Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Congressional research reportMar 24, 2017
Ask Donna
What actually matters in this document.
Text
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies:
FY2017 Appropriations
,name redacted,
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
March 24, 2017
Congressional Research Service
7-....
www.crs.gov
R44470
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Summary
The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for
approximately 30 agencies and entities. They include most of the Department of the Interior
(DOI) as well as agencies within other departments, such as the Forest Service within the
Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and
Human Services. The bill also provides funding for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
arts and cultural agencies, and other entities. At issue for Congress is determining the amount,
terms, and conditions of funding for FY2017 for agencies and programs within the bill.
Because no regular appropriations were enacted before the start of FY2017, continuing funds
were provided through April 28, 2017, under the Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017
(CR; Division A, P.L. 114-254). The CR generally provided funding at the FY2016 level (in
Division G, P.L. 114-113), minus an across-the-board reduction of 0.1901% for the period
covered. Funding was provided for continuing projects and activities, under the same authority
and conditions, and to the same extent and manner, as for FY2016. An earlier CR (Division C,
P.L. 114-223), and P.L. 114-254, contained a total of 10 exceptions for Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies. These “anomalies” pertained to recreation fees, the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Memorial, receipts from applications for permits to drill, presidential inaugural costs, certain EPA
programs, the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Indian Health Service.
In earlier action, for FY2017, President Obama had requested $33.18 billion for the agencies and
entities typically funded in the annual bill. H.R. 5538 (114th Congress), as passed by the House on
July 14, 2016, contained $32.15 billion for FY2017, whereas S. 3068 (114th Congress), as
reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 16, 2016, included $32.76 billion.
President Obama’s request would have been an increase of $250.6 million (0.8%) over the
FY2016 total of $32.93 billion, including $700.0 million in additional, emergency appropriations
for wildland fires. By contrast, both H.R. 5538 as passed by the House and S. 3068 as reported
from the Senate Appropriations Committee would have provided lower appropriations than
enacted for FY2016. The House bill was $779.3 million (2.4%) less than FY2016, whereas the
Senate bill contained $163.6 million (0.5%) less than FY2016.
The FY2016 appropriation, and FY2017 appropriations requested, approved by the House, and
reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee, differed in a number of ways. For instance,
only the President’s request did not include discretionary appropriations for the Payments in Lieu
of Taxes (PILT) program, as the President proposed mandatory funds for this program. PILT
compensates counties and local governments for nontaxable lands within their jurisdictions. The
total amounts also represented different levels of funding for wildland fires on DOI and Forest
Service lands, as well as varied approaches to providing funds. The President proposed a new
adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law for wildfire suppression, the House bill
included funding for the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Accounts, and the Senate bill
provided some wildfire funds as emergency appropriations. The FY2016 appropriation included
FLAME and emergency funding, but not a discretionary cap adjustment.
Other differences related to the amount of funds proposed for particular agencies. For example,
whereas the President sought an increase in funds over FY2016 for EPA, the House and Senate
bills provided lower funding. In other cases, the President, House, and Senate Committee
proposed increased funds of varying amounts over the FY2016 level, as for the National Park
Service, Indian Affairs bureaus, Indian Health Service, and Smithsonian Institution, among other
agencies. In still other cases, decreased funds relative to FY2016 were included in the President’s,
House, and Senate Committee proposals, as in the case of the Forest Service.
Congressional Research Service
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................... 1
Overview of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations .................................... 1
Title I. Department of the Interior ............................................................................................. 2
Title II. Environmental Protection Agency ............................................................................... 3
Title III. Related Agencies......................................................................................................... 4
FY2017 Appropriations ................................................................................................................... 5
Components of President Obama’s Request ............................................................................. 5
FY2017 President Obama’s Request Compared with FY2016 Enacted Appropriations .......... 6
Comparison of FY2017 Bills Passed by the House and Reported by the Senate
Appropriations Committees ................................................................................................... 8
FY2017 Bills Compared with FY2016 Appropriations ............................................................ 9
H.R. 5538 Compared with FY2016 Appropriations ........................................................... 9
S. 3068 Compared with FY2016 Appropriations.............................................................. 10
FY2017 Bills Compared with President Obama’s FY2017 Request .......................................11
H.R. 5538 Compared with President Obama’s FY2017 Request ......................................11
S. 3068 Compared with President Obama’s FY2017 Request .......................................... 12
FY2017 Continuing Appropriations ........................................................................................ 13
Figures
Figure 1. Components of the President Obama’s FY2017 Request for Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies ............................................................................................ 6
Tables
Table 1. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016-FY2017 Appropriations............ 15
Contacts
Author Contact Information .......................................................................................................... 18
Key Policy Staff ............................................................................................................................ 18
Congressional Research Service
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Introduction
This report focuses on FY2017 appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
At issue for Congress is determining the amount of funding for agencies and programs in the bill
and the terms and conditions of such funding.
