials said that in
controlling livestock predators, nonlethal methods, such as fencing
and the use of herders and guard dogs, are more appropriately used by
ranchers, have limited effectiveness, and are impractical for field
personnel to use. 

Restoring the Everglades:  Public Participation in Federal Efforts. 
GAO/RCED-96-5.  October 24, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  In central and southern Florida, where national parks and
wildlife refuges abut farmland, urban areas, and Indian reservations,
the boundaries between public and private lands and between federal,
state, local, and tribal jurisdictions overlay the ecological
boundaries created by the flow of water.  During the last half
century, engineering projects have altered the quantity and timing of
the water's flow, agricultural runoff has altered water quality, and
urbanization has fragmented the region's ecosystem.  As a result,
South Florida--including the Everglades and Florida Bay--is showing
signs of ecological distress.  Federal agencies began an effort in
1993 to coordinate environmental restoration in South Florida.  In
addition, the Administration has identified South Florida as a site
for testing a new approach to ensuring a healthy environment and
managing the nation's lands and natural resources.  This approach,
which recognizes the interrelationships between natural systems and
healthy, sustainable economies, cuts across the boundaries of
ownership and jurisdiction.  Central to this new approach is the need
for federal and nonfederal stakeholders to collaborate and build
consensus on solutions to problems of mutual concern.  This report
(1) identifies the processes used by federal agencies to involve
nonfederal stakeholders in environmental restoration efforts in South
Florida and (2) the lessons learned about federal and nonfederal
collaboration and consensus-building in South Florida that may be
applicable elsewhere. 

Ecosystem Management:  Additional Actions Needed to Adequately Test a
Promising Approach.  GAO/T-RCED-94-308.  September 20, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The "ecosystem" approach to managing the nation's lands
and natural resources stresses that plant and animal communities are
interdependent and interact with their physical environment to form
ecosystems that span federal and nonfederal lands.  GAO found that
the four primary federal land management agencies--the National Park
Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife
Service, and the Forest Service--have started to implement ecosystem
management.  In addition, the administration's fiscal year 1995
budget request includes $700 million for ecosystem management
initiatives.  GAO recognizes that, compared with the existing federal
approach to land management, ecosystem management may require greater
flexibility in planning; in budgeting, authorizing, and appropriating
funds; and in adapting management on the basis of new information. 
However, GAO believes that if ecosystem management implementation is
to move forward, it must advance beyond unclear priorities and broad
principles.  Clear goals and practical steps for implementing
ecosystem management need to be established and progress in
implementing this approach needs to be regularly assessed and
reported. 

Ecosystem Management:  Additional Actions Needed to Adequately Test a
Promising Approach.  GAO/RCED-94-111.  August 16, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The "ecosystem" approach to managing the nation's lands
and natural resources stresses that plant and animal communities are
interdependent and interact with their physical environment to form
ecosystems that span federal and nonfederal lands.  GAO found that
the four primary federal land management agencies--the National Park
Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the Fish and Wildlife
Service, and the Forest Service--have started to implement ecosystem
management.  In addition, the administration's fiscal year 1995
budget request includes $700 million for ecosystem management
initiatives.  GAO recognizes that, compared with the existing federal
approach to land management, ecosystem management may require greater
flexibility in planning; in budgeting, authorizing, and appropriating
funds; and in adapting management on the basis of new information. 
However, GAO believes that if ecosystem management implementation is
to move forward, it must advance beyond unclear priorities and broad
principles.  Clear goals and practical steps for implementing
ecosystem management need to be established and progress in
implementing this approach needs to be regularly assessed and
reported.  GAO summarized this report in testimony before Congress;
see:  Ecosystem Management:  Additional Actions Needed to Adequately
Test a Promising Approach, by James Duffus III, Director of Natural
Resources Management Issues, before the Subcommittee on Oversight and
Investigations, House Committee on Natural Resources, the
Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources, House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries, and the Subcommittee on Specialty
Crops and Natural Resources, House Committee on Agriculture. 
GAO/T-RCED-94-308, Sept.  20, 1994 (nine pages). 

Federal Land Management:  Status and Uses of Wilderness Study Areas. 
GAO/RCED-93-151.  September 23, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  In response to congressional concerns about the alleged
degradation of areas being considered for possible inclusion in the
National Wilderness Preservation System, this report provides
information on the types and effects of activities in these areas,
which are managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest
Service.  GAO discusses (1) the legislative guidance and the agency
policies governing wilderness study area management, (2) various
activities and uses occurring in the agencies' study areas, (3) ways
these activities affect the areas, and (4) agency actions to monitor
and restrict these uses and to repair resulting damage.  Congress has
allowed many different uses, such as primitive recreation and
grazing, to occur in these areas.  In the locations GAO visited, the
effects and damage seemed to be concentrated in relatively small and
accessible areas.  Because people have various views on "wilderness,"
they will also have different opinions about the severity of "man's
imprint" on potential and designated wilderness.  The final decision
about an area's suitability for wilderness ultimately rests with
Congress. 

Ranching Operations on Public Lands.  GAO/RCED-93-212R.  August 17,
1993. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to congressional requests, GAO reviewed the top
500 livestock grazing permits issued by the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) and Forest Service, focusing on the:  (1) extent that large
ranching operations are dependent on federal lands; (2) dependency of
local western economies on these ranching operations; and (3)
contributions these ranching operations make to wildlife and
improving the condition of the federal lands.  GAO noted that:  (1)
one-third of the cattle in 11 western states graze at least part of
the year on federal lands; (2) the extent that ranching operations
are dependent on federal lands varies by state and region; (3)
federal lands are generally of lower quality and not as productive as
private and state lands; and (4) the operating size of many livestock
operations is affected by the amount of federal range land available
during seasons of feed shortage on privately-owned lands. 

Large Grazing Permits.  GAO/RCED-93-190RS.  July 16, 1993. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided permit
holders' addresses and phone numbers missing from its listing of the
top 500 Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service grazing permits. 
GAO noted that it could not provide the unlisted phone number of one
permit holder and the other permit had been cancelled, sold, or
transferred. 

Large Grazing Permits.  GAO/RCED-93-190R.  June 25, 1993. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the top 500 grazing permits issued by the Bureau of
Land Management and the Forest Service.  GAO noted that:  (1) it
could not provide some of the permittees' addresses and phone numbers
due to time constraints and unavailable information; (2) the
information on the permits may not correspond to the actual livestock
operators; (3) some operators hold more that one permit and some
permits are issued to associations that represent many operators; and
(4) some operators who do not hold one of the top permits may hold
several smaller permits which raise their aggregate grazing level
higher than that of an operator who holds one of the top 500 permits. 

Rangeland Management:  Profile of the Forest Service's Grazing
Allotments and Permittees.  GAO/RCED-93-141FS.  April 28, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  This fact sheet provides information on livestock grazing
on public rangeland managed by the Forest Service, which allows
ranchers to graze cattle on parcels of land called allotments.  The
Forest Service bills ranchers for the grazing, measuring usage by
animal month, defined as one month's use and occupancy of the range
by one adult cow, or five sheep or goats.  GAO discusses (1) the
number, the average acreage, and the average stocking rate of Forest
Service allotments and (2) the total and the average number of animal
months controlled by Forest Service permittees.  GAO grouped the
allotment and permittee information into several categories,
emphasizing the 500 largest and smallest allotments and permittees. 
In general, grazing allotments in the western United States were
concentrated among the largest ranchers.  The 500 largest allotments
GAO studied encompassed more than 29 million acres, or about 32
percent of the total allotment acreage.  In contrast, the 500
smallest allotments accounted for about 49,000 acres, or 0.05 percent
of the total allotment acreage.  Similarly, the 500 permittees with
the highest livestock grazing levels accounted for nearly 4.5 million
animal months, or nearly half of the total number of animal months. 
The 500 permittees with the lowest livestock grazing levels accounted
for about 8,500 animal months, or 0.09 percent of the total number of
animal months allowed. 

Rangeland Management:  BLM's Range Improvement Project Data Base Is
Incomplete and Inaccurate.  GAO/RCED-93-92.  April 5, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) spent about $18
million in fiscal years 1990 and 1991 to improve the public
rangeland.  These funds came from fees paid by ranchers to graze
their livestock on BLM land.  The law requires that the funds be used
for projects such as fencing, weed control, and water development
that benefit rangeland resources, including wildlife, watersheds, and
livestock.  This report discusses how range improvements are
accounted for, including (1) the types of range improvement projects
funded, (2) the cost of each project, and (3) the rangeland resources
benefiting from these projects.  GAO also provides information on the
role that grazing advisory boards play in determining which range
improvement projects are funded each year. 

Wilderness:  Effects of Designation on Economy and Grazing in Utah. 
GAO/RCED-93-11.  December 29, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  In recent years, several proposals have been introduced in
Congress that would boost the acreage designated as wilderness in
Utah.  A 1990 study by the Western Economic Analysis Center, done at
the request of the Utah Association of Counties, projects that Utah's
economy would lose more than $13 billion if one such proposal becomes
law.  In addition, some Utah ranchers and residents are concerned
that designating an area as wilderness will reduce livestock grazing. 
GAO concludes that the center's study makes unreasonable assumptions
and uses flawed methodology.  The $13 billion figure cited is a loss
equal to about half of Utah's 1988 or 1989 gross state product and
assumes that all mining, grazing, and recreation would cease when the
lands are designated as wilderness.  The study's methodology is
flawed because, among other things, it inflates the total effects of
wilderness designation by not discounting future cash flows and by
double-counting projected lost revenues.  The limitations of this
study led GAO to conclude that the effect on Utah's economy of
designating more acreage as wilderness has not been adequately
quantified.  Likewise, the effect of wilderness designation on
livestock grazing in Utah has not been quantified. 

Rangeland Management:  Profile of the Bureau of Land Management's
Grazing Allotments and Permits.  GAO/RCED-92-213FS.  June 10, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This fact sheet provides information on livestock grazing
on public rangeland managed by the Department of the Interior's
Bureau of Land Management (BLM).  GAO discusses (1) the number, the
average acreage, and the average stocking rate of BLM allotments and
(2) the total and the average number of animal unit months--the
amount of forage needed to feed one 1,000-pound cow, a horse, or five
sheep for a month--covered by grazing permits.  GAO groups the
information into several categories, emphasizing the 500 largest and
500 smallest allotments and permits. 

BLM Resource Allocation.  GAO/RCED-92-181R.  May 20, 1992. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) fiscal year (FY)
1991 and FY 1992 budget and staff allocations for nine western states
in management programs addressing oil and gas, coal, rangeland,
cultural resources, wilderness, recreation resources, and resource
planning.  GAO noted that:  (1) the BLM resource allocation process,
including its budget development phase, takes place over 3 fiscal
years; (2) BLM state offices adjust current budgets for such factors
as inflation, administrative priorities, and initiatives, to develop
new budgets; (3) numerous BLM, Department of the Interior, and Office
of Management and Budget officials review and revise the proposed
budgets over the 3-year development period, as well as the President
and Congress; (4) total BLM FY 1992 budget allocations for the nine
states ranged from $29.8 million to $53.2 million; and (5) total BLM
FY 1992 staff allocations ranged from 510 full-time equivalents (FTE)
to 975 FTE. 

Rangeland Management:  Results of Recent Work Addressing the
Performance of Land Management Agencies.  GAO/T-RCED-92-60.  May 12,
1992. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed its work on public rangeland management,
focusing on:  (1) its response to a consultant's critique of three
GAO reports issued between 1988 and 1990 on rangeland management; and
(2) other reports it has issued regarding rangeland monitoring and
livestock grazing activity.  GAO noted that:  (1) the consultant made
numerous criticisms about GAO reports regarding grazing allotments,
riparian area restoration, and the federal wild horse program, but
GAO believes that the critique includes little factual data to
substantiate its assertions and misrepresents report findings to
support its positions; (2) other federal and state agencies
conducting similar studies reached conclusions that were similar to
GAO conclusions; (3) both the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the
Forest Service have taken actions to address the issues raised in the
GAO reports; and (4) its reports on BLM and Service rangeland
monitoring continue to indicate that neither agency has sufficient
staffing and funding to effectively administer or evaluate grazing
activities. 

Rangeland Management:  Assessment of Nevada Consulting Firm's
Critique of Three GAO Reports.  GAO/RCED-92-178R.  May 4, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO reviewed a January 1992 report by a Nevada consulting
firm that critiqued three GAO reports on management of the western
public rangeland by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest
Service.  Subjects addressed included declining and overstocked
grazing allotments, riparian area restoration, and the federal wild
horse program.  GAO carefully examined both the consulting firm's
analysis of GAO's reports as well as GAO's adherence to its own
standards, policies, and procedures.  GAO is confident that its work
was done with due professional care consistent with generally
accepted government auditing standards and that its findings are well
supported, its conclusions flow logically from the facts, and its
recommendations offer reasonable suggestions for addressing the
problems identified.  The first report provides GAO's point-by-point
responses to the charges made in the consulting firm's report, while
the second provides the titles of the documents GAO reviewed and the
names of individuals GAO contacted in preparing its reports.  GAO
summarized these reports, along with two other recent reports on
rangeland management (GAO/RCED-92-52, Feb.  24, 1992, and
GAO/RCED-92-12, Nov.  26, 1991) in testimony before Congress; see: 
Rangeland Management:  Results of Recent Work Addressing the
Performance of Land Management Agencies, by J.  Dexter Peach,
Assistant Comptroller General for Resources, Community, and Economic
Development Programs, before the Subcommittee on National Parks and
Public Lands, House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. 
GAO/T-RCED-92-60, May 12 (10 pages). 

Contacts and Documents Reviewed.  GAO/RCED-92-193R.  May 4, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO reviewed a January 1992 report by a Nevada consulting
firm that critiqued three GAO reports on management of the western
public rangeland by the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest
Service.  Subjects addressed included declining and overstocked
grazing allotments, riparian area restoration, and the federal wild
horse program.  GAO carefully examined both the consulting firm's
analysis of GAO's reports as well as GAO's adherence to its own
standards, policies, and procedures.  GAO is confident that its work
was done with due professional care consistent with generally
accepted government auditing standards and that its findings are well
supported, its conclusions flow logically from the facts, and its
recommendations offer reasonable suggestions for addressing the
problems identified.  The first report provides GAO's point-by-point
responses to the charges made in the consulting firm's report, while
the second provides the titles of the documents GAO reviewed and the
names of individuals GAO contacted in preparing its reports.  GAO
summarized these reports, along with two other recent reports on
rangeland management (GAO/RCED-92-52, Feb.  24, 1992, and
GAO/RCED-92-12, Nov.  26, 1991) in testimony before Congress; see: 
Rangeland Management:  Results of Recent Work Addressing the
Performance of Land Management Agencies, by J.  Dexter Peach,
Assistant Comptroller General for Resources, Community, and Economic
Development Programs, before the Subcommittee on National Parks and
Public Lands, House Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs. 
GAO/T-RCED-92-60, May 12 (10 pages). 

Grazing Fees:  BLM's Allocation of Revenues to Montana Appears
Accurate.  GAO/RCED-92-95.  March 11, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) collected $2.2 million
in grazing fees in Montana in fiscal year 1991, part of which was
distributed to state and local governments.  GAO concludes that BLM's
management of these receipts provides reasonable assurance that
Montana is receiving its full share of the grazing fee receipts.  GAO
found that no lands had been misclassified, and the grazing fee
receipts had been properly distributed.  While basically sound, BLM's
grazing fee billing and accounting systems are subject to errors, as
any automated system is if data are entered incorrectly and mistakes
are not caught and corrected.  Although GAO found several instances
of inaccurate data entry, BLM had corrected them by the time of GAO's
review.  With the formation of a committee to identify and implement
edit-checks needed to refine its system, BLM has started to ensure
greater accuracy of the information in the system.  GAO believes that
these efforts are worthwhile and should be continued. 

Management of Artwork:  Steps Taken to Preserve and Protect Bureau of
Reclamation's Collection.  GAO/RCED-92-92.  February 28, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  In the late 1960s, the Department of the Interior's Bureau
of Reclamation commissioned artwork depicting its water projects in
the West.  Because of inadequate record-keeping and controls, the
Bureau has been unable to locate about 40 percent of the paintings,
watercolors, and sketches in its collection.  Some of the missing
artwork may have been lost or stolen, and other pieces may have been
returned to the original artists.  The Bureau has done what it can to
identify and locate the missing pieces, and since 1987 it has
strengthened its accountability and controls over the remaining 201
pieces of art.  Few of these pieces have been seriously damaged, and
the Bureau has begun restoring the most valuable among them.  The
Bureau has not yet decided, however, how best to display its
collection in offices and public facilities or loan out pieces for
exhibit after their restoration. 

Rangeland Management:  Interior's Monitoring Has Fallen Short of
Agency Requirements.  GAO/RCED-92-51.  February 24, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Domestic livestock graze almost 270 million acres of
federal land in the western United States.  The impact of such
grazing, which dates to the 1800s, is a matter of increasing concern
to Congress.  While the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has done the
required monitoring of range conditions, it has decided appropriate
grazing levels for only about 20 percent of the 14,500 allotments
covered by environmental impact statements issued more than 5 years
ago.  Further, it has not monitored about 7,200 allotments at all. 
For the allotments it has monitored, BLM has generally not analyzed
the data or decided on appropriate grazing levels.  BLM range
managers cite staff shortages and higher priority work as important
reasons why the monitoring has not been more extensive.  GAO's
findings are consistent with those in earlier reports on BLM's
rangeland management program.  These reports pointed out that BLM is
hampered in its ability to protect rangelands from grazing damage and
to restore damaged lands because of insufficient funding and staff. 

Rangeland Management:  BLM's Hot Desert Grazing Program Merits
Reconsideration.  GAO/RCED-92-12.  November 26, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  The debate over the effects of domestic livestock grazing
are particularly important in the nations' so-called hot deserts--the
Mojave, the Sonoran, and the Chihuahuan--because of the fragile
ecosystems there and the length of time it takes for damaged areas to
recover.  GAO concludes that current livestock grazing activity on
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) allotments in hot desert areas risks
long-term environmental damage while not generating enough revenues
to provide for adequate management.  According to recent data, the
economic benefits derived from livestock grazing on BLM lands in the
hot desert areas are minimal.  The primary economic benefits accrue
to about 1,000 livestock operators who hold livestock grazing permit
in these areas.  Yet many of these operators derive little income
from ranching the public lands, who instead place a premium on the
traditional lifestyle they are able to maintain via the permits. 
Conversely, other public land users value the use of desert lands for
environmental preservation and recreation.  GAO found that BLM lacks
the staff needed to collect and evaluate data measuring the impact of
livestock grazing on many desert allotments.  Without these data, BLM
is in no position to assess livestock usage of desert allotments and
change usage as needed. 