This report first presents a brief overview of the agencies in the bill. It then provides a description
of the appropriations requested by President Obama for FY2017.1 Next, it compares the
President’s request for FY2017 with appropriations enacted for FY2016. It then compares the
FY2017 House-passed and Senate-committee reported appropriations with each other, with
FY2016 enacted appropriations, and with FY2017 appropriations requested by the President.
Finally, it summarizes the continuing appropriations enacted for FY2017, first through December
9, 2016 (under Division C, P.L. 114-223), and then through April 28, 2017 (under Division A, P.L.
114-254).
Appropriations are complex. Budget justifications for requests for some agencies are large,
generally several hundred pages long and containing numerous funding, programmatic, and
legislative changes for congressional consideration. Further, appropriations laws provide funds
for numerous accounts, activities, and sub-activities, and the accompanying explanatory
statements provide additional directives and other important information. This report does not
provide information at the account and sub-account levels, nor does it detail budgetary
reorganizations or legislative changes enacted in law or proposed by the President. For
information on a particular agency or individual accounts, programs, or activities administered by
a particular agency, contact the key policy staff listed at the end of this report. In addition, for
selected reports related to appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, such as
individual agencies (e.g., National Park Service) or cross-cutting programs (e.g., Wildland Fire
Management), see the “Interior & Environment Appropriations” subissue under the
“Appropriations” Issue Area page on the Congressional Research Service (CRS) website.2
Overview of Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies Appropriations
The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill3 includes funding for
agencies and programs in three separate federal departments as well as for numerous related
agencies.4 The Interior bill typically contains three primary titles. Title I provides funding for
most Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies,5 many of which manage land and other natural
resource or regulatory programs. Title II contains appropriations for the Environmental Protection
1
As used in this report, “President” refers to President Obama.
For selected relevant reports, see Congressional Research Service, “Interior & Environment Appropriations,” at
http://www.crs.gov/search/#/0?termsToSearch=Interior%20%26%20Environment%20Appropriations&orderBy=
Date&navIds=4294930742.
3
Hereinafter, the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill is sometimes referred to as
the Interior bill.
4
Many of the agencies that receive discretionary appropriations through the Interior bill also receive mandatory
appropriations under various authorizing statutes. This report does not address mandatory appropriations.
5
The exceptions are the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project, which receive appropriations through
Energy and Water Development appropriations laws. For information on FY2017 appropriations for these entities, see
CRS Report R44465, Energy and Water Development: FY2017 Appropriations, by (name redacted)
.
2
Congressional Research Service
1
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Agency (EPA). Title III currently funds 20 agencies in other departments, such as the Forest
Service in the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service in the Department of
Health and Human Services; arts and cultural agencies, such as the Smithsonian Institution; and
various other entities. Title III of the bill is referred to as “Related Agencies.” Selected major
agencies in the Interior bill are briefly described below.
Title I. Department of the Interior
DOI’s mission is to protect and manage the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage;
provide scientific and other information about those resources; and exercise trust responsibilities
and other commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities.6
There are eight DOI agencies and two other broad accounts funded in the Interior bill that carry
out this mission. These agencies and broad accounts are referred to collectively hereinafter as the
10 DOI “agencies.” DOI agencies funded in the Interior bill include the following:7
The Bureau of Land Management administers about 248 million acres of public
land, mostly in the West, for diverse uses such as energy and mineral
development, livestock grazing, recreation, and preservation. The agency is also
responsible for about 700 million acres of federal onshore subsurface mineral
estate throughout the nation and supervises the mineral operations on about 56
million acres of Indian trust lands.
The Fish and Wildlife Service administers 91 million acres of federal land8 within
the National Wildlife Refuge System and other areas, including 77 million acres
in Alaska. It also manages several large marine refuges and marine national
monuments, sometimes jointly with other federal agencies. In addition, the Fish
and Wildlife Service is the primary agency responsible for implementing the
Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§1531 et seq.) through listing of species;
consulting with other federal agencies; collaborating with private entities and
state, tribal, and local governments; and other measures. It is also the primary
agency responsible for promoting wildlife habitat; enforcing federal wildlife
laws; supporting wildlife and ecosystem science; conserving migratory birds;
administering grants to aid state fish and wildlife programs; and coordinating
with state, international, and other federal agencies on fish and wildlife issues.
The National Park Service administers 80 million acres of federal land within the
National Park System, which includes 417 diverse units in the 50 states, District
of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Roughly two-thirds of the system’s lands are in
Alaska. The National Park Service has a dual mission—to preserve unique
resources and to provide for their enjoyment by the public. The agency also
supports and promotes some resource conservation activities outside the Park
6
This statement is taken from the Department of the Interior (DOI) website at http://www.doi.gov/whoweare/missionstatement.cfm.
7
In addition, Interior appropriations bills provide funding within two broad DOI accounts covering diverse programs.
The Departmental Offices account funds the Office of the Secretary (including the Office of Natural Resources
Revenue), Insular Affairs, Office of the Solicitor, Office of Inspector General, and Office of the Special Trustee for
American Indians. Discretionary appropriations for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program are also shown
within this account for FY2016. The Department-Wide Programs account funds DOI Wildland Fire Management, the
Central Hazardous Materials Fund, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund, and the Working Capital Fund.
8
This is the acreage over which the Fish and Wildlife Service has primary jurisdiction in the United States and the
territories, but excluding acreage in marine national monuments.
Congressional Research Service
2
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
System through grant and technical assistance programs and cooperation with
partners.
The U.S. Geological Survey is a science agency that provides physical and
biological information related to geological resources; climate and land use
change; natural hazards; and energy, mineral, water, and biological sciences and
resources. In addition, it is the federal government’s principal civilian mapping
agency and a primary source of data on the quality of the nation’s water
resources.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages development of the nation’s
offshore conventional and renewable energy resources in the Atlantic, the Pacific,
the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic. These resources are in areas covering
approximately 1.7 billion acres located beyond state waters, mostly in the Alaska
region (more than 1 billion acres) but also off all coastal states.
The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement provides regulatory and
safety oversight for resource development in the outer continental shelf. Among
its responsibilities are oil and gas permitting, facility inspections, environmental
compliance, and oil spill response planning.
The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement works with states
and tribes to reclaim abandoned coal mines. The agency also regulates active coal
mines to minimize environmental impacts during mining and to reclaim affected
lands and waters after mining.
Indian Affairs agencies provide and fund a variety of services to federally
recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and their members.
Historically, these agencies have taken the lead in federal dealings with tribes.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for programs that include government
operations, courts, law enforcement, fire protection, social programs, roads,
economic development, employment assistance, housing repair, irrigation, dams,
Indian rights protection, implementation of land and water settlements, and
management of trust assets (real estate and natural resources). The Bureau of
Indian Education funds an elementary and secondary school system, institutions
of higher education, and other educational programs.9
Title II. Environmental Protection Agency
EPA’s mission is to protect human health and the environment. Primary responsibilities include
the implementation of federal statutes regulating air quality, water quality, pesticides, toxic
substances, management and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and cleanup of
environmental contamination. EPA also awards grants to assist states and local governments in
implementing federal law and complying with federal requirements to control pollution.10
9
Hereinafter in this report, “Indian Affairs” refers to the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education.
For information on FY2016 and FY2017 appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency beyond that
contained in this report, see CRS Report R44208, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016 Appropriations,
by (name redacted) and (name redacted)
and CRS In Focus IF10383, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
FY2017 President’s Budget Request, by (name redacted) and (name redacted) .
10
Congressional Research Service
3
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Title III. Related Agencies
There are 20 agencies, organizations, and other entities funded by Title III of the Interior bill,
collectively referred to hereinafter as the 20 “Related Agencies.” Among the Related Agencies
funded in the Interior bill, roughly 95% of the funding is typically provided to the following:
The Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture manages 193 million acres
of the National Forest System—consisting of national forests, national
grasslands, and other areas—in 43 states, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and
the Virgin Islands. It also provides technical and financial assistance to states,
tribes, and private forest landowners and conducts research on sustaining forest
resources for future generations.
The Indian Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services
provides medical and environmental health services for more than 2 million
American Indians and Alaska Natives. Health care is provided through a system
of facilities and programs operated by the agency, tribes and tribal organizations,
and urban Indian organizations. The agency operates 26 hospitals, 59 health
centers, and 32 health stations. Tribes and tribal organizations, through Indian
Health Service contracts and compacts, operate another 19 hospitals, 284 health
centers, 79 health stations, and 163 Alaska Native village clinics. Urban Indian
organizations operate 34 ambulatory or referral programs.11
The Smithsonian Institution is a museum and research complex consisting of 19
museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities throughout
the United States and around the world.12 Established by federal legislation in
1846 with the acceptance of a trust donation by the institution’s namesake
benefactor, the Smithsonian is funded by both federal appropriations and a
private trust.
The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the
Humanities make up the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities.
The National Endowment for the Arts is a major federal source of support for all
arts disciplines. Since 1965, it has awarded more than 145,000 grants, which
have been distributed to all states. The National Endowment for the Humanities
generally supports grants for humanities education, research, preservation, and
public humanities programs; creation of regional humanities centers; and
development of humanities programs under the jurisdiction of state humanities
councils. Since 1965, it has awarded approximately 63,000 grants. It also
supports a Challenge Grant program to stimulate and match private donations in
support of humanities institutions.
11
Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service, “IHS 2016 Profile,” September 2016, at
https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/index.cfm/factsheets/ihsprofile/. For additional information on the agency, see CRS
Report R43330, The Indian Health Service (IHS): An Overview, by (name redacted) .
12
These statistics are from the Smithsonian Institution’s website at http://www.si.edu/About.