Surface Mining:  Management of the Abandoned Mine Land Fund. 
GAO/RCED-91-192.  July 25, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined:  (1)
the amount of Abandoned Mine Land (AML) funds the Office of Surface
Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSMRE) and the Soil Conservation
Service (SCS) expended for administrative costs for fiscal years (FY)
1985 through 1990; and (2) whether OSMRE and SCS funded reclamation
projects in accordance with the priorities set forth in the Surface
Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA). 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) for FY 1985 through 1990, OSMRE and
SCS expended 28 percent of $1.3 billion in AML funds on
administrative activities; (2) since some states include such
project-related costs as project design and monitoring in their
administrative grants, and other states include small amounts of
administrative expenses in their construction grants, a precise
figure on the amount of AML funds actually spent on administrative
expenses is not readily discernible; (3) SCS estimated that it spent
$6.6 million to administer the Rural Abandoned Mine Land Program
(RAMP) between FY 1985 and 1990 and RAMP projects funded in this time
generally fell under the two highest priority categories of the six
set forth in SMCRA; (4) OSMRE spent about $137.3 million
administering the overall AML program between FY 1985 and 1990; (5)
states generally funded reclamation projects in accordance with SMCRA
priorities and each participating state has its own OSMRE-approved
ranking system to help guide project selection; and (6) OSMRE annual
oversight reports found few major project selection problems during
FY 1985 through 1990. 

Wildlife Management:  Problems Being Experienced With Current
Monitoring Approach.  GAO/RCED-91-123.  July 22, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Forest Service's management indicator species approach to monitoring
wildlife and their habitat in national forests, focusing on the
cost-effectiveness and ultimate usefulness of this approach. 
FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) although the management indicator
approach is based on sound theory, several practical drawbacks exist
which raise questions about whether data collected on selected
species can provide the basis for drawing conclusions on overall
habitat conditions; (2) the costs of monitoring indicator species
populations were prohibitive, since the cost of monitoring increased
as the population of the species being monitored decreased or as the
size of the habitat increased; (3) even when planned data collection
efforts were completed using the management indicator species
approach to monitoring, the data had limited usefulness because they
revealed population changes without conclusively relating observed
changes to overall habitat conditions or Service management actions;
(4) although Service headquarters officials acknowledge that problems
exist in field implementation of the management indicator species
approach, they believe that these difficulties stem more from the
application of the management indicator species principle than from
fundamental weaknesses with the concept itself; and (5) Service
headquarters is revising its national direction on wildlife and
wildlife habitat monitoring. 

Rangeland Management:  Comparison of Rangeland Condition Reports. 
GAO/RCED-91-191.  July 18, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO followed up on
its 1988 report on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) and Forest
Service's rangeland management programs, comparing the conclusions
and analyzing the findings of two studies conducted by BLM and the
Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) on the condition of the
public rangeland under BLM jurisdiction.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that: 
(1) although NRDC and BLM reports reached different conclusions on
the overall condition of the public rangeland, they were not
necessarily inconsistent with each other; (2) the different
conclusions were attributable more to data interpretation and
presentation than to differences in the data; (3) BLM based its
conclusion that current range conditions are better than they have
been in the past century on studies that lacked supporting
documentation and used different methodologies; (4) had BLM
calculated its percentages solely on the basis of the land for which
it had condition information, as NRDC did, its percentage of
rangeland in fair or poor condition would have increased to 61
percent, much closer to the NRDC percentage; and (5) NRDC concluded
that the data presented in its report did not show any significant
improvement in rangeland condition over the data in its 1985
rangeland status report, and BLM noted that no substantial change
should be expected to occur within only a 4-year period. 

Public Land Management:  Observations on Management of Federal Wild
Horse Program.  GAO/T-RCED-91-71.  June 20, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) wild
horse program.  GAO noted that:  (1) BLM removed thousands of wild
horses from the range each year without the land condition data that
would enable it to determine how many horses the land could support
and how many needed to be removed to meet this capacity; (2) the
number of wild horses BLM removed exceeded its adoption program's
capacity; (3) BLM was making its removal decisions on the basis of an
interest in reaching perceived historic population levels or the
recommendations of advisor groups largely composed of livestock
permittees; (4) the fee waiver adoption program led to the inhumane
treatment and eventual slaughter of thousands of horses; and (5)
since wild horse sanctuaries would probably not achieve the BLM
objective of being self-sustaining in 3 years, the government would
either have to commit to long-term financial support or have the
horses returned to its custody.  GAO also found that BLM:  (1) was
implementing a comprehensive management plan for Nevada, and
anticipated full statewide implementation in about 4 to 5 years; (2)
published a rule in September 1990 making it difficult for one person
to gain control over a large number of horses; and (3) took such
actions to improve the prison halter training effort as establishing
quality standards for the training being provided, implementing
tighter controls over the age of horses receiving training, and
limiting the amount of time horses could spend in training
facilities. 

Rangeland Management:  Current Formula Keeps Grazing Fees Low. 
GAO/RCED-91-185BR.  June 11, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO:  (1) assessed
the soundness of the formula for computing grazing fees on most
federal lands; and (2) compared the formula results to those of
alternative formulas using updated cost and price data.  FINDINGS: 
GAO found that:  (1) although the current formula kept grazing fees
low, it failed to recover reasonable program costs, since it did not
produce a fee that covered the government's cost to manage the
grazing program; (2) the current formula also failed to follow the
rise in grazing land lease rates paid for private land and to provide
a revenue base that could be used to better manage and improve
federal land so that it would remain a productive public resource in
the future; (3) alternative formulas produced higher fees than the
current formula and tended to increase the fees faster over time; and
(4) economists preferred a formula that would adjust a base value by
a single index and make no additional adjustments for the rancher's
ability to pay. 

Abandoned Mine Reclamation:  Interior May Have Approved State Shifts
to Noncoal Projects Prematurely.  GAO/RCED-91-162.  June 7, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reported on the
Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement's (OSMRE) process for allowing states to spend federal
surface coal mine reclamation funds to address noncoal reclamation
problems, focusing on whether OSMRE ensured that states met the
certification requirements. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the OSMRE certification review
process did not ensure that states addressed all sites adversely
affected by past coal mining practices prior to OSMRE approval of
state requests to use federal funds for noncoal reclamation; (2)
OSMRE funded reclamation projects in accordance with Surface Mining
Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA) priorities related to
public health, safety, and general welfare, restoration of land and
water resources and the environment, research and development, and
public facilities and land; (3) to receive discretionary funds,
states needed to show that they had reclamation needs as reflected in
a national inventory of abandoned coal mine land problem areas; (4)
coal-related reclamation projects competed with noncoal reclamation
sites for funds that were limited to state share monies; (5) when
approving a certification request, OSMRE did not independently verify
whether a state had addressed all priority-3 through -6 coal
projects, relying on the governor's certification statement that all
coal problems had been addressed; (6) the lack of OSMRE policy and
guidance to address SMCRA certification requirements contributed to
the confusion over certification; and (7) OSMRE did not effectively
communicate that states would lose further access to discretionary
funds once the certification had been approved. 

Coal Mine Subsidence:  Several States May Not Meet Federal Insurance
Program Objectives.  GAO/RCED-91-140.  May 28, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined:  (1)
the Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement's (OSMRE) efforts to implement the federally assisted
coal mine subsidence insurance program; and (2) six states' efforts
to develop self-sustaining insurance programs. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) after 5 years experience with the
program, two of the six states that received grants may not be
progressing toward self-sustainability; (2) state officials noted
that their participation rates were too low to generate sufficient
premium income to meet the insurance reserve requirement for
anticipated claims; (3) state officials also noted that low
participation rates greatly increased the risk that a major
subsidence event would threaten solvency; (4) OSMRE lacked effective
management of federal grants and did not provide the oversight
necessary to ensure that program objectives were met; and (5) OSMRE
cited the limited funds involved and the resources needed to actively
participate in state-administered programs as the reason for its
passive grants management. 

Rangeland Management:  Forest Service Not Performing Needed
Monitoring of Grazing Allotments.  GAO/RCED-91-148.  May 16, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Forest Service efforts to implement recommendations to:  (1) ensure
that range managers identify all grazing allotments thought to be
overstocked or in declining condition; and (2) concentrate monitoring
and other range management activities on those lands.  FINDINGS:  GAO
found that:  (1) of the 9,217 grazing allotments in the Service's 6
western regions, range managers identified 2,183 allotments as in
declining condition or overstocked; (2) the Service made little
progress in conducting the follow-up monitoring necessary to identify
improper grazing practices and devise corrective action; (3) the
Service attributed its limited monitoring to staff constraints and
limited resources; (4) although the Service gave priority attention
to monitoring allotments classified as declining or overstocked, five
regional offices monitored only 13 percent of such allotments; and
(5) the number of Service range managers decreased from over 1,000 to
under 700 between fiscal years 1979 and 1990. 

Public Land Management:  Issues Related to the Reauthorization of the
Bureau of Land Management.  GAO/T-RCED-91-20.  March 12, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM)
management the public lands and issues related to BLM
reauthorization.  GAO noted that although BLM continues to make only
limited progress in accomplishing its land management
responsibilities, it has taken such specific actions as:  (1)
establishing management plans for all BLM riparian and wetland
acreage and estimating the additional funds and staff needed for
implementation; (2) establishing national agreements with 12 private
wildlife and conservation organizations to foster projects to improve
wildlife and fish habitats; and (3) issuing a hardrock mining policy
that required all miners disturbing more than 5 acres to post
financial guarantees to ensure reclamation.  GAO believes that
provisions of the proposed reauthorization legislation would improve
BLM management of public lands, but staffing and funding constraints
could significantly impede its progress. 

Public Land Management:  Attention to Wildlife Is Limited. 
GAO/RCED-91-64.  March 7, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed
federal wildlife management on public lands, focusing on:  (1)
whether the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
appropriately considered wildlife interests during federal land use
planning processes; and (2) the impact of federal management
practices on wildlife conditions. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) no legislation existed that specified
an appropriate level of consideration of wildlife interests in
federal land management; (2) wildlife protection and enhancement
activities received between 3 percent and 7 percent of available BLM
and Service staffing and funding; (3) while BLM and the Service
uniformly considered wildlife needs during land use planning, when
conflicts occurred, the agencies frequently favored consumptive
interests over wildlife needs; (4) BLM and the Service did not always
implement actions to benefit wildlife that were included in land use
plans; (5) data were not available to judge the overall effect of BLM
and Service policies and practices on wildlife conditions; (6) the
agencies' land use priorities, budgets, and staffing met grazing,
logging, and mining objectives first and provided for wildlife
interests as circumstances permitted; and (7) BLM and the Service
initiated efforts to provide more balanced consideration of wildlife
needs in their management activities. 


OIL AND GAS, MINERALS RESOURCES
============================================================ Chapter 4

Sale of NPRs & Oil Shale Reserves.  GAO/RCED-96-28R.  October 17,
1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed
proposed legislation regarding the sale of six Naval Petroleum and
Oil Shale Reserves, focusing on whether the proposed sales method
will provide an equal opportunity to all prospective buyers and yield
maximum funds to the federal government.  GAO noted that the proposed
sales method:  (1) should provide an equal opportunity to all
prospective buyers; (2) stipulates the acceptance of the highest
responsible bid that meets the minimum acceptable price; and (3)
should yield a fair market value to the federal government. 

Terminating Federal Helium Refining.  GAO/RCED-95-252R.  August 28,
1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the possible consequences of proposed legislation to
end the Bureau of Mines' production and sale of refined helium.  GAO
noted that:  (1) the Bureau estimates that production and sale of
refined helium could cease within 6 months after legislation is
passed and that other related actions could be completed within 2
years if no contingencies are encountered; (2) if the helium program
is terminated, program costs would decrease to $20.6 million in the
first year and to $3.5 million in the second year; (3) the Bureau
estimates that all environmental requirements could be met within 2
years after passage of legislation; (4) the Bureau plans to use
standard federal property disposal procedures to dispose of all
property associated with helium refining, but private helium refiners
have shown no interest in purchasing these assets; (5) about
two-thirds of the helium program's employees would be subject to a
reduction in force if the program is discontinued, while the
remaining one-third would be retained or retired; (6) the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is the only federal user
concerned about the availability and cost of refined helium to meet
its unique and sporadic needs if the program is terminated; and (7)
the Administration's proposal to terminate the helium program differs
from the House's proposal and calls for allowing more time for
termination, mainly to accommodate NASA needs, abolishing the Helium
Fund and depositing sale proceeds into the U.S.  Treasury, and
capping remaining program spending at $5 million annually. 

Trans-Alaska Pipeline:  Actions to Improve Safety Are Under Way. 
GAO/RCED-95-162.  August 1, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System, run by the Alyeska
People Service Company, transports nearly 20 percent of the nation's
domestically produced oil and has operated for nearly 20 years
without a major oil spill.  However, throughout the pipeline's years
of construction and operation, problems with the condition of the
pipeline, the quality assurance program of its operator, and the
effectiveness of government monitoring have been reported.  These
problems have resulted in continued congressional oversight.  A study
commissioned by the Interior Department in August 1993 identified 22
categories of substantial--and potential threatening--deficiencies in
Alyeska's management and operation of the pipeline.  Other audits
have identified additional deficiencies.  This report (1) assesses
Alyeska's progress in correcting these deficiencies; (2) determines
whether the corrective measures planned for three areas--electrical
systems, quality, and preventive maintenance--will address the
deficiencies; (3) discusses whether regulators are improving
regulatory oversight of the pipeline; and (4) identifies the root
causes of the deficiencies. 

Sale of NPR-1.  GAO/RCED-95-255R.  August 1, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed draft
legislation proposing the sale of Naval Petroleum Reserve Number 1
(NPR-1), focusing on:  (1) the proposed sales method; and (2)
improvements to ensure that the government receives the best value
from the sale.  GAO noted that:  (1) the proposed sales method
appears to provide equal opportunity to all prospective buyers and
yield fair market value for NPR-1; (2) the sales method stipulates
that the government will accept the highest responsible offer that
meets or exceeds the minimum acceptable price, which will be based on
the net present value of NPR-1, and requires that NPR-1 ownership
shares be finalized before the sale; and (3) under the proposed
legislation, the Secretary of Energy may use independent experts to
value NPR-1 and finalize ownership shares and an investment banker to
administer the sale.  GAO also noted that the draft legislation needs
to:  (1) provide for adequate notification and information
dissemination to improve potential buyers' participation; (2) resolve
conflicting time requirements; and (3) provide for congressional
notification of potential obstacles to the sale. 

Naval Petroleum Reserve:  Opportunities Exist to Enhance Its Value to
the Taxpayer.  GAO/T-RCED-95-136.  March 22, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony focuses on ways to enhance the
profitability of the Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves. 
Regardless of what alternative is finally adopted for the Naval
Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves, GAO believes that the goal should
be to protect the interests of taxpayers by getting a reasonable
return on these assets.  If a decision is made to form a government
corporation, care should be taken to establish a financially sound
corporate entity with as few government restrictions on earning
profits as is possible.  If a decision is made to sell the reserves,
the government must ensure that it receives fair market value for
them.  Steps can be taken now, such as giving the Energy Department
more flexibility to set the rate of production so as to maximize
profits and marketing Elk Hills oil more aggressively, that would be
compatible with any more fundamental management changes. 

Naval Petroleum Reserves.  GAO/RCED-95-141R.  March 17, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO provided information on the Naval Petroleum and Oil
Shale Reserves.  GAO noted that:  (1) although the mission of the
reserves has changed from emphasizing energy security to providing
revenue to the Treasury, few measures have been taken to maximize
profits; (2) profits could be increased at the Elk Hills, California
oil field by allowing the Department of Energy to set the rate of
production, finalizing equity shares, sharing the risks of drilling
wells to encourage new drilling ventures, establishing a more
reliable price index, marketing Elk Hills oil more aggressively,
lifting the ban on exporting Alaskan oil, and eliminating certain
requirements and preferences; (3) establishing the Elk Hills field as
a government corporation could increase profits greatly; (4) selling
the reserves could result in a great return to the Treasury if the
government set a sufficiently high minimum price and established a
competitive bidding process; and (5) it is unclear what benefits
could be realized by operating a government corporation to manage Elk
Hills in fiscal year (FY) 1996 and sell it in FY 1997, as the
Administration has proposed. 

Naval Petroleum Reserve:  Opportunities Exist to Enhance Its
Profitability.  GAO/RCED-95-65.  January 12, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The Naval Petroleum Reserve in Elk Hills, California, is
jointly owned by the United States government and Chevron U.S.A.,
Inc.  It is now operated by Bechtel Petroleum Operations, Inc., under
a contract that expires in July 1995.  Chevron believes that it can
run the reserve more profitably than the government can, and in May
1995 it proposed taking over reserve operations.  Later, the Energy
Department (DOE) suspended negotiations with Chevron on this proposal
and recently began to solicit interest from other parties to operate
the reserve.  Like Chevron, DOE wants to lower the costs of operating
the reserve.  This report explores actions that DOE and Congress can
now take to improve the reserve's profitability. 

Mineral Resources:  BLM Needs to Improve Controls Over Oil and Gas
Lease Acreage Limitation.  GAO/RCED-95-56.  December 29, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) internal controls
cannot guarantee that federal oil and gas leases are not issued to
parties who have exceeded the Mineral Leasing Act's acreage
limitation.  BLM allows oil and gas lessees to self-certify that they
have not exceeded the acreage limitation, and although the agency has
procedures for auditing compliance with the requirement, BLM has not
done a compliance audit since 1993 because it considers it a low
priority.  Even when audits were done, BLM's strategy for selecting
lessees was ineffective because it did not target parties for
approaching or appearing to exceed the acreage limitation.  Finally,
BLM has allowed companies that share the same officers, directors, or
major stockholders to be considered separate leaseholders under the
acreage limitation.  GAO discovered one lessee who had exceeded the
limitation by more than 190,000 acres in Wyoming and by nearly 27,000
acres in Nevada.  Similarly, by presuming that companies are
affiliated when they share the same officers, directors, or major
stockholders, GAO identified five firms whose aggregate acreage
exceeded the limit by more than 800,000 acres in Wyoming, 435,000
acres in New Mexico, and 86,000 acres in Nevada. 

Mineral Resources:  Federal Coal-Leasing Program Needs Strengthening. 
GAO/RCED-94-10.  September 16, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  In 1976, only 59 of the 533 existing federal coal leases
were producing coal.  In response, Congress passed legislation to
discourage the speculative holding of federal coal leases and to
encourage the development of leased coal.  Yet GAO found that the
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has taken actions that do not further
these goals.  For example, BLM has issued 36 federal oil, gas, and
coal leases to an unqualified lessee.  This report assesses
Interior's actions to (1) encourage the development of federal coal
leases, (2) address the cumulative environmental impacts of
additional coal leasing, and (3) consider projected demand in
coal-leasing decisions. 

Naval Petroleum Reserve:  Limited Opportunities Exist to Increase
Revenues From Oil Sales in California.  GAO/RCED-94-126.  May 24,
1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The government-owned and operated Naval Petroleum Reserve
(NPR) in Elk Hills, California--the seventh largest oil field in the
lower 48 states--generated oil sales revenues of $327 million in
1992.  The Energy Department (DOE) sells most of this oil to
California refiners through competitive bids.  The prices received by
the government for this oil have been lower than prices for crude oil
in other parts of the country.  GAO concludes that it will be
difficult for DOE to boost revenues from NPR oil sales by selling oil
to Gulf Coast or midcontinent oil refineries because this oil is of
lower quality than other available crudes and shipping costs are
high.  This report explores other ways that DOE may be able to
increase revenues.  For example, DOE bills its customers more often
than private oil producers do, resulting in buyers making lower bids
to compensate for the higher administrative costs.  DOE also does not
market its oil as aggressively as private producers do.  In testimony
before Congress, GAO summarized this report and also discussed (1)
the relative priority that should be given to several options for
improving the readiness and expansion of the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve and (2) the evolving mission of the International Energy
Agency; see:  Energy Policy:  Energy Policy and Conservation Act
Reauthorization, by Victor S.  Rezendes, Director of Energy and
Science Issues, before the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, House
Committee on Energy and Commerce.  GAO/T-RCED-94-214, May 25, 1994
(15 pages). 

Offshore Oil and Gas Resources:  Interior Can Improve Its Management
of Lease Abandonment.  GAO/RCED-94-82.  May 11, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  When oil and gas production from a federal lease on the
Outer Continental Shelf ends, the Interior Department's Minerals
Management Service (MMS) is responsible for ensuring that the parties
to the lease bear the costs of abandoning the leased area.  Lease
abandonment includes plugging any abandoned wells, removing
structuring, and clearing lease sites, all of which must be done in a
way that minimizes harm to marine life and the environment.  This
report discusses (1) MMS' actions to lessen the environmental impact
of lease abandonment and (2) the estimated costs of lease abandonment
and MMS' approach for ensuring that the government is not burdened
with these costs.  GAO focuses on MMS' actions in the Gulf of Mexico
because almost all Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas structures are
located there. 

Mineral Resources:  H.R.  3967--A Bill to Change How Federal Needs
for Refined Helium Are Met.  GAO/T-RCED-94-183.  April 19, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  H.R.  3967 would change how the federal government's
helium needs are met by shifting helium refinement from the Interior
Department's Bureau of Mines to the private industry.  In addition,
the bill would repay the helium program debt.  Whether the federal
budget will be helped or harmed by this legislation will depend on
whether private industry can sell refined helium to the government at
a lower price.  Revenues from the disposal of the existing helium
inventory could also affect the federal budget.  The choice between
Interior and the private industry to meet federal helium needs is
ultimately a public policy decision.  GAO believes that H.R.  3967
provides a viable alternative for meeting current and foreseeable
federal needs for helium with the potential for budgetary savings and
repayment of the helium program debt. 

Mineral Resources:  Hardrock Mining Reclamation.  GAO/T-RCED-93-67. 
August 5, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  More than five years ago, GAO reported that it would cost
nearly $300 million to reclaim abandoned, suspended, or unauthorized
hardrock mining operations on federal land in 11 western states;
cleanup estimates since then have ranged as high as $71.5 billion. 
No federal program or funding sources now exists to ensure that past
hardrock reclamation problems on government and private land are
remedied.  Accordingly, any public policy decision on how best to
address these reclamation needs will have to carefully consider the
workability of such a program and the source of funding. 

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge:  An Assessment of Interior's
Estimate of an Economically Viable Oil Field.  GAO/RCED-93-130.  July
9, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Although no one really knows how much oil may be in
Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the Interior Department's
oil reserve estimates relied on the best available geologic and
geophysical information short of actual drilling data from the
refuge.  Overall, GAO agrees with Interior that the refuge's coastal
plain may contain substantial quantities of oil.  This conclusion,
however, does not take into account uncertainties in a field's
development potential that could arise from variations in future oil
prices or costs.  Given the uncertainties of future economic
variables, such as oil prices and discount rates, GAO believes that
Interior should have developed ranges of minimum economic field size
estimates for each prospect and then run its model using the derived
field sizes.  This would have yielded a greater range of values to
account for the uncertainty associated with estimating what
constitutes an economically viable oil field in the refuge. 

Mineral Resources:  Meeting Federal Needs for Helium. 
GAO/T-RCED-93-44.  May 20, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The federal government uses helium in the space program,
weapons systems, and superconductivity research.  The Helium Act of
1960 authorizes the Interior Department to conserve, buy, store,
produce, and sell helium to meet federal needs.  The act also
requires federal agencies to buy most of their helium from the Bureau
of Mines.  GAO testified that the Bureau of Mines has acted to meet
the act's objectives.  In addition, the helium program debt, which
overshadows meaningful debate on the merits of the program, could be
canceled without adversely affecting the federal budget.  Finally, a
reassessment of the objectives of the helium act is in order. 

Trans-Alaska Pipeline:  Projections of Long-Term Viability Are
Uncertain.  GAO/RCED-93-69.  April 8, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The Department of Energy (DOE) asserts that Congress will
have to authorize the leasing of the coastal plain of Alaska's Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge--an area of high oil and gas potential--by
1997 to keep the Trans-Alaska Pipeline operating.  DOE concludes that
because of the projected rate of decline in oil production from
Alaska's North Slope, the pipeline will likely be forced to shut down
by the year 2009.  The possible shutdown of the pipeline could be a
consideration in reaching a policy decision on whether to open the
refuge to oil and gas development or whether to designate the coastal
plain as wilderness, thereby precluding future development.  In
assessing DOE's conclusion that 2009 is the most likely year that the
pipeline will be forced to shut down, GAO evaluated the
reasonableness of (1) the minimum operating level that DOE assumed
for the pipeline and (2) the model and the key economic, geologic,
engineering, and cost assumptions that DOE used to estimate oil
production at the North Slope.  GAO also looked at the reasonableness
of DOE's belief that it will take 10 to 12 years to develop new oil
fields in the refuge. 

Mineral Royalties:  Royalties in the Western States and in Major
Mineral-Producing Countries.  GAO/RCED-93-109.  March 29, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The Mining Law of 1872 governs mining for most minerals on
federal lands, the vast majority of which are found in the western
states and Alaska.  This legislation allows individuals to stake
claims on federal lands and mine ore, including copper, gold, and
silver, without compensating the government.  In contrast, the
government has been receiving royalties for coal and natural gas on
federal lands since the 1920s.  Congress has considered but has yet
to amend the law to ensure that the public receives a fair return for
minerals extracted.  This report looks at how 12 western
states--Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming--share in
the proceeds from minerals mined on state lands and on federal and
private lands within each state.  GAO also discusses how Australia,
Canada, and South Africa--three of the largest mineral-producing
countries--share in the proceeds from minerals mined in those
countries. 

Mineral Resources:  Meeting Federal Needs for Helium.  GAO/RCED-93-1. 
October 30, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Federal agencies use helium in everything from space
programs to superconductivity research.  The Helium Act of 1960,
which seeks to conserve and provide a steady supply of this inert gas
for essential government activities, requires federal agencies to buy
most of their helium from the Department of the Interior's Bureau of
Mines.  The act further provides that Interior price federal helium
so that revenues from sales cover all program costs.  This report
discusses (1) actions that the Bureau has taken to meet the
objectives of the 1960 act; (2) issues that should be considered when
Congress decides how to meet current and foreseeable federal needs
for helium, including whether the program debt in the Helium Fund
should be cancelled or repaid; and (3) three alternatives for meeting
federal needs for helium--continue the Bureau's existing program,
require that all federal needs be met by the private sector, or allow
federal agencies to choose to buy helium from either the Bureau or
private industry. 

Royalty Compliance:  Improvements Made in Interior's Audit Strategy,
But More Are Needed.  GAO/RCED-93-3.  October 29, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  During the past several years, the Department of the
Interior has been collecting about $4 billion in royalties each year
from oil and gas companies that hold mineral leases on federal or
Indian lands.  Although the Minerals Management Service (MMS) has
substantially improved its strategy for auditing royalty payers,
these audits still do not provide reasonable assurances that such
royalty payments comply with applicable laws, rules, and regulations. 
The amount of royalties actually audited or verified is very small,
increasing the likelihood that noncompliance will go undetected.  In
addition, the judgmental samples are not representative of all payers
and leases; consequently, MMS cannot determine with any degree of
confidence such things as the level of compliance by payers or the
magnitude of underpayment--that is, the royalties at risk.  MMS can,
however, require payers to do the additional work needed to correct
the system problems found by audits and to compute any additional
royalties due.  An MMS task force issued a report in June 1991
recommending major changes to improve MMS' strategy for auditing
royalty payers, including the use of statistical sampling, a measure
GAO supports. 

Mineral Resources:  Value of Hardrock Minerals Extracted From and
Remaining on Federal Lands.  GAO/RCED-92-192.  August 24, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO surveyed mineral operators on the value of eight
hardrock minerals--barite, copper, gold, lead, limestone, molybdenum,
silver, and zinc--extracted from public lands in 12 western states. 
According to the questionnaire responses, the total value of these
eight minerals extracted during 1990 was at least $1.2 billion. 
Almost $1 billion of this came from one state--Nevada.  The total
value of the remaining mineral reserves on federal lands at the end
of 1990 was estimated at almost $65 billion. 

Mineral Resources:  Proposed Revision to Coal Regulations. 
GAO/RCED-92-189.  August 4, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 requires lessees to
diligently develop federal coal leases and maintain continued
operation of leases once production begins.  To meet these
requirements, lessees must produce coal in commercial quantities
within 10 years and continue production in commercial quantities. 
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a proposed rule in the
Federal Register in July 1991 that would redefine commercial
quantities, cutting the required level of coal production from one
percent of recoverable reserves to 0.3 percent.  This change would
significantly reduce the minimum production level now required to
retain a federal coal lease.  This report examines BLM's
justification for the proposed change. 

Location Dates for Mining Claims.  GAO/RCED-92-199R.  June 16, 1992. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO commented on
whether claims for lands discussed in its report on the mining law's
patent provision, were located before the land escalated in value and
the dates the claims were located.  GAO noted that:  (1) the claims
for the 20 patent and 12 patent application sites were located from
1893 to 1986; (2) it identified the dates, but did not independently
verify the dates; and (3) the value of the land at the time it was
claimed was not an issue raised in its report. 

Trans-Alaska Pipeline:  Ensuring the Pipeline's Security. 
GAO/RCED-92-58BR.  November 27, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System is responsible for
transporting nearly a quarter of the nation's domestically produced
crude oil.  This report reviews the security of the pipeline.  It
discusses (1) what federal and state agencies have done to assess the
vulnerability of the pipeline to terrorists and (2) what these
agencies and the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company have done to
protect the pipeline. 

Mineral Resources:  Federal Helium Purity Should Be Maintained. 
GAO/RCED-92-44.  November 8, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO is examining various proposals on how to best meet the
government's need for helium, which has applications in the space
program, weapon systems, and medical and scientific projects.  The
Department of the Interior's Bureau of Mines manages the federal
helium program.  During its review, GAO became aware of a Bureau
practice that may cause accelerated degradation of the purity of
stored federal helium.  Under the terms of its storage contracts with
private companies, the Bureau may restrict the rate at which
privately owned helium is extracted from Cliffside--a natural gas
field near Amarillo, Texas.  Yet the Bureau has not imposed such a
restriction pending a review of a 1989 Bureau study on this issue. 
Meanwhile, helium is being extracted at a rate that may degrade the
purity of the remaining helium faster than it would otherwise be
degraded.  Because larger volumes of the mixture of natural gas and
helium must then be processed to extract and refine the less pure
helium, the government could incur additional losses as high as $23.3
million in 1991 dollars through 2050. 

Mineral Resources:  Interior's Use of Oil and Gas Development
Contracts.  GAO/RCED-91-1.  September 17, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  To prevent the concentration of control over federal oil
and gas resources in a few companies or individuals, Congress has
limited number of acres of oil and gas leases that one party may
control in a single state.  An exception to this limitation involves
lease acreage within the boundaries of development contracts.  These
contracts permit oil and gas lease operators and pipeline companies
to contract with enough lessees to economically justify large-scale
drilling operations for the production and transportation of oil and
gas, subject to approval by the Secretary of the Interior, who must
find that such contracts are in the public interest.  Since 1986
Interior has entered into or approved 10 contracts with 12 lease
operators for exploration of largely unleased federal lands--ranging
from about 180,000 to 3.5 million acres in four western states--and
has designated them as developmental contracts.  GAO believes that
the 10 contracts do not satisfy the legal requirements for
development contracts because they are for oil and gas exploration on
largely unleased federal lands, rather than for developing existing
leases.  By designating the 10 contracts as development contracts,
Interior has enabled 9 of the 12 contract parties to accumulate lease
acreage that vastly exceeds the statutory acreage limitation.  All
nine of the contract parties were major or large independent oil
companies.  As a result, other parties who wish to participate in
developing federal oil and gas resources within the four states may
be adversely affected because the parties to Interior's contracts
have been able to compete for and obtain lease acreage beyond the
statutory acreage limitation.  Although Interior believes that the
Secretary has the discretion under law to use development contracts
in the current manner, in April 1989 it ceased issuing these
contracts pending completion of GAO's review.  Congress needs to
resolve the matter by amending mineral leasing laws to expressly
permit or prohibit Interior to enter into or approve development
contracts for oil and gas on largely unleased federal lands or to
increase or remove the acreage limitation. 

Trans-Alaska Pipeline:  Regulators Have Not Ensured That Government
Requirements Are Being Met.  GAO/RCED-91-89.  July 19, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the
adequacy of regulatory oversight of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System
(TAPS), focusing on TAPS:  (1) operational safety; (2) oil spill
response capabilities; and (3) ability to protect the environment. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) several federal and state agencies
had TAPS monitoring, oversight, and enforcement responsibilities; (2)
regulators essentially accepted the pipeline operation contractor's
reports regarding TAPS conditions and did not independently evaluate
corrosion prevention and detection systems; (3) although aware of
deficiencies in the corrosion prevention and detection systems,
regulators did not direct the contractor to take action until after
the contractor detected significant pipeline corrosion in 1989; (4)
regulators conducted little oversight of terminal operations; (5)
regulatory review of the oil-spill response plan was cursory until
after the Exxon Valdez oil spill, after which federal and state
regulators reevaluated oil-spill risks and response capabilities; (6)
regulators do not plan to require the contractor to conduct a drill
to fully test its response capabilities; (7) there was no long-term
monitoring program to assess TAPS overall environmental impact,
making it difficult to assess oil-spill impacts or to identify the
most appropriate containment, cleanup, and disposal technologies; (8)
regulators did not have adequate systems to carry out their oversight
responsibilities, did not dedicate sufficient staff for monitoring
pipeline activities, and did not coordinate oversight activities to
ensure comprehensive monitoring of all pipeline activities; and (9)
several regulators assigned staff to a joint oversight office
composed of federal and state agencies with statutory authority over
TAPS. 

Mineral Resources:  Increased Attention Being Given to Cyanide
Operations.  GAO/RCED-91-145.  June 20, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
environmental consequences of mining operations using cyanide to
extract gold and other minerals from federal lands, focusing on the: 
(1) hazards of cyanide operations to wildlife and the environment;
and (2) efficacy, implementation, and enforcement of existing laws
and regulations governing cyanide extraction operations.  FINDINGS: 
GAO found that:  (1) as of January 1990, there were 119 active
cyanide operations on federal land in Nevada, California, and
Arizona, with 113 on lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) and 6 on lands managed by the Forest Service; (2) cyanide
operators reported over 9,000 cyanide-related wildlife deaths, mostly
involving migratory waterfowl, between 1984 and 1990; (3) cyanide
operators typically used hazing techniques to scare wildlife away
from operations, but they were not as effective over the long term as
covering or fencing cyanide ponds; (4) examination of 31 inadvertent
cyanide discharges from operations indicated minimal environmental
damage; (5) BLM, the Forest Service, state agencies, and other
federal agencies had adequate authority to regulate cyanide
operations and enforce laws to protect wildlife and the environment
from their potential hazards, but there was little coordination among
the agencies, and the agencies had varying reporting requirements
regarding cyanide operations, discharges, and wildlife deaths; (6) in
August 1990, BLM issued a cyanide management policy, and Nevada
recently enacted legislation requiring operators to obtain permits
for cyanide ponds and report wildlife deaths, but Arizona,
California, and the Forest Service lacked overall cyanide management
policy; and (7) BLM required quarterly inspection of cyanide
operations, but the states and the Forest Service did not have
minimum inspection requirements. 