Congressional Research Service
4
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
FY2017 Appropriations
Components of President Obama’s Request
For FY2017, President Obama requested $33.18 billion for the approximately 30 agencies and
entities typically funded in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations
bill. For the 10 major DOI agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $12.24 billion, or 36.9%
of the total requested. For EPA, funded in Title II of the bill, the request was $8.27 billion, or
24.9% of the total. For the 20 agencies and other entities currently funded in Title III of the bill,
the request was $12.67 billion, or 38.2% of the total.
The President’s request included a proposal for a new adjustment to the discretionary spending
limits in law that would provide an additional $1.15 billion for wildfire suppression for FY2017.13
Of the total proposed adjustment for FY2017, $290.0 million was for DOI Wildland Fire
Management and $864.1 million was for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management.
Appropriations for agencies vary widely for reasons relating to the number, breadth, and
complexity of agency responsibilities; alternative sources of funding (e.g., mandatory
appropriations); and Administration and congressional priorities, among other factors. Thus,
although the President’s FY2017 request covered approximately 30 agencies, funding for a small
subset of these agencies accounted for most of the total. For example, the requested
appropriations for three agencies—EPA, Forest Service, and Indian Health Service—were nearly
three-fifths (57.9%) of the total request. Further, more than three-quarters (76.0%) of the request
was for these three agencies and two others, National Park Service and Indian Affairs.
For DOI agencies, the FY2017 requests ranged from $80.2 million for the Bureau of Ocean
Energy Management to $3.10 billion for the National Park Service. The requests for 6 of the 10
agencies exceeded $1 billion. Nearly half (49.3%) of the $12.24 billion requested for DOI
agencies was for two agencies—Indian Affairs ($2.93 billion) and the National Park Service.
For Related Agencies in Title III, the requested funding levels exhibited even more variation. The
President sought amounts ranging from $1.4 million for grants under National Capital Arts and
Cultural Affairs to $5.74 billion for the Forest Service. The Indian Health Service would be the
only other agency to receive more than $5 billion. The next-largest request was for the
Smithsonian Institution, at $922.2 million. By contrast, 14 agencies would receive less than $80
million each, including 5 with appropriations of less than $10 million each.
Figure 1 identifies the share of the President’s request for particular agencies in the Interior bill.
Table 1, at the end of this report, contains the amount requested by the President for FY2017 for
each agency, FY2016 enacted appropriations for each agency, the percentage change between
FY2016 enacted appropriations and the President’s request for FY2017, the appropriations
included in H.R. 5538 (114th Congress) as passed the House, and the appropriations contained in
S. 3068 (114th Congress) as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
13
Budget authority designated for certain purposes would cause the limits to be adjusted, making such authority
effectively not subject to the limits. The President sought a new cap adjustment for some of the costs of wildland fire
management. For additional information on appropriations for wildland fire management beyond that contained in this
report, including on the proposed cap adjustment, see CRS Report R44082, Wildfire Suppression Spending:
Background, Issues, and Legislation, by (name redacted), (name redacted), and (name redacted)
.
Congressional Research Service
5
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Figure 1. Components of the President Obama’s FY2017 Request for Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies
Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House Appropriations Committee.
Notes: Agencies shown in shades of brown and yellow are in the Department of the Interior, Title I of the bill.
The Environmental Protection Agency, shown in blue, is Title II of the bill. Agencies shown in shades of green are
Related Agencies, Title III of the bill.
FY2017 President Obama’s Request Compared with FY2016
Enacted Appropriations
The President’s request of $33.18 billion for FY2017 would have been an increase of $250.6
million (0.8%) over the total FY2016 enacted appropriations of $32.93 billion. This FY2016 total
includes $700.0 million in emergency funding for Wildland Fire Management by the Forest
Service (P.L. 114-53, Section 135).14 These funds were provided for urgent fire suppression, but
also could be transferred to other accounts to repay monies that had been borrowed for fire
suppression. Unlike the President’s FY2017 request, the FY2016 enacted appropriations did not
include a cap adjustment to discretionary spending limits in law (for Wildland Fire Management).
The FY2016 appropriations included $452.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT)
program, whereas the President did not seek discretionary funding for PILT for FY2017. Instead,
the President supported mandatory funding for PILT for FY2017, which would require a change
in law. PILT compensates counties and local governments for nontaxable lands within their
jurisdictions.15
14
The FY2016 total of $32.93 billion, including the $700.0 million in emergency appropriations for Forest Service
Wildland Fire Management, is used throughout this report.
15
See CRS Report RL31392, PILT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes): Somewhat Simplified, by (name redacted) and Katie
(continued...)
Congressional Research Service
6
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Under the President’s proposal, the total for two of the three titles of the bill would have increased
by different amounts. DOI agencies would have received an increase of $225.8 million (1.9%)
and funding for EPA would have increased by $127.3 million (1.6%). However, the total for all
Related Agencies in Title III would have decreased by $102.5 million (0.8%).
With regard to DOI, the President proposed increases above FY2016 enacted levels for 8 of the
10 agencies. The increases varied in dollar amount and percentage of appropriations, with the
lowest dollar increase of $6.0 million (8.0%) for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and
the highest of $250.2 million (8.8%) for the National Park Service. Some of the National Park
Service increase was intended to enhance park units in light of the agency’s 2016 centennial.