Mineral Revenues:  Interior Used Reasonable Approach to Assess Effect
of 1988 Regulations.  GAO/RCED-91-153.  May 30, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the
effect the Department of the Interior's March 1988 oil and gas
product valuation regulations had on royalties from Indian and
federal onshore and offshore leases, focusing on the:  (1)
anticipated and actual effects of the revised regulations; and (2)
reasonableness of the methodology used by Interior's Mineral
Management Service (MMS) to assess the regulations' effects. 
FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the regulations standardized the
procedures for computing onshore and offshore gas processing
allowances and established a uniform procedure for computing
transportation allowances; (2) MMS believed that a change in the way
processed gas was valued could decrease royalties from onshore
leases, while changes in the way allowances were determined could
either increase or decrease royalties, depending on the type of
allowance; (3) after consideration of volume and price adjustments,
onshore, Indian, and offshore lease royalties varied both before and
after the revised regulations became effective; and (4) MMS
methodology to assess the effect of the revised regulations on
royalties was reasonable, but states and tribes expressed concern
that the reports did not analyze data by individual state and tribe. 

Tax Incentives and Enhanced Oil Recovery Techniques. 
GAO/T-GGD-91-36.  May 21, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the use of tax incentives for increasing
domestic oil production and exploration, focusing on enhanced oil
recovery (EOR) techniques.  GAO noted that:  (1) Congress only
sporadically reviewed tax expenditures, rarely compared their
effectiveness to alternative mechanisms for achieving similar goals,
and did not subject them to overall limits to control their total
budgetary impact; (2) tax incentives for domestic oil production, in
the form of building up the strategic petroleum reserve or such trade
restrictions as tariffs or quotas, would increase production; (3)
government subsidies for the use of EOR techniques would encourage
firms to undertake risky petroleum exploration activities that could
result in financial loss; (4) the tax expenditure approach favored
projects that were close to being viable without the tax break and
generated fewer inefficient projects than direct subsidies; (5) tax
expenditures aimed at certain activities, such as EOR methods,
offered the potential for giving a better return on the tax dollar;
(6) it would be more cost-effective to target tax incentives at
activities that did not already receive substantial tax breaks than
at types of investments that already were eligible for favorable
treatment; and (7) environmental effects must be considered in
evaluating costs and benefits of the increased use of EOR. 

Mineral Revenues:  Potential Cost to Repurchase Offshore Oil and Gas
Leases.  GAO/RCED-91-93.  February 22, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
range of potential costs to the federal government for the
cancellation of 123 oil and gas leases offshore Alaska, Florida, and
North Carolina.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that the:  (1) bonuses, rents,
and associated interest ranged from $889.4 million to $970.7 million
for the 123 leases, as of December 31, 1990; (2) federal government
was only obligated to pay the lessee the fair value of the lease or
sunk costs plus interest which accrues from lease suspension to lease
cancellation; (3) lessees spent $1.5 million for the Alaska leases,
up to $21 million for the Florida leases, and $20 million for the
North Carolina leases; and (4) federal government, as of December 31,
1990, would be required to reimburse the lessees for about $1 billion
under the sunk cost approach if it cancelled the 123 leases. 


WATER RESOURCES
============================================================ Chapter 5

Animas-La Plata Project:  Status and Legislative Framework. 
GAO/RCED-96-1.  November 17, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The Interior Department's Animas-La Plata Project was
designed to store water and divert it to arid regions in southwestern
Colorado and northwestern New Mexico, mainly by channelling water
from the Animas River to the La Plata River basin.  Before beginning
construction of the project, the Interior Department is required to
determine whether the project would jeopardize the continued
existence of any endangered species.  This report provides
information on the history and status of the Animas-La Plata project,
the legislative framework provided for the project by the 1988
Colorado Ute Indian Water Rights Settlement Act and the Endangered
Species Act, the consultation between the Bureau of Reclamation and
the Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act, and
the project's relationship to another congressionally authorized
project--the Navajo Indian Irrigation Project. 

Midwest Flood:  Information on the Performance, Effects, and Control
of Levees.  GAO/RCED-95-125.  August 7, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The intense rainfall that deluged the upper Mississippi
River basin in the spring and summer of 1993 caused the largest flood
ever measured at St.  Lewis.  This unprecedented event in nine
midwestern states saw the highest flood crests ever recorded at 95
measuring stations on the region's rivers.  The catastrophic flooding
caused 95 deaths and extensive property damage and forced the
evacuation of tens of thousands of people.  The President declared
505 counties to be federal disaster areas, and estimates of the
damage have ranged as high as $16 billion.  This report examines the
operation of the levees, which are earthen or masonry structures,
including floodwalls, that are typically built along rivers to keep
floodwaters from overflowing adjacent floodplains.  GAO reviews the
extent to which (1) the U.S.  Army Corps of Engineers' flood control
levees prevented flooding and reduced damage during the event; (2)
the federal levees increased the height of the flooding and
contributed to the damage; and (3) federal, state, and local
governments exercise control over the design, construction,
placement, and maintenance of nonfederal levees. 

Central Arizona Project:  Costs and Benefits of Acquiring the
Harquahala Water Entitlement.  GAO/RCED-95-102.  June 5, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The Fort McDowell Indian Community Water Rights Settlement
Act of 1990 requires the Interior Department to acquire nearly 14,000
acre-feet of water to complete the settlement of the Fort McDowell
Indian Community's water rights claim against Arizona parties and the
federal government.  The Interior Department acquired the water from
the Harquahala Valley Irrigation District, one of 10 irrigation
districts that contracted for non-Indian agricultural water from
Interior's Central Arizona Project.  This report provides information
on how Harquahala became a source of water for the settlement, the
federal government's costs to acquire the water, and the benefits
accrued to the parties involved in the acquisition.  The report also
discusses the status of Agriculture Department loans made to
Harquahala landowners. 

Water Quality:  Information on Salinity Control Projects in the
Colorado River Basin.  GAO/T-RCED-95-185.  May 11, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Through fiscal year 1994, the Interior and Agriculture
Departments (USDA) spent $362 million on salinity control projects in
six states.  Interior's Bureau of Reclamation and USDA estimate that
they will spend about $428 million more for additional projects,
while Interior's Bureau of Land Management expects to spend $800,000
in fiscal year 1995.  In selecting salinity control methods, the
agencies consider several factors, key among them the methods'
effectiveness and cost.  According to Interior's measurements of the
salinity control program's effectiveness, salinity levels in the
Colorado River since 1974 have been below limits set by the Clean
Water Act.  With completion of the projects under construction or
planned, salinity levels should stay within the established limits
beyond 2010.  GAO summarized this report in testimony before
Congress; see:  Water Quality:  Information on Salinity Control
Projects in the Colorado River Basin, by James Duffus III, Director
of Natural Resources Management Issues, before the Subcommittee on
Water and Power Resources, House Committee on Resources. 
GAO/T-RCED-95-185, May 11, 1995 (8 pages). 

Water Quality:  Information on Salinity Control Projects in the
Colorado River Basin.  GAO/RCED-95-58.  March 29, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Through fiscal year 1994, the Interior and Agriculture
Departments (USDA) spent $362 million on salinity control projects in
six states.  Interior's Bureau of Reclamation and USDA estimate that
they will spend about $428 million more for additional projects,
while Interior's Bureau of Land Management expects to spend $800,000
in fiscal year 1995.  In selecting salinity control methods, the
agencies consider several factors, key among them the methods'
effectiveness and cost.  According to Interior's measurements of the
salinity control program's effectiveness, salinity levels in the
Colorado River since 1974 have been below limits set by the Clean
Water Act.  With completion of the projects under construction or
planned, salinity levels should stay within the established limits
beyond 2010.  GAO summarized this report in testimony before
Congress; see:  Water Quality:  Information on Salinity Control
Projects in the Colorado River Basin, by James Duffus III, Director
of Natural Resources Management Issues, before the Subcommittee on
Water and Power Resources, House Committee on Resources. 
GAO/T-RCED-95-185, May 11, 1995 (8 pages). 

Water Resources:  Flooding on Easement Lands Within the Red Rock,
Iowa, Reservoir.  GAO/RCED-95-4.  December 23, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Before the Red Rock Dam and Lake Project near Des Moines,
Iowa, began operating in 1969, the U.S.  Army Corps of Engineers
purchased easements from landowners on 29,000 acres within the
reservoir's boundary.  The easements give the Corps the right to
occasionally flood the easement lands when the dam is forced to hold
back water upstream in the reservoir to prevent flooding downstream. 
Because of heavier-than-expected rainfall during the 1970s and 1980s,
the easement lands were flooded more often than the Corps had
estimated.  In 1985, Congress authorized a buyout program for
easement landowners who were willing to sell their land to the Corps;
however, few owners have been interested in selling, and their
complaints about flooding have persisted.  This report (1) determines
whether the property within the Red Rock reservoir's boundary has
been inundated beyond the levels permitted by the easements; (2)
recommends whether compensation for the easements should be
renegotiated with landowners; and (3) reports on actions that the
Corps has taken to implement the buyout program. 

Water Markets:  Increasing Federal Revenues Through Water Transfers. 
GAO/RCED-94-164.  September 21, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Most water in the arid western United States delivered
through federal projects is used for agriculture, but the demand for
water for urban, recreational, and environmental uses is growing. 
The federal government plays a role in water management in the arid
West mainly through water resource projects.  Water transfer, in
which rights to use water are bought and sold, is seen by many
resource economists as a way to reallocate scarce water to new users
by allowing those who place the highest economic value on it to
purchase it.  Those who want more water--such as
municipalities--often are willing to pay considerably higher prices
for it than the current users, and irrigators who receive subsidized
water from federal projects may want to transfer this water to a
municipality at a profit.  At the same time, these transactions may
allow the Bureau of Reclamation to share in the profits.  This report
examines (1) whether water transfers will boost revenues, (2) how the
Bureau could increase its revenues from transferred water, and (3)
what issues the Bureau should consider in setting prices for
transferred water. 

Water and Waste Disposal.  GAO/RCED-94-229R.  June 6, 1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Water and Waste Disposal Grant
Program, focusing on:  (1) how different areas of the country benefit
from the program; (2) the program's matching funding requirements;
and (3) how the program has been implemented for Mexican border
states and rural Alaskan villages.  GAO noted that:  (1) most states
benefit from the program, but some states use the program more
actively than others; (2) Rural Development Administration (RDA)
grants generally may not exceed 75 percent of a project's costs, and
rural communities must fund the remaining costs; (3) RDA may fund up
to 100 percent of project costs in communities whose residents face
significant health risks; (4) RDA has obligated about $25 million of
the $50 million in grant funds that Congress specifically targeted
for the border states for fiscal years (FY) 1993 and 1994; and (5)
RDA anticipates that it will soon begin obligating portions of the FY
1994 grant funds targeted for rural Alaskan villages. 

Water Transfers:  More Efficient Water Use Possible, If Problems Are
Addressed.  GAO/RCED-94-35.  May 23, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Debates over how water from western federal water projects
should be used have become more heated in recent years.  Farmers use
more than 80 percent of the western water withdrawn for use. 
Environmental problems, such as selenium contamination and salinity,
have been linked to agricultural irrigation.  Moreover, as urban
populations, tourism, and environmental awareness continue to grow,
the demand for water increases for cities, recreation, and fish and
wildlife habitats.  Building dams to meet new demand is often not an
option because of their high price tags and harmful environmental
effects.  Advocated by resource economists and others, water markets,
in which rights to use water are bought and sold, would allocate
water to its highest economic use by allowing those who place the
highest economic value on it to buy it.  This report examines (1) the
costs and benefits of water transfers; (2) how water markets might be
structured to address the impacts on parties outside of transfers;
(3) the legal, institutional, and other issues that would need to be
addressed to implement a federal water market; and (4) how transfers
of water from federal projects could be coordinated with state law. 

Water Subsidies:  Impact of Higher Irrigation Rates on Central Valley
Project Farmers.  GAO/RCED-94-8.  April 19, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Farmers have received federally subsidized water from the
Interior Department's Central Valley Project for up to 40 years under
fixed-rate water service contracts.  The fixed rates, however, no
longer function as intended; they do not cover Interior's operating
costs and have not been enough to repay virtually any of the $1
billion in construction costs owed.  Moreover, environmental and
water use problems have been linked to the irrigation carried out
under these contracts.  Studies by agricultural economists suggest
that higher water prices would increase irrigation efficiency and
conservation, thereby reducing environmental degradation caused by
irrigation and freeing up water now used for irrigation for other
uses.  This report (1) estimates the impact on farm profits of the
higher irrigation rates mandated under 1992 legislation and of
further rate increases under various scenarios, (2) estimates the
financial benefits to the federal government of increasing the
irrigation rates, and (3) determines how farmers can mitigate the
impact of higher rates. 

Central Utah Project Cost Allocations.  GAO/RCED-94-65R.  January 25,
1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the
development of cost accounting standards for the Department of the
Interior to follow in allocating costs for the Central Utah Project
(CUP).  GAO found that:  (1) the cost accounting standards developed
by the Cost Accounting Standards Board provide a sound basis for
allocating CUP costs and additional standards are not needed; (2) its
audit of the CUP cost allocation will determine whether Interior's
cost allocation methodology is based on the Board's standards and
whether Interior properly applies the cost allocation methodology;
and (3) the Bureau of Reclamation's experience with the Central
Valley Project's cost allocation should be helpful to Interior in
allocating CUP costs. 

Bureau of Reclamation:  Information on the Federal Financial
Commitment and Repayment Status of the Central Arizona Project. 
GAO/T-RCED-94-92.  December 10, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  It is estimated that construction of the Central Arizona
Project--a massive water project designed to pump water from the
Colorado River as far south as Tucson--will be completed in 1999 at a
cost of $4.7 billion, and the federal share could climb from $1.7
billion to upwards of $2.8 billion.  The project is expected to
provide Arizona residents with flood control, fish and wildlife
enhancement, recreation, commercial power, groundwater conservation,
and drinking water.  This testimony discusses (1) the total financial
commitment of the federal government to build the system and (2) the
Central Arizona Water Conservation District's ability to fulfill its
obligation to repay allocated project costs. 

Water Resources:  Corps' Management of Reservoirs in the Missouri
River Basin.  GAO/T-RCED-94-43.  October 11, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony focuses on the U.S.  Army Corps of
Engineers' management of the Missouri River reservoir system under
drought conditions during 1989-90.  GAO concludes that the Corps
acted consistently with its drought contingency plan in releasing
water from the reservoir system during the three-year period and that
all of the purposes served by the reservoirs, except flood control,
were harmed.  The plan does not reflect current economic conditions
in the Missouri River Basin.  Contrary to the Corps' beliefs, federal
statutes do not require the Corps to give recreation a lower priority
than other project purposes--flood control, navigation, irrigation,
and hydroelectric power--in deciding on water releases.  Congress
should consider legislation that would require the Corps to set
priorities for operating its reservoir projects on the basis of the
economic, environmental, social, and other benefits of all authorized
purposes. 

Water Resources:  Factors That Lead to Successful Cost Sharing in
Corps Projects.  GAO/RCED-93-114.  August 12, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The U.S.  Army Corps of Engineers is required to develop a
cost-sharing partnership with local sponsors of water projects that
provide flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power, and
recreation.  The sponsors are generally local and state governments
or other government groups, such as flood control districts or port
authorities.  GAO surveyed sponsors and found that the following
three factors contributed most significantly to a successful
relationship:  (1) good communications between the Corps and the
sponsor, (2) the sponsor's significant involvement in decisions and
activities, and (3) the Corps' responses to the sponsor's concerns
about cost-sharing agreements.  Sponsors were concerned about their
inability to pay their share of study or project costs.  The
inability to pay generally related to flood control/damage projects
in the Dallas and Chicago regions.  The sponsors' other main concern
involved changes in the cost-sharing agreements at different Corps
review levels. 

Clean Water Act:  Private Property Takings Claims as a Result of the
Section 404 Program.  GAO/RCED-93-176FS.  August 11, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  This fact sheet identifies private property takings claims
that have been filed with the U.S.  Court of Federal Claims as a
result of regulatory actions taken under the Clean Water Act.  GAO
also provides information on the actual and potential liability of
the U.S.  government--including the amounts of the claims, interest,
and attorneys' fees and other litigation costs--and on federal
agencies' costs in litigating these claims. 

Water Resources:  Federal Efforts to Monitor and Coordinate Responses
to Drought.  GAO/RCED-93-117.  June 8, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Collecting and reporting data on drought conditions in the
United States is a collaborative, multilevel effort led by the
federal government.  State and local governments make important
contributions of work and funding to this effort.  Federal, state,
and other users are generally satisfied with the data on drought that
are collected and distributed by federal agencies.  No permanent
federal organization is responsible for monitoring drought conditions
and planning the government's response.  Instead, individual agencies
carry out these activities and arrange to cooperate with one another. 
When drought has been severe or has had widespread geographic impact,
temporary interagency committees have been set up to coordinate the
response.  Because of the increasingly severe effects that periodic
droughts have had on the economy, however, temporary committees may
no longer be able to handle the long-term planning needed for such
droughts, promptly resolve policy differences among federal agencies,
or coordinate the federal response to drought. 

Water Resources:  Highfield Water Company Should Not Receive
Compensation From the U.S.  Army.  GAO/RCED-93-49.  May 10, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The Highfield Water Company has claimed that it should
receive between $17.7 million and $52 million from the U.S.  Army as
compensation for lost property and damages.  Highfield argues that
Fort Ritchie, located in Maryland, excessively pumped the aquifer
during periods of drought between 1974 and 1978, thereby depriving
the company of water it needed to meet its customers' needs.  As a
result, the Maryland Public Service Commission revoked the company's
right to exercise its franchise to sell water to its customers. 
Highfield is appealing for legislative relief, asserting that it has
never received a fair hearing on the merits of its case since court
actions were dismissed on technical grounds.  After reviewing the
case, GAO concludes that Highfield was not damaged by the Fort's
reasonable use of the groundwater and that Highfield neither owned
nor had superior rights to the water.  As a result, GAO does not
believe that Highfield is entitled to any compensation from the Army. 

Water Resources:  The Corps of Engineers' Dredging Program for Small
Business Firms.  GAO/RCED-92-239BR.  August 3, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This briefing report looks at whether the U.S.  Army Corps
of Engineers program to set aside or restrict part of its dredging
contracts for small businesses significantly boosts federal costs
because there is less competition for restricted-bid contracts.  GAO
evaluated existing studies on program costs and competition (measured
by the number of bids per contract) done on behalf of large and small
dredging firms.  GAO also did a separate analysis of dredging
contracts the Corps awarded during a recent 31-month period. 

Water Resources:  Future Needs for Confining Contaminated Sediment in
the Great Lakes Region.  GAO/RCED-92-89.  July 17, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The U.S.  Army Corps of Engineers has built 26 confined
disposal facilities since 1974 to hold bottom sediment dredged from
harbors, channels, and other waterways in the Great Lakes area.  This
mud often contains contaminants, such as chemicals from industry or
agricultural runoff, that require special handling.  Six of the
facilities are already filled to capacity, and 18 others are expected
to be filled by 2006.  Twelve more facilities are planned, and more
sites will be needed in the foreseeable future.  The Corps is now
deciding whether it or state and local governments should pay the
construction costs.  Construction of more facilities is at a virtual
standstill.  Because of concerns from communities and environmental
groups, finding suitable disposal sites for contaminated dredged
material has been difficult and time-consuming.  As a result, the
Corps has deferred some dredging and commercial and recreational
navigation in some areas has been harmed. 

Bureau of Reclamation:  Central Valley Project Cost Allocation
Overdue and New Method Needed.  GAO/RCED-92-74.  March 31, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This report examines how the Bureau of Reclamation
allocates construction costs for the Central Valley Project.  Located
in California's Central Valley Basin, the project is the Bureau's
largest water resource project, with authorized construction costs
totaling more than $6.5 billion as of September 1990.  While
primarily devoted to irrigation, the project also provides flood
control, hydroelectric power, and recreation uses.  GAO (1) discusses
the status of the Bureau's effort to reallocate project costs in
accordance with a 1986 congressional mandate, (2) describes the
Bureau's current cost allocation method, and (3) discusses
alternative cost allocation methods. 

Water Resources:  Corps' Management of Ongoing Drought in the
Missouri River Basin.  GAO/RCED-92-4.  January 27, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The Missouri River basin, encompassing all of Nebraska and
part of nine other North Central states, is experiencing its most
severe drought since the 1930s.  GAO reviewed the U.S.  Army Corps of
Engineers' management of the Missouri River reservoir system under
drought conditions in 1988, 1989, and 1990.  Acting consistently with
its drought contingency plan, the Corps reduced winter release rates,
shortened navigation seasons on the Missouri River, and reduced water
levels in the navigation channel.  As a result, 17 percent less water
was released during the three-year period than would have been
released under normal operating conditions.  The drought and the
Corps' response to it harmed all reservoir efforts save one--flood
control.  The Corps' contingency plan, however, relies on assumptions
about the amount of water needed for navigation and irrigation made
in 1944 that are no longer valid, and the plan does not reflect the
current economic conditions in the Missouri River basin.  The Corps'
ongoing study of its operation of the reservoir system is expected to
address these issues.  The Corps insists that, unless Congress
approves changes to existing operating priorities, it must continue
to give recreation a lower operating priority than other authorized
purposes even if this lower priority results in decreased system
benefits.  GAO sees no appropriate basis for the Corps' view.  A
lawsuit filed in federal court by three upper basin states questions
the legality of the Corps' position on recreation. 

Water Resources:  Local Sponsors' Views on Corps' Implementation of
Project Cost Sharing.  GAO/RCED-92-11FS.  November 15, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  The Water Resources Development Act of 1986 requires the
U.S.  Army Corps of Engineers to develop a cost-sharing partnership
with local sponsors whose active participation and financial
commitment are essential to accomplish water resource development
projects.  The sponsors generally are local or state governments or
other public entities, like flood control districts or port
authorities, that ask the Corps' for help.  This fact sheet presents
the views of local sponsors on the Corps' implementation of cost
sharing under the act, including the sponsors' views on their
relationship with the Corps and the impact of cost sharing on
accomplishing proposed projects, such as flood control or navigation
projects. 

Reclamation Law:  Changes Needed Before Water Service Contracts Are
Renewed.  GAO/T-RCED-92-13.  October 29, 1991. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony, which is based on an earlier report
(GAO/RCED-91-175, Aug.  22, 1991), addresses changes needed before
renewal of long-term water service contracts in the Bureau of
Reclamation's Central Valley Project in California.  Significant
environmental and water use problems are associated with irrigation
practices carried out under existing water service contracts.  These
irrigation practices have contributed to selenium poisoning and
increasing salinity in the San Joaquin Valley; some farmers use
Central Valley Project water to produce crops that are also eligible
for subsidies under Agriculture Department commodity programs; and
with 85 percent of the Central Valley Project water dedicated to
irrigation under the contracts, the water supply available for
wildlife habitat is inadequate.  GAO is concerned that renewing the
Central Valley Project's 238 contracts for the same quantities of
water for up to 40 years could severely hamper efforts to address
existing and future problems.  GAO recommends that Congress place a
moratorium on all Central Valley Project contract renewals, while
temporarily extending existing contracts, and amend legislation to
explicitly allow contract renewals for lesser quantities of water and
shorter periods of time.  GAO also recommends that the Department of
the Interior fully analyze the impact of contract renewal and
alternative contract provisions. 

Water Subsidies:  Views on Proposed Reclamation Reform Legislation. 
GAO/T-RCED-91-90.  September 12, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed four legislative proposals to amend the
Reclamation Reform Act of 1982, which permits multiple landholdings
to continue to be operated collectively as one large farm while
individually qualifying for federally subsidized water.  GAO noted
that:  (1) if the farm operations in the five case studies remain
constant, each of the proposals could limit federally subsidized
water to some or all of the operations; (2) three of the five large
farm operations in the case studies could continue to receive
subsidized water on land in excess of the 960-acre limit, under the
House bill; (3) under the Senate bill, four of the five large farm
operations would be able to continue to receive subsidized water on
more than 960 acres; (4) three of the large farm operations could
continue to receive subsidized water on land in excess of the
960-acre limit under the Bureau of Reclamation's draft bill; and (5)
the Subcommittee on Water, Power, and Off-Shore Energy Resources's
draft bill could stop the flow of federally subsidized water to more
than 960 acres in all five of the case studies.  GAO believes that
since farmers have ample financial incentive to reorganize their
operations in response to any new reclamation legislation enacted,
some farmers are likely to reorganize again to be eligible to receive
additional federally subsidized water. 

Reclamation Law:  Changes Needed Before Water Service Contracts Are
Renewed.  GAO/RCED-91-175.  August 22, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO:  (1)
identified environmental and water use problems associated with the
irrigation practices carried out under the Bureau of Reclamation's
water service contracts in the Central Valley Project (CVP); and (2)
determined whether contract renewals would allow such problems to
continue.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) agricultural drainage has
degraded the quality of the San Joaquin Valley's water supply and
soil, poisoning wildlife and threatening agricultural productivity
with selenium accumulation and increasing salinity; (2) since most
CVP water is dedicated to irrigation through water service contracts,
the supply of water available for wildlife habitat is not adequate;
(3) some farmers use CVP water to produce crops that are also
eligible for subsidies under the U.S.  Department of Agriculture's
(USDA) commodity programs, causing Congress to express concern over
the apparent inconsistency between the Bureau's programs for
increasing agricultural production through inexpensive subsidized
water and USDA programs for raising prices while limiting production;
(4) increased irrigation efficiency and conservation could reduce
environmental degradation caused by agricultural runoff and drainage,
while freeing water currently diverted for irrigation and other uses,
but the low cost of federal irrigation water is a disincentive to
increased irrigation efficiency; (5) the Department of the Interior
believes that, since long-term renewal of contracts for the same
quantities of water is nondiscretionary, it is not required to change
its provisions as a result of environmental impact statements; and
(6) continuing irrigation practices carried out under existing
contract provisions compromise other national interests such as
environmental protection and wildlife conservation. 

Water Resources:  Corps Lacks Authority for Water Supply Contracts. 
GAO/RCED-91-151.  August 20, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO examined
whether the Army Corps of Engineers has the legislative authority to
operate nine water reservoirs for the purposes for which they are
being managed.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) with one exception,
the Corps has the authority to operate the nine reservoirs for the
purposes for which they are being managed; (2) in that exception, the
Corps improperly cited the Water Supply Act of 1958 in reallocating
storage capacity to municipal and industrial (M&I) water supply and
entering into six long-term contracts to supply water to M&I users
without expanding those reservoirs; (3) the authority under the Water
Supply Act to supply water for M&I needs is limited to what may be
accomplished through the construction or expansion of reservoirs, and
the act does not provide authority to reallocate existing water
storage capacity for M&I purposes at reservoirs previously
constructed or modified; and (4) the Corps used the act to enter into
38 water supply contracts and was planning to enter into similar
contracts in the future. 

Water Resources:  Corps' Management of 1990 Flooding in the Arkansas,
Red, and White River Basins.  GAO/RCED-91-172BR.  August 1, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO examined the
Army Corps of Engineers' operation of its reservoirs in the Arkansas,
Red, and White River basins during the May 1990 flooding that caused
severe damage in Arkansas, Texas, and Oklahoma to determine whether
the Corps followed operating procedures in capturing and releasing
the water from nine reservoirs in the three basins before, during,
and after the flood.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the Corps
generally operated the nine reservoirs in accordance with its
operating procedures before, during, and after the May 1990 flooding;
(2) there was no evidence that the Corps released water from six of
the reservoirs contrary to its procedures; and (3) in two cases, the
Corps released water contrary to its operating procedures and
prolonged the flooding of rural lands predominantly in Texas and
Oklahoma. 

Water Resources:  Bonneville's Irrigation and Drainage System Is Not
Economically Justified.  GAO/RCED-91-73.  January 31, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO prepared a: 
(1) benefit-cost analysis of the Irrigation and Drainage (I&D) system
of the Central Utah Project Bonneville Unit; and (2) financial
impacts analysis measuring the federal cost of not completing the I&D
system.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the federal government spent
or was contractually obligated for a total of about $320 million for
the I&D system; (2) proposed legislation providing for the completion
of the system, with some changes, would cost an additional $178
million in federal funds; (3) completion of the I&D system was not
economically justified, since the U.S.  economy would realize a
benefit of only 28 cents for every dollar of project costs; and (4)
the financial impacts on the federal government of not completing the
I&D system ranged from savings of $133 million, if Congress decided
to reallocate sunk costs, to an additional cost of $54 million if
Congress decided to forgive the repayment of sunk costs. 


TIMBER MANAGEMENT
============================================================ Chapter 6

Forest Service:  Observations on the Emergency Salvage Sale Program. 
GAO/T-RCED-96-38.  November 29, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Salvage timber involves dead or dying trees, much of which
would be marketable if harvested before it rots.  In the past, many
sales of salvage timber were delayed, altered, or withdrawn, and some
of the timber deteriorated and became unsalable.  In response to the
millions of acres of salvage timber caused by the devastating fires
of 1994, Congress established an emergency salvage timber sale
program, which was designed to increase the harvesting of salvage
timber by easing environment procedures and eliminating the
administrative appeals process.  GAO testified that it is too early
to say to what extent the changes introduced by the program will
boost sales because few sales have been made since the program became
effective.  Some salvage sale offerings have failed to receive bids
mainly because of the terms and conditions of the sales, such as the
minimum bid or specific logging requirements or the volume of timber
being offered, were unacceptable to potential buyers.  In addition,
because of the short-term nature of the emergency salvage sale
program, more comprehensive information on the universe of marketable
salvage timber may help Congress as it assesses the program's impact
and whether additional resources are needed to support it. 

Forest Service:  Distribution of Timber Sales Receipts Fiscal Years
1992-94.  GAO/RCED-95-237FS.  September 8, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Over the years, the Forest Service's annual reports to
Congress have indicated that receipts from the timber sales program
exceeded the expense of preparing and administering the sales. 
However, these reports did not show the extent to which timber sales
receipts were distributed to various Forest Service funds or accounts
established for specific purposes, such as reforesting the land and
making payments to the states in which the forests are located.  GAO
found that during fiscal years 1992-94, the Forest Service collected
nearly $3 billion in timber sales receipts and distributed about $2.7
billion, or 90 percent, to various Forest Service funds or accounts
for specific purposes.  The Forest Service deposited the remaining
receipts--about $300 million--in the General Fund of the Treasury. 
Outlays for preparing and administering timbers sales totaled about
$1.3 billion for the same period. 

Private Timberlands:  Private Timber Harvests Not Likely to Replace
Declining Federal Harvests.  GAO/RCED-95-51.  February 16, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Timberlands in Washington state, Oregon, and California
are owned by the federal government, state and local governments, and
the forest products industry or other private parties.  Timber
harvest volumes from all these sources have decreased during the past
five years.  Most notable, however, is the drop on federal lands,
mainly as a result of efforts to protect the habitats of threatened
or endangered species.  This report discusses (1) trend data on
private timberland acreage and on volumes of timber harvested; (2)
requirements for reforestation and the use of active timber
management practices, such as fertilization or thinning, on private
timberlands; (3) incentive programs to encourage private landowners
to actively manage their timberlands and other factors that influence
their land management decisions; and (4) federal tax provision that
affect timber management decisions, including the changes that
occurred in the 1986 Tax Reform Act. 

Tongass Timber Reform Act:  Implementation of the Act's Contract
Modification Requirements.  GAO/RCED-95-2.  January 31, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  In Alaska's Tongass National Forest, two companies--the
Ketchikan Pulp Company and the Alaska Pulp Corporation--have held
50-year contracts to cut timber.  The Forest Service maintains that
its existing policy provides consistent treatment of credits in
contracts that timber harvesters are awarded for building
harvest-related roads.  GAO disagrees, believing that the policy
gives Ketchikan Pulp a competitive advantage by allowing it to apply
"ineffective" road credits for a much longer period than timber
harvesters that must use short-term contracts.  Through the end of
fiscal year 1993, Ketchikan Pulp used road credits to pay for 73
percent of the timber harvested.  Also, some streamside buffers did
not meet the 100-foot minimum.  The Forest Service has since taken
steps to ensure that this requirement is met.  GAO also found that
the Forest Service was not following its policy of documenting the
environmental effects of changes made to planned timber-harvest
boundaries. 

Forest Service:  Factors Affecting Timber Sales in Five National
Forests.  GAO/RCED-95-12.  October 28, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  In recent years, debate about the future of the national
forest system has focused on ensuring that timber harvests do not
exceed the forests' ability to replenish the available supply of
timber.  An important component of managing forests on a
sustained-yield basis is each forest's "allowable sale quantity"--an
estimate of the maximum volume of timber that can be sold from each
forest over a 10-year period without impairing other uses of the
forest, such as recreation or wildlife habitat.  GAO reviewed the
allowable sale quantities and the timber sales at five national
forests--Deschutes and Mt.  Hood in Oregon, Gifford Pinchot in
Washington, Ouachita in Arkansas, and Chattahoochee-Oconee in
Georgia.  The Forest Service did not meet allowable sale quantities
in the five forests for a variety of reasons, including (1)
limitations in the data and estimating techniques on which the
allowable sale quantities were originally based, (2) new forest
management issues and changing priorities, and (3) rising or
unanticipated costs associated with preparing timber sales and
administering harvests.  Although forest officials believed that the
Service has used the best information available to develop the
allowable sale quantities, they later failed to meet these levels. 
As a result, timber sales for each of the five forests between fiscal
years 1991 and 1993 were significantly below the average annual
allowable sale quantity. 

Forest Service:  Management of Reforestation Program Has Improved,
but Problems Continue.  GAO/RCED-94-257.  September 15, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  In the 1930 Knutson-Vandenberg Act, Congress attempted to
sustain the nation's forests by establishing a fund--today totaling
more than $800 million--to reforest, improve timber stands, and
improve other renewable resources in timber sale areas that have been
harvested.  The Forest Service annually collects about $230 million
from timber purchasers for reforestation and other activities and
deposits it in the fund.  In response to congressional concerns over
the adequacy of Forest Service control of these funds and their use
for appropriate projects, GAO reviewed the Forest Service's
management of the fund.  This report describes (1) how the Forest
Service plans, implements, and manages Knutson-Vandenberg projects
and (2) what changes the Forest Service has made since 1990 in
response to previous internal and Office of Inspector General reviews
of the program and what additional changes may be necessary. 

Forestry Functions:  Unresolved Issues Affect Forest Service and BLM
Organizations in Western Oregon.  GAO/RCED-94-124.  May 17, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), part of the Interior
Department, and the Forest Service, part of the Agriculture
Department, together manage 7.2 million acres of land in western
Oregon.  Both agencies manage portions of these lands for timber
production and have parallel forestry organizations in several
locations.  This report examines the possibility of the two agencies
consolidating their forestry duties.  GAO summarizes these agencies'
past and ongoing reorganization efforts and the potential legal and
other constraints affecting any consolidation. 

Forest Service:  Status of Efforts to Achieve Cost Efficiency. 
GAO/RCED-94-185FS.  April 26, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Congress requested that the Forest Service prepare a cost
study for its timber program that would analyze how to achieve an
annual cost reduction of at least five percent.  The Forest Service's
April 1993 report on timber cost efficiency discussed such areas as
the overall timber program, the program's organization, the Timber
Sale Program Information Reporting System, financial management, and
attempts to monitor cost efficiency.  In the year since the study was
issued, the Forest Service has made progress toward completing 21 of
23 action items targeted for completion by October 1993 or October
1994.  The results of the regional offices' cost efficiency efforts
have been mixed.  In addition, the Forest Service has undertaken
other, nontimber initiatives, such as reorganizing and downsizing,
that could improve the agency's overall efficiency.  Overall, from
fiscal year 1992 to fiscal year 1993, the Forest Service reduced its
timber program expenses nationally by about 7.2 percent.  Total
annual timber program expenses declined in six of the nine regions
during this period.  However, six of the nine regions' timber sales
programs showed a net loss when annual expenses were deducted from
revenues for fiscal year 1993. 

Timber Sale Contract Defaults:  Forest Service Needs to Strengthen
Its Performance Bond and Contract Provisions.  GAO/RCED-94-5. 
October 28, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The Forest Service has assessed damages totaling about
$302 million against purchasers who defaulted in timber sale
contracts between January 1982 and March 1993.  The Forest Service
has collected about $42 million, or 14 percent, of this amount and
has determined that about $136 million is uncollectible for a variety
of reasons, such as the bankruptcy or the death of the purchaser. 
Continuing litigation has been the main reason for the delays in the
final disposition of the remaining $124 million, most of which is
owed by 14 timber purchasers.  When many of these defaulted contracts
were awarded, the Forest Service had few safeguards in place to
protect the government against losses from defaults.  Since then, the
Forest Service has begun requiring purchasers to make down payments
and has raised the dollar limit on the performance bond that
purchasers must provide.  In addition, the Forest Service is
considering retaining the down payments until the contracts are
substantially complete and clarifying the liability provisions in a
new performance bond--measures that GAO strongly supports. 