Activities receiving additional funds included repair, rehabilitation, and maintenance of facilities;
line item construction; visitor services for young people and families; historic preservation; and
the Centennial Challenge program (a federal matching program to leverage donations for park
units).
In addition to the National Park Service, three other DOI agencies would have received increases
of more than $100.0 million under the President’s request. Proposed increases were as follows:
Department-Wide Programs, $170.3 million (15.8%); Indian Affairs, $137.6 million (4.9%); and
U.S. Geological Survey, $106.8 million (10.1%). Under Department-Wide Programs, Wildland
Fire Management on DOI lands received the largest increase. The second-largest increase was for
the Working Capital Fund, primarily for cybersecurity and DOI compliance with the Digital
Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act, P.L. 113-101). For Indian Affairs, the
President requested increases for many activities, among them education, natural resource
management, and social services. For the U.S. Geological Survey, the President requested
additional funds across agency activities, including ecosystems, climate and land use change,
natural hazards, water resources, and facilities.
Two DOI agencies, Departmental Offices and the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement, would have received decreased appropriations under the President’s FY2017
request. For Departmental Offices, the decrease was primarily because the President did not seek
discretionary funding under this account for PILT, as noted. For the Office of Surface Mining
Reclamation and Enforcement, the decrease was primarily because the President did not request
to continue the FY2016 appropriation of $90.0 million for grants to three states for reclamation of
abandoned mine lands, together with economic and community development activities.
Within the overall increase for EPA, the President sought additional funds for each of the
agency’s accounts except State and Tribal Assistance Grants. The $239.2 million (9.2%) increase
for the Environmental Programs and Management account was the largest overall dollar increase
proposed for EPA accounts. This account funds a broad array of activities supporting EPA’s
development and enforcement of pollution-control regulations and standards, technical assistance,
and administrative and operational expenses. The $40.2 million (3.7%) increase for the
Hazardous Substance Superfund account was the second-largest overall dollar increase for EPA
accounts. This account supports the assessment and cleanup of sites contaminated from the
release of hazardous substances. EPA administers these activities under the Superfund program,
as authorized in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of
1980 (CERCLA; 42 U.S.C. §§9601 et seq.).16 The President also sought $50.0 million for the
(...continued)
Hoover, for additional information on PILT beyond that contained in this report.
16
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA; 42 U.S.C.
§§9601 et seq.) requires responsible parties to pay for the cleanup of environmental contamination and authorizes the
(continued...)
Congressional Research Service
7
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program, through a proposed new account to
consolidate resources for loans to improve water infrastructure.17
The overall decrease from FY2016 enacted levels proposed for EPA’s account for State and Tribal
Assistance Grants ($237.8 million, or 6.8%) included both decreases and increases for programs
within the account. For instance, grants to states for wastewater infrastructure projects through
the Clean Water State Revolving Fund would have declined by $414.4 million (29.7%), whereas
funding for drinking water infrastructure grants to states through the Drinking Water State
Revolving Fund would have increased by $157.3 million (18.2%).
Thirteen of the 20 Title III agencies would have received increases over FY2016 enacted levels
under the President’s FY2017 proposal, and two of the three largest agencies would have received
the biggest dollar increases. Specifically, the President sought an additional $377.4 million (7.9%)
for the Indian Health Service and $82.0 million (9.8%) for the Smithsonian Institution. The
Indian Health Service increases were for many programs and activities, including hospitals and
health clinics, mental health, alcohol and substance abuse, contract support costs, and
construction of health care and other facilities. The Smithsonian Institution’s additional funds
were to be directed to facilities maintenance, operations, security, and construction, among other
purposes. By contrast, two Title III agencies would have received level funding and five agencies
would have received decreases. The President proposed the largest dollar decrease for the Forest
Service—a $623.9 million (9.8%) reduction—primarily through lower funding for Wildand Fire
Management for FY2017. This was largely because the FY2016 total reflects the enactment of
additional emergency appropriations for Wildland Fire Management
Comparison of FY2017 Bills Passed by the House and Reported by
the Senate Appropriations Committees
H.R. 5538, as passed by the House on July 14, 2016, would have provided $32.15 billion for
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for FY2017. S. 3068, as reported by the Senate
Appropriations Committee on June 16, 2016, would have provided $32.76 billion for Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies. Both bills included $480.0 million for PILT. The Housepassed bill included this funding in the DOI Departmental Offices account, with funding for the
Office of the Secretary. The Senate included PILT funding in the Department-Wide Programs
account. See Table 1 for the House-passed and Senate committee-reported funding levels for
each title and agency in the Interior bill.