Cancer Treatment:  Actions Taken to More Fully Utilize the Bark of
Pacific Yews on Federal Land.  GAO/RCED-92-231.  August 31, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The Pacific yew, source of the anticancer drug Taxol,
grows primarily in Pacific Northwest forests managed by the U.S. 
government.  In fiscal year 1991, neither the Forest Service nor the
Bureau of Land Management had effective timber sale administrative
procedures or utilization standards.  As a result, some usable yew
bark went uncollected that year.  In fiscal year 1992, both agencies
in conjunction with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.  and its yew bark
collectors have worked to ensure more complete utilization of yew
bark.  If properly implemented, the agencies' fiscal year 1992
program plans and associated operational procedures should help
ensure that more of this limited and valuable resource is recovered. 

Forest Service Timber Sales Program:  Questionable Need for Contract
Term Extensions and Status of Efforts to Reduce Costs. 
GAO/T-RCED-92-58.  April 28, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony centers on two issues concerning the timber
sales program run by the Forest Service.  GAO discusses (1) a 1-year
extension in the length of timber sales contracts in response to
dramatic reductions in the prices for wood products and (2) the
Forest Service's response to a fiscal year 1991 directive to reduce
costs in its timber sales program. 

Comments on Below-Cost Timber Bills.  GAO/RCED-92-160R.  April 1,
1992. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO commented on
whether two bills regarding below-cost timber sales on national
forests addressed three previous GAO recommendations regarding such
sales.  GAO noted that both of the bills addressed GAO
recommendations that the Forest Service:  (1) expand the proposed
below-cost sales policy beyond forests as a whole to individual
sales; and (2) define the minimum rate for timber sales bids as the
cost of timber sale preparation and administration and ensure that
the sale process recovers those costs.  GAO also noted that neither
of the bills addressed the recommendation to amend the timber sale
process to include an initial below-cost determination during the
sale preparation process in order to avoid unnecessary costs. 

Cancer Treatment:  Efforts to More Fully Utilize the Pacific Yew's
Bark.  GAO/T-RCED-92-36.  March 4, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The bark of the Pacific yew is the only approved source of
taxol, an anticancer drug that has been shown effective in treating
ovarian cancer.  The limited supply of Pacific yew bark coupled with
existing and potential demand mean that the bark needs to be as fully
utilized as possible.  For a variety of reasons, however, not all the
bark that could have been collected on federal lands in 1991 was
collected.  Both responsible federal land-managing agencies and
private industry are taking or planning actions to more fully use the
bark, and increased utilization should be seen in 1992.  These
actions appear to be consistent with provisions of the Pacific Yew
Act of 1991 intended to achieve full utilization of the bark. 

Forest Service:  The Flathead National Forest Cannot Meet Its Timber
Goal.  GAO/RCED-91-124.  May 10, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO collected
information on planned and actual amounts of timber offered for sale
from the Flathead National Forest in northwestern Montana. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the Forest Service fell short of its
Flathead timber-offering goal for the last 5 years by about 37
percent; (2) the goal for timber sales in a forest plan may not
exceed the allowable sale quantity (ASQ), the maximum amount that the
forest can produce in perpetuity after giving balanced consideration
to other multiple issues in accordance with environmental standards;
(3) the Flathead forest plan specified an ASQ of 500 million board
feet (MMBF) for the first 5 years; (4) the Forest Service experienced
difficulty in offering many proposed sales due to environmental
organizations' concern over their effects on wildlife and water
quality; (5) even if planned sales had met all environmental
standards, the forest only had sufficient funding to prepare 443
MMBF; (6) the Flathead's continued inability to meet its original,
unattainable ASQ-based goal will contribute to production cutbacks
and mill closures as early as fiscal year 1990; and (7) Flathead
officials have no immediate plans to revise the present 10-year
forest plan ASQ. 

First Audit of the Forest Service's Financial Statements. 
GAO/T-AFMD-91-4.  April 25, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed its audit of the Forest Service's
financial statements for fiscal year (FY) 1988, focusing on whether: 
(1) there were weaknesses in internal controls; (2) accounting
systems adequately accounted for resources received and spent; (3)
internal management adequately reported problems; and (4) financial
reporting provided accurate and reliable information regarding the
efficiency and effectiveness of operations and future resource needs. 
GAO noted that the:  (1) Service's inaccurate financial information
made it difficult to determine the true value of its property; (2)
Service reported two violations of the Antideficiency Act, involving
its overobligations of National Forest System budgetary resources by
$4,348,805, and its overobligation of its FY 1987 Job Corps allotment
by $582,550; (3) Service's timber program accounting system included
inaccurate values for timber and related facilities, but the Service
subsequently initiated actions to ensure that the system accurately
recognizes costs in accordance with generally accepted accounting
principles; and (4) Service's external reports did not include
information that accurately reflected the results of its operations
or its financial position. 

Forest Service Needs to Improve Efforts to Reduce Below-Cost Timber
Sales.  GAO/T-RCED-91-43.  April 25, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Forest Service's below-cost timber
sales, focusing on:  (1) timber sales that did not recover their
associated costs; and (2) Service efforts to reduce below-cost timber
sales.  GAO noted that:  (1) fiscal year 1990 below-cost timber sales
resulted in unrecovered timber-sale preparation and administration
expenses of at least $35.6 million; (2) unrecovered costs ranged from
$14.9 million for large sales and $20.7 million for small sales when
only preparation and administration costs were considered, to $68.4
million for large sales and $43.8 million for small sales when all
operating costs plus payments to states were calculated; (3) sale
preparation and administration costs at the 122 national forests
ranged from $15 per thousand board feet of harvested timber to $348
per thousand board feet; and (4) the Service issued a draft policy to
reduce losses from below-cost timber sales.  In addition, GAO noted
that the Service needed to take such additional actions to reduce
below-cost timber sales as:  (1) extending consideration of
below-cost sales to the individual sales level; (2) considering its
costs when setting minimum rates for a timber sale; and (3)
evaluating whether the benefits of a below-cost sale justify the
unrecovered costs prior to incurring most preparation costs. 

Forest Service Needs to Improve Efforts to Protect the Government's
Financial Interests and Reduce Below-Cost Timber Sales. 
GAO/T-RCED-91-42.  April 24, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Forest Service's efforts to:  (1)
collect on defaulted timber sales contracts and reduce further
defaults; and (2) reduce the number of below-cost timber sales.  GAO
noted that:  (1) the Service collected about $35 million of the $302
million in damages that it assessed from defaulted contracts and was
taking steps to improve its collection processes; (2) the Service's
key contracting measures were similar to other timber sellers'
measures, although the Service and one federal timber seller returned
or credited down payments or deposits before contractors
substantially completed the contracts; (3) such practices lessened
the Service's security in terms of access to funds in the event of a
default; (4) in fiscal year 1990, the Service incurred timber sale
preparation and administration expenses of $35.6 million that it
could not recover as a result of below-cost timber sales; and (5)
preparation and administrative costs varied greatly by forest.  GAO
also noted that the Service issued a draft policy aimed at reducing
losses caused by below-cost timber sales, but the policy left gaps in
a comprehensive approach, since the Service:  (1) would not subject
many below-cost sales to review; (2) did not consider costs when
setting minimum prices for advertised timber sales; and (3) did not
evaluate on a timely basis whether the benefits of a below-cost sale
justified the unrecoverable cost. 

Better Reporting Needed on Reforestation and Timber Stand
Improvement.  GAO/T-RCED-91-31.  April 16, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Forest Service's reporting of its
reforestation and timber stand improvement activities.  GAO noted
that:  (1) the Service did not provide specific guidance to regional
offices on identifying and reporting reforestation and timber service
improvement needs; (2) Service reports understated reforestation
needs because it failed to report accurate information about areas
requiring reforestation following forest fires or other natural
disasters; (3) for fiscal year 1990, the Service reported that 1.2
million acres required reforestation or timber stand improvement; (4)
nine Service regions used several methods to identify and report
reforestation needs resulting from forest fires or other natural
disasters; (5) each service region followed its own criteria for
defining timber stand improvement needs; and (6) none of the regions
certified and reported all reforestation and timber stand improvement
achievements, making it difficult for Congress to accurately assess
reforestation and timber stand improvement achievements. 

Tongass National Forest:  Contractual Modification Requirements of
the Tongass Timber Reform Act.  GAO/RCED-91-133.  March 28, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the
Department of Agriculture's compliance with the Tongass Timber Reform
Act, focusing on the implementation of modifications to two long-term
timber sale contracts to eliminate the contractors' competitive
advantage over independent short-term contractors.  FINDINGS:  GAO
found that:  (1) the Forest Service made extensive revisions to the
two long-term timber sale contracts, generally by adopting and
modifying provisions from independent short-term timber sale
contracts to meet the act's requirements; (2) all modifications to
the long-term contracts, except purchaser road credits, complied with
the act's requirements; and (3) the modifications did not specify how
the Service would perform environmental assessments or how large an
area they would cover.  GAO believes that:  (1) although the contract
modifications did not specify exactly how the Service would implement
them, the modifications will require extensive additional effort on
the part of the Service; and (2) the manner in which the Service
implements the modifications will determine its compliance with the
act's requirements. 

Financial Audit:  Forest Service's Financial Statements for Fiscal
Year 1988.  GAO/AFMD-91-18.  March 18, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO examined the Forest Service's financial statements
for the fiscal year ended September 30, 1988.  FINDINGS:  GAO found
that:  (1) the central accounting system did not integrate all
separate accounting and reporting systems; (2) internal control
policies and procedures within individual accounting and reporting
systems failed to ensure that financial information was reliable and
in compliance with prescribed accounting principles; (3) the general
ledger was unable to produce accurate and timely financial reports,
since the Service failed to integrate it with its accounting and
reporting systems; (4) the Timber Sale Program Information Reporting
System (TSPIRS) was not in accordance with generally accepted
accounting principles; (5) the Service violated the Anti-Deficiency
Act by overobligating the National Forest System's funds and the Job
Corps account's allotment; and (6) except as noted, the financial
statements presented fairly the Service's financial position, and the
results of its operations, in conformity with generally accepted
accounting principals applied on a consistent basis. 

Forest Service:  Better Reporting Needed on Reforestation and Timber
Stand Improvement.  GAO/RCED-91-71.  March 15, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO analyzed the
reliability of the Forest Service reporting on national forest land: 
(1) needing reforestation or timber stand improvement; and (2) where
reforestation or timber stand improvement activities have been
successful.  FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) Service reports
understated reforestation needs and did not always identify all needs
resulting from forest fires and other natural disasters; (2) from
fiscal years 1985 to 1990, reported reforestation needs rose from
about 822,000 acres to over 1.2 million acres, while reported timber
stand improvement needs decreased from 1.5 million to 1.2 million
acres; (3) the nine Service regions used several different methods to
identify and report reforestation needs resulting from forest fires
or other natural disasters; (4) each Service region followed its own
criteria for defining timber stand improvement needs; and (5) none of
the regions certified and reported all reforestation and timber stand
improvement achievements, making it difficult for Congress to
accurately assess the reforestation and timber stand improvement
achievements. 


NATIVE AMERICANS, BUREAU OF INDIAN
AFFAIRS
============================================================ Chapter 7

Vacant Positions in the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  GAO/RCED-96-14R. 
October 6, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on end of fiscal year (FY) staffing at the Bureau of
Indian Affairs (BIA), focusing on the:  (1) occupations that have the
highest number of vacant positions; and (2) number of vacant
positions in law enforcement and social services.  GAO noted that
BIA:  (1) had about 14,600 employees on board at the end of FY 1993
and 13,700 at the end of FY 1994; (2) had over 4,300 vacant positions
as of June 1995; (3) occupations with the most vacant positions
included laborer, secretary, teacher, forestry aid, and equipment
operator; and (4) had 193 vacant positions in law enforcement and 76
vacant positions in social services. 

Indian Trust Fund Settlement Legislation.  GAO/AIMD/OGC-95-237R. 
September 29, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided draft
legislation that is intended to help the Bureau of Indian Affairs
reconcile indian trust fund accounts.  GAO noted that the draft
legislation would require mediated negotiation and binding
arbitration to resolve disputed account balances. 

Navajo-Hopi Relocation Program.  GAO/RCED-95-155R.  April 27, 1995. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the relocation of the Navajo and Hopi Indian Tribes,
focusing on:  (1) whether the Navajo and Hopi Relocation Office
certified more families for benefits than it relocated in 1994; and
(2) the number of families that still have to be relocated or
certified as of December 31, 1994.  GAO noted that:  (1) as of
December 31, 1994, 4,507 families had applied for relocation
assistance, 3,302 families were certified for relocation benefits,
and 2,560 families had been relocated; (2) although the Relocation
Office certified 160 families for benefits and in 1994, it only
relocated 102 of these families; (3) certifications outnumbered
relocations mainly because previous ineligibility determinations were
reversed; (4) 742 families certified for relocation had not been
relocated as of December 31, 1994; (5) the 660 families originally
found to be ineligible for assistance could have their original
ineligibility determinations overturned during review; and (6) there
may be as many as 100 additional Navajo families eligible for
relocation assistance, but these families have never applied for such
assistance. 

Indian Health Service:  Improvements Needed in Credentialing
Temporary Physicians.  GAO/HEHS-95-46.  April 21, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  Indian Health Service (IHS) facilities, which provide
medical care to more than one million American Indians and Alaskan
Natives, supplement their staffs with temporary physicians.  But weak
policies have led IHS to unknowingly hire doctors who have been
disciplined for such offenses as gross and repeated malpractice and
unprofessional conduct.  IHS does not explicitly require verifying
all active and inactive state medical licenses that a temporary
physician may have.  Further, most IHS facilities that have contracts
with companies that supply temporary physicians do not require the
companies to inform IHS of the status of all medical licenses a
physician may hold.  In addition, IHS facilities do not have a formal
system for sharing information on temporary physicians who have
worked within the IHS medical system.  This report also discusses
what happens when requested medical services are delayed. 

Financial Management:  Indian Trust Fund Accounts Cannot Be Fully
Reconciled.  GAO/T-AIMD-95-94.  March 8, 1995. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has spent four years
and $16 million to reconcile Indian trust fund accounts.  BIA is
requesting $6.8 million for fiscal year 1996 to continue with the
detailed reconciliation work.  However, it is clear that even if more
reconciliation work is done, BIA will not be able to guarantee that
trust fund account balances are accurate.  This is due to missing
lease and accounting records; the inability to verify that all earned
revenues were collected, posted to the correct account, and disbursed
to the proper party; and the lack of accurate, up-to-date ownership
information.  Because the Indian trust fund accounts cannot be fully
reconciled, Congress may want to consider legislating a settlement
process in lieu of continuing to fund BIA's reconciliation effort. 

Indian Trust Fund Testimony Q&As.  GAO/AIMD-95-33R.  December 2,
1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Questions were raised concerning the Department of the
Interior's failure to correct serious problems in the management of
Indian Trust Funds.  GAO noted that:  (1) although Interior officials
believe that the 6-Point Trust Funds and Trust Asset Management
Reform Plans will correct all serious trust fund management problems,
the 6-Point Plan falls short of a comprehensive strategic plan; (2)
the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) streamlining plan calls for a
50-percent reduction in staff by the end of fiscal year 1995; (3)
Interior officials believe that the Department should establish a
G-Fund through the Department of the Treasury for Indian trust fund
investments; (4) even if a G-Fund is established, Interior would
still need to provide for both investment advisor and custodian
services; (5) the American Indian Trust Fund Reform Act of 1994
establishes a mechanism for tribes to assume management and control
of their trust funds; (6) the fractionated ownership group,
Individual Indian Money (IIM) Reconciliation working group, and the
Land Records working group have been formed to resolve issues
concerning IIM accounts; (7) the 6-Point Plan does not address a
number of fundamental actions needed to resolve trust fund management
problems; (8) the BIA streamlining plan lacks a mission statement and
information on how BIA will transfer trust fund management to tribes;
and (9) a spokesperson for Indian interests would ensure that Indian
interests are fully articulated and considered before program and
organizational changes. 

Indian Food Stamp Proposal.  GAO/RCED-95-57R.  November 30, 1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO reviewed the
feasibility of eliminating the conditions for tribal organizations to
administer the Food Stamp Program on Indian reservations, focusing
on:  (1) whether Indian tribal organizations have expressed interest
in administering the program; and (2) the barriers to and effects of
tribal administration of the program.  GAO noted that:  (1) tribal
officials are unaware of federal regulations governing the Food Stamp
Program and have expressed little interest in assuming program
administration; (2) the barriers that would prevent tribal
administration include the statutory cost-sharing requirements and
the potential penalties that could be imposed for administrative
errors; (3) tribal officials believe that for them to assume program
administration, they will need to revise the program's
infrastructure, obtain and train staff to administer the program, and
modify certain program regulations to better meet the needs of Indian
clients; (4) tribal administration of the Food Stamp program will
likely increase administrative costs, Indian enrollment, and benefit
distribution; (5) the tribes and the states would incur additional
costs for coordinating and sharing information on program
participation in both tribally-administered Food Stamp Programs and
state-administered assistance programs; and (6) state officials
believe that tribal administration of the Food Stamp Program would
increase the burden on food stamp recipients participating in both
tribally-administered Food Stamp Programs and state-administered
assistance programs. 

Financial Management:  Focused Leadership and Comprehensive Planning
Can Improve Interior's Management of Indian Trust Funds. 
GAO/T-AIMD-94-195.  September 26, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Interior Department has initiatives planned or under
way to address some of the long-standing problems plaguing management
of the Indian Trust Funds, and additional options exist that could
help it make other needed improvements.  However, Interior's track
record on past attempts at corrective action has not been good. 
Interior needs a comprehensive plan, focused leadership, and
management commitment if it is to carry through on needed
improvements. 