The bills differed in the amount and type of funding for addressing wildland fires. Overall, the
Senate bill contained $521.6 million (13.3%) more than the House bill. The Senate bill contained
a total of $4.45 billion for Wildland Fire Management, composed of $1.11 billion for DOI and
$3.33 billion for the Forest Service. The Senate total included $661.3 million in emergency
appropriations for managing wildland fires, with $171.3 million for DOI and $490.0 million for
the Forest Service. Such emergency funding typically does not count toward a subcommittee’s
allocation for the bill.18 The House-passed bill did not include emergency appropriations, but
(...continued)
cleanup of sites where the responsible parties cannot pay or cannot be found.
17
The program was funded in FY2016 through the Environmental Programs and Management account.
18
Both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees report “302(b)” allocations for the House and Senate Interior
Appropriations Subcommittees (and other appropriations subcommittees). These allocations function as ceilings on the
Interior bill. For the Senate Interior Subcommittee for FY2017, the discretionary allocation was $32.03 billion and the
total allocation (including mandatory budget authority) was $32.10 billion. For instance, see the most recent Senate
(continued...)
Congressional Research Service
8
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
instead provided a portion of the funding through the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve
Accounts. It contained a total of $3.92 billion for managing wildland fires, with $943.9 million
for DOI and $2.98 billion for the Forest Service.
The inclusion of emergency appropriations in the Senate committee-reported bill contributed to a
larger overall appropriation in S. 3068 than in H.R. 5538. The Senate bill was $615.7 million
(1.9%) more than the House-passed bill. Similarly, the emergency funding was a factor in the
larger appropriations in S. 3068 for DOI agencies ($151.1 million, 1.2% higher), the Forest
Service ($307.3 million, 5.7% higher), and Title III agencies overall ($224.0 million, 1.8%
higher).
The Senate committee-reported bill also contained higher amounts than H.R. 5538 for some other
major agencies, including EPA ($240.6 million, 3.1% higher). While the measures included
differing amounts for many EPA accounts, more funding in the Senate bill for the Environmental
Programs and Management account and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF, in the State
and Tribal Assistance Grants account) contributed to the overall higher Senate bill total. However,
the House bill provided higher funding for some agencies than the Senate measure. For instance,
it would have funded the Indian Health Service at $5.08 billion, which was $84.9 million (1.7%)
more than the $4.99 billion in S. 3068. The House bill had higher appropriations for clinical
services, among other Indian Health Service programs.
FY2017 Bills Compared with FY2016 Appropriations
Both H.R. 5538 as passed by the House and S. 3068 as reported from the Senate Appropriations
Committee would provide lower appropriations than enacted for FY2016 ($32.93 billion). One
contributor to the lower overall bill totals was lower funding for wildland fires relative to the
FY2016 enacted level ($4.90 billion). As noted, the FY2016 total appropriation included $700.0
million in additional, emergency funding for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management. For both
DOI and Forest Service wildfires, H.R. 5538 had $978.4 million (20.0%) less than FY2016
appropriations, whereas S. 3068 contained $456.8 million (9.3%) less than the FY2016 level.
Like the FY2016 appropriation, the House and Senate bills contained discretionary funding for
PILT. PILT would have received a $28.0 million (6.2%) increase under both bills, from $452.0
million in FY2016 to $480.0 million in FY2017.
H.R. 5538 Compared with FY2016 Appropriations
The $32.15 billion for FY2017 in H.R. 5538, as passed by the House, was $779.3 million (2.4%)
less than the FY2016 appropriation of $32.93 billion. DOI agencies, however, would have
received an overall increase of $112.7 million (0.9%) for FY2017, with 6 of the 10 DOI agencies
sharing in the increase. The largest recommended dollar increase was $78.8 million (2.8%) for the
National Park Service, with increases for facility operations and maintenance, construction, the
Historic Preservation Fund, the Centennial Challenge federal matching program, and other
(...continued)
allocations in S.Rept. 115-1, issued on January 17, 2017. The House Interior Subcommittee operated under an interim
allocation for FY2017; the discretionary allocation was $32.10 billion and the total allocation (including mandatory
budget authority) was $32.16 billion. See H.Rept. 114-632 on H.R. 5538, June 21, 2016. For an overview of 302(b)
allocations, see CRS Report RS20144, Allocations and Subdivisions in the Congressional Budget Process, by (name
redacted)
Congressional Research Service
9
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
activities. The next largest dollar increase was $73.8 million (2.6%) for Indian Affairs, with
increases for human services, elementary and secondary education programs, and other programs.
H.R. 5538 would have reduced EPA funding by $271.8 million (3.3%) relative to FY2016
appropriations. The account with the largest dollar decline was Environmental Programs and
Management, with $207.2 million (7.9%) less than FY2016. Programs in the account that would
have been reduced included clean air and climate; enforcement; information exchange and
outreach; and legal, science, regulatory, and economic review. The EPA account with the secondlargest reduction was State and Tribal Assistance Grants, with $147.4 million (4.2%) less than
FY2016, largely from lower funds for grants to states through the Clean Water SRF. In contrast,
the House bill increased appropriations for the Drinking Water SRF, and provided $50.0 million
for a new account to fund the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program.