Financial Management:  Focused Leadership and Comprehensive Planning
Can Improve Interior's Management of Indian Trust Funds. 
GAO/AIMD-94-185.  September 22, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  For years, the Interior Department has been unable to
correct many serious financial management problems affecting the
Indian trust funds, including (1) backlogs in land title and
beneficial ownership determinations and recordkeeping, (2) inadequate
management of natural resource assets to ensure that all earned
revenues derived from natural resources are collected, (3) improper
accounting practices, and (4) limited trust fund investment options. 
In addition to recent management initiatives to implement needed
improvements, additional options would more fully address trust fund
management problems.  Further, more focused leadership, management
commitment, and a comprehensive strategic plan would help Interior to
effectively address all of its trust fund management
responsibilities. 

Financial Management:  Native American Trust Fund Management Reform
Legislation.  GAO/T-AIMD-94-174.  August 11, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO work reviewing Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) trust
fund financial management has shown that BIA's systems, internal
controls, and policies and procedures do not provide assurance that
Indian trust fund balances, reported as $2.1 billion at the end of
fiscal year 1993, are accurate, or that Indian natural resource
assets are adequately managed by Bureau of Land Management and the
Minerals Management Service to ensure that maximum revenue is
generated for tribal and individual Indian trust beneficiaries. 
During the past year, the Secretary of the Interior has placed
greater emphasis on Indian trust programs, initiatives that are
important first steps to improving Indian trust fund and asset
management programs and operations.  Pending trust fund management
reform legislation would enhance trust financial management reform
initiatives underway at the Department of the Interior. 

Indian Health Service:  Efforts to Recruit Health Care Professionals. 
GAO/HEHS-94-180FS.  July 7, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  Indian Health Service (IHS) salary schedules for health
care professionals are set on a national basis.  Thus, the base pay
these persons receive does not differ among IHS regions or areas. 
However, bonuses and allowances may be paid to doctors who agree to
work in hard-to-fill locations, such as the Aberdeen Area.  In many
IHS areas, health care delivery has been hampered by problems in
recruiting and retaining health care professionals, particularly
doctors.  The recruitment and retention of physicians in the Aberdeen
Area has been affected by the relatively low pay; inadequate housing
for medical personnel on the reservations; remoteness of the
reservations; cultural differences between the doctors and their
patients; and a general lack of amenities, such as shopping and
dining.  IHS' Aberdeen Area has a higher vacancy rate for physicians
than all but one other IHS area.  The vacancy rate has been
particularly high, more than 31 percent, at the Pine Ridge hospital. 
IHS is now looking at the benefits of using a physician pay structure
similar to that used by the Department of Veterans Affairs. 

Indian Issues:  Eastern Indian Land Claims and Their Resolution. 
GAO/RCED-94-157.  June 22, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  In late 1992, the Golden Hill Paugussett Indian Tribe
filed a lawsuit claiming damages and the right to have large tracts
of land in Connecticut restored to the tribe.  The lawsuit asserted
that land historically belonging to the tribe had been transferred
without the congressional approval required by the Indian
Nonintercourse Act of 1790.  In response to concern about Congress'
responsibilities under the act, the unpredictability of such claims,
and the hardships they place on current landowners, this report (1)
provides information on land claims made by eastern Indians during
the past 20 years, (2) determines how these claims were resolved, and
(3) identifies steps that Congress could take to mitigate the
unpredictability and impact of these claims. 

BIA Reconciliation Recommendations.  GAO/AIMD-94-138R.  June 10,
1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a Department of the Interior request, GAO
answered questions on two recommendations concerning the
reconciliation of Indian trust fund accounts.  GAO noted that:  (1)
its recommendation for an additional reconciliation procedure would
ensure that earned revenues are billed and collected and would not
delay the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) current reconciliation
process; (2) reconciliations can only be done in cases where BIA can
locate the relevant lease documents; (3) the lack of a complete
documentation would impact projections of transaction error rates and
reconciliation results; and (4) an accounts receivable system that
indicates when payments are due would enhance BIA reconciliation
efforts. 

BIA Trust Fund Reconciliations.  GAO/AIMD-94-110R.  April 25, 1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided
information on the status of the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA)
efforts to correct long-standing trust fund management weaknesses. 
GAO noted that:  (1) although BIA has made progress toward improving
its Indian trust fund reconciliation and certification process,
long-standing management problems have impeded BIA ability to
maintain proper control and accountability over individual Indian
trust accounts; (2) the Indian community has expressed concern over
BIA trust fund accounting and the effectiveness of BIA investment
practices; (3) BIA trust fund account balances lack credibility
because BIA trust funds are not properly reconciled; (4) BIA
continues to lack adequate strategic planning, staff and training,
trust fund management policies and procedures, and accounting and
reporting systems; and (5) BIA needs to develop a strategic Indian
trust fund financial management plan, and reconciliation procedures
to ensure reliable accounting and reporting and to prevent and detect
fund losses. 

Financial Management:  Status of BIA's Efforts to Reconcile Indian
Trust Fund Accounts and Implement Management Improvements. 
GAO/T-AIMD-94-99.  April 12, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) is continuing its
efforts to reconcile Indian trust fund accounts and to obtain an
independent certification on the results of the reconciliation. 
After 3 years, BIA's reconciliation contractor has nearly finished
the first of eight major tribal reconciliation tasks and a
certification contractor is on board.  Yet overall progress has been
slow and BIA has yet to address many critical, long-standing trust
fund management problems that have affected proper control and
accountability over trust fund accounts.  BIA has been criticized for
erroneous allocations of receipts, erroneous payments to account
holders, failure to consistently invest trust fund balances, and
failure to pay interest.  Tribes and individual Indians continue to
express concern about the accuracy of BIA's accounting for trust fund
receipts and disbursements and the effectiveness of BIA's investment
practices.  Past audits and GAO's current work on BIA trust funds
management continue to show (1) the lack of a strategic plan to guide
trust fund management in the future, (2) inadequate staffing and
training, (3) a lack of consistent, written trust fund management
policies and procedures, and (4) inadequate systems for ensuring
reliable accounting and reporting.  GAO makes several recommendations
aimed at ensuring better control and accountability over Indian trust
funds.  GAO continues to urge BIA to develop a strategic management
plan for improving Indian trust fund operations. 

Juvenile Justice:  Native American Pass-Through Grant Program. 
GAO/GGD-94-86FS.  March 28, 1994. 

ABSTRACT:  This fact sheet provides information on the Native
American Pass-Through Grant Program, which provides federal grants to
states and localities to help improve their juvenile justice systems. 
GAO (1) describes how the pass-through grant program works; (2)
determines the funding amounts that the states and Indian tribes
received under this program for fiscal years 1991 through 1993, and
(3) provides examples of how some tribes used the funds. 

Job Training Partnership Act:  Labor Title IV Initiatives Could
Improve Relations With Native Americans.  GAO/HEHS-94-67.  March 4,
1994. 

ABSTRACT:  This report provides information on the Indian and Native
American job training program authorized under title IV of the Job
Training Partnership Act.  The act targets a variety of economically
disadvantaged groups, including Native Americans, to receive
employment-seeking skills and job training services.  GAO discusses
(1) the history of the relationship between the Labor Department and
the Native American community with respect to the program and (2) the
extent to which the act's funds are used to provide training
services, one of four allowable cost categories under that program. 
GAO also examines disagreements between the Labor Department and
Native Americans over proposed changes to program regulations and the
reasonableness of such changes. 

BIA's Trust Fund Loss Policy.  GAO/AIMD-94-59R.  January 14, 1994. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) draft policy and procedures to
reconcile its Indian Trust Fund account losses.  GAO found that:  (1)
the BIA draft policy does not address some of the weaknesses of the
earlier draft; (2) the draft policy's definition of losses does not
include interest that is earned but not credited to the appropriate
account; (3) the draft policy does not establish the steps necessary
to detect, prevent, document, and resolve trust fund losses, since
BIA trust fund systems do not have a mechanism to identify losses;
(4) BIA needs to explain the appropriate notification and loss
calculation documentation necessary for reporting losses and make its
time frames for notification consistent and clear; (5) the draft
policy incorrectly states that loss of interest on a certain type of
account is not an obligation of the United States; (6) the draft
policy lacks procedures for account holders to respond to and comment
on BIA decisions; (7) BIA should clarify the draft policy's language
regarding the availability of appropriated funds for reimbursing
losses and the reasons for transferring funds between accounts; and
(8) BIA should change its quarterly and annual reporting of estimated
losses to coincide with other significant accounting-cycle benchmarks
and reports. 

Financial Management:  BIA's Management of the Indian Trust Funds. 
GAO/T-AIMD-93-4.  September 27, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  Since April 1991, GAO has testified six times before
Congress on the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) management of the
Indian trust funds and its efforts to reconcile and audit the trust
fund accounts.  BIA manages about $2 billion in tribal money that has
accumulated from payments of claims, oil and gas royalties, land use
agreements, and investment income.  Over the years, countless audit
reports and internal studies have cited a litany of serious problems
in BIA's oversight of these accounts.  BIA's record has been so poor,
in fact, that the Office of Management and Budget has placed trust
fund accounting on its high-risk list of government programs most
vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse.  This testimony discusses (1)
the status of BIA's efforts to overcome its past problems; (2)
problems that still need to be addressed; and (3) provisions in H.R. 
1846, the Native American Trust Fund Accounting and Management Reform
Act of 1993, that can help BIA resolve some of these matters. 

Financial Management:  Creation of Bureau of Indian Affairs' Trust
Fund Special Projects Team.  GAO/AIMD-93-74.  September 21, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  In November 1992, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
created a Special Projects Team to oversee trust fund management
initiatives, including management of the ongoing trust fund account
reconciliation project.  The team was intended to be temporary,
lasting only until the reconciliation project and other trust fund
improvements were completed--possibly as long as eight years.  This
report examines whether BIA, in creating the team, (1) followed
Interior Department guidelines, (2) notified Congress and received
its approval before transferring money and staff to the team, and (3)
submitted reorganization proposals to the relevant Advisory Task
Force on BIA Reorganization for consideration.  GAO also identifies
the officials responsible for creating the team and their present
jobs, as well as Interior Department and BIA efforts to investigate
the circumstances surrounding the team's creation. 

Financial Management:  Status of BIA's Efforts to Resolve
Long-Standing Trust Fund Management Problems.  GAO/T-AFMD-93-8.  June
22, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO has testified repeatedly on problems with the Bureau
of Indian Affairs' (BIA) management of the Indian trust fund, which
includes billions of dollars earned from claims, oil and gas
royalties, land use agreements, and investment income.  Overall, the
Bureau has failed to ensure that proper control and accountability
are maintained over each trust fund account.  The Bureau's record has
been so poor, in fact, that the Office of Management and Budget has
placed trust fund accounting on its high-risk list.  This testimony
discusses Bureau actions to correct past problems; problems that
still need to be addressed; and GAO's views on S.  925, the Native
American Trust Fund Accounting and Management Reform Act of 1993,
which mandates many of the improvements spelled out in the Bureau's
own audits and contractor studies. 

BIA Appropriation Language.  GAO/AFMD-93-84R.  June 4, 1993. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Department of the Interior's proposal to delete provisions from its
1994 appropriation act that freeze the statute of limitations on
tribal and individual Indian claims against the Bureau of Indian
Affairs' (BIA) management of Indian trust funds.  GAO found that: 
(1) although the provision that tolls the statute of limitations is
designed to allow interested parties to examine and evaluate all
pertinent account information and reconcile all claims arising from
BIA management of accounts, few audits and reconciliations have been
completed; (2) the government needs to fulfill its fiduciary
responsibilities and provide account holders with a full accounting
regardless of the alternative used to reconcile account balances; and
(3) until Interior finds a mutually acceptable basis for determining
account balances and associated losses, its proposal for deleting the
provision should be rejected as premature. 

Indian Health Service:  Basic Services Mostly Available; Substance
Abuse Problems Need Attention.  GAO/HRD-93-48.  April 9, 1993. 

ABSTRACT:  The five Indian Health Service area offices GAO
visited--Aberdeen, Alaska, California, Navajo, and Portland--differed
greatly in the way that they delivered health care services. 
Nonetheless, the areas reported generally similar levels in the
availability of basic clinical services.  The services most available
were treatment services, such as routine prenatal care, and
diagnostic services, such as biopsies for cancer diagnoses.  Almost
all patients seeking such services were able to receive them. 
Preventive care, such as diabetes education and dental care, was
comparatively less available.  Service unit officials generally named
alcohol and substance abuse services as their greatest unmet health
need.  Despite recent increases in Indian Health Service funding for
alcohol and substance abuse treatment services, the gap between the
demand for and availability of services persists.  In addition, the
Indian Health Service lacks data on alcoholism rates among native
Americans and the effectiveness of current prevention and treatment
programs. 

Tribal Management of Mission Valley Power.  GAO/RCED-92-282R. 
September 18, 1992. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO commented on
two contracts between residents of the Flathead Reservation in
Montana and the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the operation and
management of the Mission Valley Power utility.  GAO noted that:  (1)
to meet the contract requirements, the utility provided special
personnel, made improvements in the system, gathered quantitative
data on electrical power consumption, and developed a long-range plan
for electrical consumption; (2) the utility took many steps to comply
with federal environmental and safety standards; and (3) nine
modifications were made to the 1988 contract and one modification was
made to the 1991 contract. 

Financial Management:  Status of BIA's Efforts to Resolve
Long-Standing Trust Fund Management Problems.  GAO/T-AFMD-92-16. 
August 12, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony focuses on management of the Indian Trust
Funds by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA).  GAO discusses (1) some
of the long-standing weaknesses that have plagued BIA's management of
the trust funds; (2) the status of BIA efforts to reconcile the trust
fund accounts, including the problems that have been identified and
alternatives; and (3) the status of BIA efforts to develop a
comprehensive strategic plan for trust fund financial management
improvement, which include implementing the Chief Financial Officers
Act of 1990. 

Financial Management:  Problems Affecting BIA Trust Fund Financial
Management.  GAO/T-AFMD-92-12.  July 2, 1992. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA)
management of the Indian Trust Funds.  GAO noted that:  (1) BIA has
experienced inadequate controls and accountability over many of its
trust fund accounts, and the Office of Management and Budget has
placed trust fund accounting on its high risk list; (2) although BIA
is dependent on accurate and complete land ownership records to
properly distribute revenues, audits have shown continued problems
with those land records; (3) fractionated interests have impacted BIA
maintenance of land ownership records and trust fund accounting,
primarily because BIA must account for numerous small transactions;
(4) BIA ability to properly account for trust fund monies is impacted
by the processes and procedures used by the Minerals Management
Service (MMS) to collect, report on, and distribute Indian oil and
gas royalties; (5) BIA has difficulty using oil and gas revenue
collection and distribution data it receives from MMS to ensure that
revenue is credited to the proper accounts, and has developed a
computer program to enable it to better analyze this information. 
GAO believes that, if BIA is to effectively manage the Indian trust
funds, it will need to address the problems that impede accurate
accounting, including factors outside of BIA control that affect
account maintenance, but BIA cannot resolve those problems itself. 

Indian Issues:  GAO's Analysis of Land Ownership at 12 Reservations. 
GAO/T-RCED-92-75.  July 2, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  This testimony summarizes a recent GAO report
(GAO/RCED-92-96BR, Feb.  10, 1992) on land ownership at 12 Indian
reservations.  GAO discusses (1) the ownership of Indian land; (2)
the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) work load in maintaining
ownership records; and (3) the effect of the Indian Land
Consolidation Act on multiple ownership of land tracts by small
ownership interests, known as fractionation.  GAO also discusses how
it used BIA's computerized land records database to develop the
information found in GAO's report. 

Tribal Operation of Mission Valley Power.  GAO/RCED-92-229R.  June
30, 1992. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO commented on
two contracts between residents of the Flathead Reservation in
Montana and the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the operation and
management of the Mission Valley Power utility.  GAO noted that:  (1)
to meet the contract requirements, the utility provided special
personnel, made improvements in the system, gathered quantitative
data on electrical power consumption, and developed a long-range plan
for electrical consumption; (2) the utility took many steps to comply
with federal environmental and safety standards; and (3) nine
modifications were made to the 1988 contract and one modification was
made to the 1991 contract. 

Financial Management:  BIA Has Made Limited Progress in Reconciling
Trust Accounts and Developing a Strategic Plan.  GAO/AFMD-92-38. 
June 18, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) has a fiduciary
responsibility to ensure that proper control and accountability are
maintained over each account in the Indian Trust Funds, something BIA
has failed to achieve.  Recent BIA efforts to reconcile and audit the
Indian trust fund accounts have shown that a complete reconciliation
of the accounts would be unreasonably expensive and, for many
accounts, impossible.  After spending 7 months and more than $1.7
million to gather and organize account information and revise its
reconciliation methodology, BIA's contractor is still trying to
reconcile the fiscal year 1990 tribal account transactions.  Missing
records continue to be a problem.  The bulk of the problems are
internal to BIA--things such as poorly designed accounting systems,
weak internal controls, and untrained staff.  Some issues, however,
are external and not under BIA's control.  For instance, BIA depends
on accurate and complete land ownership records to properly
distribute revenues.  Yet audits and studies have uncovered
persistent problems with these records.  In addition, the accuracy
and completeness of information BIA receives from the Minerals
Management Service on royalty income has been called into question. 
Although BIA recognizes the seriousness of the situation, little
progress has been made in resolving the problems.  GAO recommends
that BIA develop a comprehensive strategic plan that will address
interfaces between other systems and operations affecting trust fund
accounting, such as the land records and reporting by the Minerals
Management Service.  GAO summarized this report in testimony before
Congress; see:  Financial Management:  Problems Affecting BIA Trust
Fund Financial Management, by Jeffrey C.  Steinhoff, Director of
Civil Audits, before the Senate Select Committee on Indian Affairs. 
GAO/T-AFMD-92-12, July 2, 1992 (11 pages). 

Bureau of Indian Affairs:  Long-Standing Internal Control Weaknesses
Warrant Congressional Attention.  GAO/RCED-92-118.  May 8, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Through its social services program, the Bureau of Indian
Affairs (BIA) offers assistance to individual Indians and tribes. 
GAO found that two of these services, involving payments for welfare
and the burial of indigents, are plagued by unjustified, improper,
and inconsistent payments and are ripe for fraud and waste.  These
problems stem from weak internal controls--some as basic as
inadequate supervision, failure to separate employee duties, and poor
computer security.  Similar problems have been repeatedly identified
in BIA's social services program for more than a decade.  The
long-standing nature of internal control weaknesses and ineffective
BIA efforts in the past to correct them indicate that an overall
management commitment at all levels will be needed if an effective
system of controls is to be established.  Recent congressional
initiatives to address persistent accounting and internal control
weaknesses in BIA's management of Indian trust funds and the Office
of Audit and Evaluation will need management support at all levels if
these initiatives are to succeed.  To ensure full management support,
increased congressional oversight may be warranted. 

Financial Management:  BIA Has Made Limited Progress in Reconciling
Indian Trust Fund Accounts and Developing a Strategic Plan. 
GAO/T-AFMD-92-6.  April 2, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) manages trust funds for
hundreds of thousands of individual Indians and tribes.  At the end
of fiscal year 1991, cumulative account balances totaled nearly $2
billion as a result of payments from claims; oil, gas, and mineral
royalties; land use agreements; investment income; and other sources. 
BIA's trust fund reconciliation project, which began last summer,
seeks to identify correct account balances for Indian accounts using
source documents to reconstruct trust account transactions so that
account holders are provided as accurate an accounting as possible. 
Because many accounts are between 50 and 100 years old, however, the
lack of supporting documentation presents a major obstacle.  This
testimony examines BIA's progress in reconciling the Indian trust
fund accounts and developing a strategic plan for trust fund
financial management improvement. 

Welfare To Work:  Effectiveness of Tribal JOBS Programs Unknown. 
GAO/HRD-92-67BR.  March 19, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  GAO could not assess the effectiveness of Job
Opportunities and Basic Skills Training (JOBS) programs run by Indian
Tribes and Alaska Native groups or determine outcomes resulting from
these programs because evaluation criteria, including well-defined
program objectives, were lacking and insufficient, and reliable
program data were unavailable.  The economic environment in which
many Indian tribes and Alaska Native organizations must operate may
hinder the success of their Tribal JOBS programs.  These programs are
assisting participants prepare for and obtain employment at a time
when few jobs are available, and unemployment on many reservations is
high.  In addition to poor economic conditions, tribal organizations
mentioned several implementation problems, including a lack of
transportation and child care for program participants. 

Indian Programs:  BIA and Indian Tribes Are Taking Action to Address
Dam Safety Concerns.  GAO/RCED-92-50.  February 11, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Key factors contributing to the Bureau of Indian Affairs'
(BIA) limited progress during the 1980s in addressing known or
suspected dam deficiencies on Indian reservations--including limited
staff resources, BIA's decision to encourage tribes to carry out
program activities, and the absence of a management information
system to help monitor and direct program activities--have, to a
large degree, been addressed.  A 1989 Inspector General report
indicated that many BIA dams were in various stages of disrepair and
in need of rehabilitation.  While safety deficiencies have not been
fully corrected, efforts are now under way at many BIA priority dams. 
The success of BIA's current dam strategy will, to a large degree,
depend on how tribes and BIA carry out their program
responsibilities.  GAO believes that more time is needed before such
an assessment is made.  An effective record-keeping and reporting
system to help monitor the situation at priority dams would help BIA
assess progress. 

Land Exchange:  Phoenix and Collier Reach Agreement on Indian School
Property.  GAO/GGD-92-42.  February 10, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Legislation passed in 1988 authorized the Interior
Department to swap its former Indian School property in downtown
Phoenix for more than 100,000 acres of land near the Florida
Everglades owned by the Collier family along with $34.9 million in
cash to set up two Indian trust funds.  While most of the exchange
conditions set by the law have been met, the City of Phoenix placed
limitations on the uses of the Indian School land and the Barron
Collier Co.  had the right to match the highest bid.  As a result, no
competing bids for the property were received, and Congress' intent
to test the value of the land by exposing the school site to
meaningful competitive bidding was not met.  For several reasons, GAO
cannot conclude that the Florida land, along with the $34.9 million,
equals the value of the Colliers' portion of the Indian School
property.  For instance, the Florida land, which was possibly
overvalued in 1988, has not been reevaluated since then, and its
value could have fallen during the recession.  GAO does not question
the right of the City of Phoenix to decide how privately-owned
property should be used.  Yet the city's action in this case raises
questions about whether a locality should have the authority to use
zoning as a way of acquiring land in federal disposition programs
without compensation to the federal government.  Conflict arose
during the Phoenix exchange because of efforts by the various
entities to meet the intent of the exchange.  Such natural conflict
raises the issue of how future exchanges can be designed to
accommodate the demands of several parties and still meet a market
demand test. 

Indian Programs:  Profile of Land Ownership at 12 Reservations. 
GAO/RCED-92-96BR.  February 10, 1992. 

ABSTRACT:  Fractionated ownership has occurred as titles to Indian
land have passed through several generations of multiple heirs.  The
Indian Land Consolidation Act of 1983 seeks to reduce the extent of
Indian land fractionation within reservations' boundaries. 
Generally, an Indian's ownership of two percent or less in a tract of
land transfers to the tribe upon the individual's death, provided
that the interest is incapable of earning $100 or more in any of the
five years following the Indian's death.  On the basis of its work at
12 reservations cited as examples of extensive land ownership
fractionation, GAO describes the (1) ownership of Indian land
administered by the Department of the Interior, (2) Bureau of Indian
Affairs' workload in maintaining ownership records, and (3) act's
impact on the degree of fractionated ownership. 

BIA Reconciliation Monitoring.  GAO/AFMD-92-36R.  January 13, 1992. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) efforts to improve its detection and
handling of Indian trust fund losses.  GAO found that:  (1) BIA is
liable for investing trust funds above the insured limits of
$100,000; (2) the National Credit Union Administration will not cover
losses in excess of the $100,000 insurance ceiling; (3) BIA has
incurred losses on investments at non-accredited, uninsured credit
unions as a result of fraud and criminal activity; (4) the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) will not cover $121,500 in
losses at FDIC-insured institutions; (5) BIA will request
approximately $4 million in appropriations to cover credit union and
bank losses in its next budget submission; and (6) BIA policies
regarding notification and reimbursement to Indian account holders
for losses due to BIA errors need to be strengthened because the
policies do not address the need for loss prevention and detection
systems, adequately instruct staff on how to resolve losses, address
documentation requirements, and define whether losses should include
interest that was earned but not credited to the appropriate account. 

Land Exchange:  Phoenix Indian School Development Plan Adversely
Affects Property Value.  GAO/GGD-91-111.  July 25, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a legislative requirement, GAO analyzed the
development proposals and rezoning process for the Department of the
Interior's Phoenix Indian School site in Arizona, focusing on:  (1)
alternative development plans considered; (2) the plan's effect on
the potential value of the property; and (3) how the plan affects the
government's interests. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) a land use planning team, the Phoenix
Planning Commission, and the Phoenix City Council proposed nine
development alternatives for the Indian School property; (2) the
alternatives proposed varying amounts of commercial space, parkland,
hotels, and residential housing; (3) the Phoenix City Council
accepted a specific plan, different from the nine alternatives, which
proposed lower amounts of commercial development than some other
proposals and would limit downtown development, increase residential
housing, and maximize the amount of city parkland; (4) the City
Council's plan adversely affected the Indian School property's
potential value, since it allows relatively less commercial space
than had been granted in past zoning decisions; (5) the government
could have realized more than the $80-million minimum price had
Phoenix allowed as much commercial development as deemed reasonable
by Interior's contract appraiser and the GAO consultant; and (6) GAO
did not estimate the property's value due to the specific plan's
potentially costly requirements for reducing traffic impacts and
improving open space. 

Indian Issues:  Compensation Claims Analyses Overstate Economic
Losses.  GAO/RCED-91-77.  May 21, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
economic analyses supporting the Garrison Unit Joint Tribal Advisory
Committee's (JTAC) recommendation that Indian tribes at the Fort
Berthold Reservation and Standing Rock Reservation receive additional
financial compensation for land the federal government acquired in
1949 and 1958 for a water resources project, focusing on:  (1) the
adequacy of the analyses conducted by tribal consultants; and (2)
alternative methods of establishing a basis for financial
compensation. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the consultants overestimated the
tribes' economic losses, since they made overly optimistic
assumptions about the tribes' economic condition prior to the loss of
their land; (2) neither consultant reduced the estimate of additional
compensation by the total amount that Congress previously
appropriated for the acquired lands; and (3) an alternative approach
for considering additional compensation would be to consider the
difference between the amount of compensation the tribes believed was
warranted at the time the land was taken and the compensation
appropriated by Congress. 

Bureau of Indian Affairs' Efforts to Reconcile, Audit, and Manage the
Indian Trust Funds.  GAO/T-AFMD-91-6.  May 20, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the status of the Bureau of Indian
Affairs' (BIA) efforts to implement a congressionally mandated Indian
trust fund reconciliation and audit project and improve financial
management.  GAO noted that:  (1) BIA divided the project into two
phases; (2) the first phase will cover over 500 tribal accounts
belonging to 37 of 254 tribes; (3) the first phase will also cover
17,000 individual Indian money accounts; (4) the phase I contractor
will submit a phase II plan to cover the remaining 1,500 tribal and
approximately 283,000 individual Indian money accounts; (5) BIA made
progress in starting the project, but it needed to ensure effective
management, accounting, and reporting; (6) BIA still had not
finalized its phase I reconciliation management plan; (7) BIA will
have to reconstruct old accounts before it can determine an accurate
balance; (8) despite the significant potential for incomplete records
and the resulting problems due to the outdated accounts, BIA believed
that reconciliation work will adequately disclose overpayments and
inconsistent investments that resulted in lost interest; and (9) BIA
lacked an adequate long-term strategy for keeping the accounts
balanced. 

Indian Programs:  Lack of Internal Control at Two Special Law
Enforcement Units.  GAO/RCED-91-111.  May 15, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed two
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) law enforcement operations, focusing
on their management of:  (1) a confidential fund BIA used to pay
informants; (2) overtime pay; (3) travel advances; and (4) sensitive
equipment. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that BIA:  (1) did not comply with federal
requirements regarding controls over appropriated funds and did not
follow numerous management procedures; (2) improperly transferred
funds to private bank accounts and did not return unobligated funds
to the Department of the Treasury at the end of each fiscal year, as
required; (3) did not adequately account for and control fund
disbursements; (4) did not comply with federal regulations requiring
periodic reviews of administratively uncontrollable overtime (AUO) it
paid to units and employees; (5) issued excessive travel advances to
unit investigators and did not adjust or liquidate the advances, as
regulations required; and (6) did not properly control sensitive
equipment, such as weapons and surveillance equipment. 

Indian Issues:  GAO's Assessment of Economic Analyses of Fort
Berthold and Standing Rock Reservations' Compensation Claims. 
GAO/T-RCED-91-30.  April 12, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the economic analyses recommending that
Indian tribes at two reservations receive additional financial
compensation for land taken by the federal government.  GAO noted
that:  (1) the Joint Tribal Advisory Committee (JTAC) found that the
federal government did not compensate the reservations adequately and
estimated the economic losses for Fort Berthold to be in the range of
$178.4 million to $411.8 million and $181.2 million to $342.9 million
for Standing Rock; (2) the tribes' economic losses were overstated,
because economic consultants made optimistic assumptions regarding
the tribes' economic situation prior to when their land was taken;
and (3) the consultants did not reduce their estimates for additional
compensation by the total amount that Congress previously
appropriated for the land taken.  GAO also noted that:  (1) three
Fort Berthold tribes estimated that their land was worth $9.4 million
more than the amount Congress appropriated and the Standing Rock
tribe estimated that its land was worth $14.2 million more than the
amount Congress appropriated; and (2) the GAO calculated dollar range
for the three Fort Berthold tribes was $51.8 million to $149.2
million and $64.5 million to $170 million for the Standing Rock
tribe. 

Bureau of Indian Affairs' Efforts to Reconcile and Audit the Indian
Trust Funds.  GAO/T-AFMD-91-2.  April 11, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  GAO discussed the Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA)
efforts to reconcile and audit the Indian trust funds.  GAO noted
that:  (1) numerous audit reports have pointed out serious accounting
and financial management problems and weak internal controls
throughout BIA; (2) the lack of general ledger control over accounts,
inaccurate data, the lack of accounting systems documentation, and
inadequate management of the Indian trust funds caused numerous
accounting errors; (3) the first phase of the BIA trust fund
reconciliation and audit project would identify the correct account
balances for over 500 tribal accounts and 17,000 individual Indian
money trust accounts; and (4) BIA planned to use the first-phase
results to develop plans for moving into a second phase that would
cover the remaining 1,500 tribal and 283,000 individual Indian money
accounts.  GAO believes that:  (1) legislation may be needed to
provide appropriations for monies owed to account holders or relief
for unrecoverable overpayments that go back many years; (2) BIA
planned to implement the Department of the Interior's six-part plan
to help it control fund accounting transactions, reconcile all
account balances, and implement a new Interior-wide accounting
system; and (3) BIA must ensure that it carries out its financial
responsibilities efficiently and effectively by developing a
comprehensive financial management plan for both its appropriated
funds and trust fund operations. 

Indian Programs:  Use of Forest Development Funds Should Be Based on
Current Priorities.  GAO/RCED-91-53.  March 7, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) forestry program, focusing on BIA: 
(1) achievement of its timber harvest goals on commercial Indian
timberland; (2) accomplishment of needed forest development; (3)
controls over funds disbursement; (4) forestry program staffing since
1977; and (5) efforts to attract Indian foresters. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) tribes actively participated in
developing multi-year forest management plans, and in planning and
approving individual timber sales; (2) BIA experienced problems in
keeping forest management plans current due to funding and staffing
shortfalls and inability to obtain timely tribal involvement in
developing plan components; (3) such factors as market conditions and
compliance with relevant federal laws affected the achievement of
timber harvest goals; (4) the 1977 backlog of forest development
needs was incomplete and imprecise, and failed to include over
300,000 additional acres of needed timber stand improvement; (5)
while BIA data indicated that needed forest development had been
completed for about one-half of the backlog acreage, data on
individual reservation accomplishments were uncertain; (6) dedicated
funding failed to address changing development needs because it was
still targeted at reducing the 1977 backlog; (7) BIA improved its
controls over forest management deduction funds; (8) BIA forestry
staff increased significantly since 1978; and (9) BIA had several
headquarters and field-level programs to encourage Indians to study
and train for the forestry profession. 

Indian Programs:  Navajo-Hopi Resettlement Program. 
GAO/RCED-91-105BR.  March 6, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Navajo-Hopi Resettlement Program, focusing on:  (1) program status;
(2) problems faced by relocatees; and (3) Navajos resisting
relocation. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the relocation program was not
completed in 1986, as anticipated, since more families than expected
applied for relocation and the Navajo reservation had insufficient
land to accomodate sufficient new homesites; (2) as of December 31,
1990, 68 percent of those eligible, or 1,894 families, had relocated;
(3) 99 percent of the relocated families were Navajo; (4) of the
remaining 888 families awaiting relocation, 54 percent lived in
inadequate homes and 35 percent experienced home maintenance or
repair problems; (5) less than half of the relocated families moved
to off-reservation sites; (6) some of the families who moved to
off-reservation sites experienced financial and adjustment problems;
(7) 28 percent of the relocated families sold their off-reservation
replacement homes primarily because they preferred life on the
reservation; (8) to address problems encountered by families who had
moved off the reservation, the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian
Relocation issued two program requirements to help families relocate
successfully; and (9) the Office continued to work with the Navajo
and Hopi tribes to avoid having to forcibly relocate Navajos
resisting relocation. 

Indian Health Service:  Funding Based on Historical Patterns, Not
Need.  GAO/HRD-91-5.  February 21, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO obtained
information on:  (1) Indian Health Service (IHS) funding distribution
methods and the funds allocated for fiscal year (FY) 1980 through FY
1990; (2) per-capita funding for the Oklahoma IHS area; and (3) the
effect of IHS funding constraints on health services delivery in
Oklahoma, with special attention to the Contract Health Services
(CHS) program. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) IHS distributed its funding among its
12 service delivery areas based primarily on previous-year funding
and rarely used needs-based methods; (2) total IHS funding increased
from approximately $517 million in FY 1980 to about $1 billion in FY
1990, and Oklahoma's funding increased from $59.9 million to $131
million during that period; (3) increased needs-based funding for
Oklahoma failed to increase its overall funding share; (4) per-capita
funding for Oklahoma Indians was relatively low due to limited
needs-based funding and the growing number of eligible Indians in the
area; and (5) IHS service delivery was strained in Oklahoma due to
substantial increases in demand for outpatient services and rationing
of the CHS program. 

Indian Programs:  Tribal Influence in Formulating Budget Priorities
Is Limited.  GAO/RCED-91-20.  February 7, 1991. 

BACKGROUND:  Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the
Bureau of Indian Affairs' (BIA) Indian Priority System (IPS) budget
formulation process, focusing on the:  (1) development and
implementation of the IPS process; (2) level of tribal involvement
and influence in setting IPS budget priorities; (3) extent to which
tribes contracted with BIA to carry out programs; and (4) concerns
tribes had regarding the IPS process. 

FINDINGS:  GAO found that:  (1) the BIA budget has averaged about $1
billion annually over the past 10 years, with the operation of Indian
programs budget component averaging about $850 million a year and the
IPS process averaging about $275 million annually; (2) BIA changed
various IPS programs based on administrative decisions or legislative
directives without notifying area offices or tribes; (3) BIA could
not explain why its current guidance provided tribes with a lesser
role than earlier guidance in setting IPS budget priorities and
funding levels; (4) tribal involvement in the IPS process varied
depending on the tribes' relationship with BIA, changes in tribal
leadership, and political situations at the tribes' reservations; (5)
although tribes exercised some control over budget formulation for
contracted programs, they characterized their overall IPS involvement
as inconsequential; (6) tribes were particularly concerned about the
lack of adequate federal funding for their needs; and (7) BIA and
tribal officials often cited federal trust responsibilities as a
factor limiting tribal involvement in the IPS process. 


SUBJECT INDEX
============================================================ Chapter 8


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