Title III agencies would have received an overall decrease of $620.2 million (4.9%) for FY2017
under H.R. 5538. The largest dollar reduction—of $926.6 million (14.6%)—was to go to the
Forest Service, largely from lower funding for Wildland Fire Management. 19 A total of three
agencies would have received lower amounts than enacted in FY2016, and eight others would
have received level funding. Funds for nine agencies would have increased, with the largest dollar
amount—$271.0 million (5.6%)—for the Indian Health Service. Additional funds were included
for clinical services, such as hospital and health clinics, contract support costs, and construction
of health care and other facilities.
S. 3068 Compared with FY2016 Appropriations
With regard to the Senate bill, the $32.76 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
was $163.6 million (0.5%) less than FY2016 appropriations of $32.93 billion. DOI agencies,
however, would have received an overall increase of $263.8 million (2.2%) for FY2017, with 6 of
the 10 DOI agencies sharing in the increase. The largest recommended dollar increase in S. 3068
was $600.2 million (55.6%) for Department-Wide Programs, whereas the largest recommended
dollar decrease was $449.9 million (41.7%) for Departmental Offices. These differences primarily
resulted from funding PILT through different accounts—under Departmental Offices in FY2016
but under Department-Wide Programs in S. 3068. Within the Department-Wide Programs
account, the Senate bill also contained an additional $120.2 million (12.1%) for DOI Wildland
Fire Management. The Senate bill also included increases over the FY2016 level of $62.7 million
(2.2%) for the National Park Service and $58.5 million (2.1%) for Indian Affairs.
S. 3068 would have funded EPA at $31.2 million (0.4%) less than the FY2016 appropriation. The
EPA account with the largest dollar decrease was Environmental Programs and Management,
with $75.1 million (2.9%) less than FY2016. As with the House bill, programs in the account that
were reduced included clean air and climate; enforcement; information exchange and outreach;
and legal, science, regulatory, and economic review. Funding in the account for water quality
protection also declined. The EPA account with the largest dollar increase in S. 3068 was State
and Tribal Assistance Grants, with $95.2 million (2.7%) more than FY2016 appropriations. While
funding for some programs in the account would have increased, such as for the Drinking Water
SRF and certain categorical grants, funding for other programs would have been reduced, such as
for the Clean Water SRF, diesel emission grants, and multi-purpose grants. The Senate bill also
provided $30.0 million for a new account to fund the WIFIA Program.
19
As noted, the total FY2016 appropriation included $700 million in additional, emergency funding for Wildland Fire
Management by the Forest Service.
Congressional Research Service
10
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Title III agencies would have decreased by $396.2 million (3.1%) in FY2017 under S. 3068. The
largest dollar reduction—of $619.4 million (9.7%)—was for the Forest Service, largely from
lower funding for wildland fires. A total of three agencies would have received lower amounts
than enacted in FY2016, and eight others would have received level funding. Funds for nine
agencies would have increased, with the largest amount—of $186.2 million (3.9%)—for the
Indian Health Service. Additional funds were included for clinical services (such as hospital and
health clinics, mental health, and alcohol and substance abuse), contract support costs, and
construction of facilities.
FY2017 Bills Compared with President Obama’s FY2017 Request
Both the House-passed and Senate committee-reported bills contained lower funding for FY2017
than sought by the President. This was the case although the President’s request did not include
discretionary appropriations for PILT, whereas the House and Senate bills contained $480.0
million for the program. As noted, the Administration instead sought mandatory funding for PILT.
Among other differences, the President sought at least $100.0 million more than either bill
provided for each of the following agencies: National Park Service, EPA, and Indian Health
Service.
The President and the House and Senate bills proposed somewhat different ways of funding
wildland fires in FY2017. Neither the House nor the Senate legislation included funding for
Wildland Fire Management through a new adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law,
as proposed by the President. However, the Senate bill contained provisions (Title V) to enact
such a structure, and the House Appropriations Committee expressed support for such a
budgetary adjustment mechanism.20 Only the House bill provided a portion of wildland fire
funding through the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Accounts, and only the Senate bill
provided a portion of wildfire funding as emergency appropriations.
H.R. 5538 Compared with President Obama’s FY2017 Request
The $32.15 billion for FY2017 in H.R. 5538, as passed by the House, was $1.03 billion (3.1%)
lower than the President’s FY2017 requested appropriations of $33.18 billion. The House bill
contained less funding than the request for each of the three titles of the bill. DOI agencies would
have received $113.1 (0.9%) less, with lower appropriations for 8 of the 10 agencies. The largest
dollar decrease was $220.1 million (17.6%) for Department-Wide Programs, with each major
activity in the account accorded lower funding. The next largest dollar decrease in the House
bill—$171.4 million (5.5%)—was for the National Park Service. However, the House-passed bill
would have provided $440.3 million (68.1%) more than sought by the President for Departmental
Offices, due to the inclusion of funding for PILT in this account. H.R. 5538 also contained $93.7
million (59.3%) more than requested for the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and
Enforcement. The House bill, unlike the President’s request, would have funded grants to states
for reclamation of abandoned mines with economic and community development and reuse
purposes.
EPA funding would have been $399.1 million (4.8%) lower under the House bill than requested
by the President for FY2017. H.R. 5538 provided the Environmental Programs and Management
account with $446.4 million (15.6%) less than the President’s request. Programs in the account
that would have received lower funding included clean air and climate; enforcement; information
20
H.Rept. 114-632 on H.R. 5538, p. 4.
Congressional Research Service
11
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
exchange and outreach; IT, data management, and security; legal, science, regulatory, and
economic review; and operations and administration. Not all accounts would have received less
funding under the House bill. For instance, the State and Tribal Assistance Grants account would
have been funded at $90.3 million (2.8%) more under H.R. 5538, with higher amounts for a
variety of infrastructure assistance grants—the Drinking Water and Clean Water SRFs, diesel
emission grants, and targeted air shed grants.
Under H.R. 5538, Title III agencies would have been funded at $517.7 million (4.1%) less for
FY2017 than sought by the President. While the bill contained level funding for 8 agencies and
increases for 3, 9 of the 20 agencies in Title III would have received lower funds, with the largest
dollar reductions for the three largest agencies. For the Forest Service, the House bill included
$302.7 million (5.3%) less than the Administration requested, primarily from lower funding for
Wildland Fire Management. H.R. 5538 would have funded the Indian Health Service at $106.4
million (2.1%) less than the request, with lower amounts for clinical services, including hospital
and health clinics, and construction of health care facilities. The House bill contained $58.9
million (6.4%) less than the request for the Smithsonian Institution, mainly due to lower funding
for salaries and expenses for museums and research institutes, and for facilities-related programs,
including maintenance; operations, security, and support; and planning and design. Additionally,
the House bill would not have funded the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission, for
which the President requested a total of $44.8 million, primarily to construct a memorial.
S. 3068 Compared with President Obama’s FY2017 Request
The $32.76 billion total in S. 3068 was $414.2 million (1.2%) less than the Administration’s
request of $33.18 billion. Nevertheless, S. 3068 would have increased DOI agencies by $38.0
million (0.3%) for FY2017, primarily because the bill contained discretionary funding for PILT
whereas the President’s request did not. Specifically, for the account that would fund PILT—
Department-Wide Programs—S. 3068 contained $429.9 million (34.4%) more than the President
sought. S. 3068 also included $78.9 million (50.0%) more than requested for the Office of
Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement. Like the House bill, S. 3068 would have funded
grants to states for reclamation of abandoned mines with economic and community development
and reuse purposes; the President did not request funds for this purpose. The other eight agencies
in Title I would have received lower appropriations under S. 3068 than requested by the
President. The largest dollar decrease in the Senate bill—$187.5 million (6.0%)—was for the
National Park Service, with lower appropriations than requested for visitor services, facility
operations and maintenance, the Historic Preservation Fund, construction, and other programs.
The Senate bill contained $158.5 million (1.9%) less for EPA than the President sought for
FY2017. The EPA account with the largest dollar decrease was Environmental Programs and
Management, with $314.3 million (11.0%) less than the Administration’s request. As with the
House bill, programs in the account that received lower funding under S. 3068 included clean air
and climate; enforcement; information exchange and outreach; IT, data management, and
security; legal, science, regulatory, and economic review; and operations and administration.
Some accounts would have received more funds under S. 3068 than requested. As with the House
bill, the EPA account with the largest dollar increase was State and Tribal Assistance Grants, with
$332.9 million (10.1%) more than requested by the President for FY2017. Higher funding would
have been directed to the Clean Water SRF and other infrastructure assistance grants, among
other programs.
Title III agencies would have received $293.6 million (2.3%) less for FY2017 under S. 3068 than
under the President’s request for FY2017. Nine of the 20 agencies in Title III would have
received lower funding. The largest dollar difference was with regard to the Indian Health
Congressional Research Service
12
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Service. S. 3068 provided $191.2 million (3.7%) less than requested, with lower funds for clinical
services, including hospital and health clinics, and construction of health care facilities, among
other programs. The Senate bill also contained $62.0 million (6.7%) less than the request for the
Smithsonian Institution, mainly due to lower funding for various facilities-related programs,
including maintenance; operations, security, and support; revitalization; and planning and design.
Additionally, S. 3068 did not fund construction of a memorial to Dwight D. Eisenhower, while
continuing appropriations for salaries and expenses of the memorial commission. The President
had sought $43.0 million for capital construction, in addition to funding for salaries and expenses
of the commission. S. 3068 contained higher funds than requested for four agencies, and the bill
and the request included the same amount for another seven agencies. Only the Senate bill
contained funding ($2.0 million) for the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, which would
have been established by the bill.
FY2017 Continuing Appropriations
Continuing funds were provided for FY2017 through April 28, 2017, under the Further
Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (CR; Division A, P.L. 114-254). Continuing appropriations
were provided because no regular appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
were enacted before the start of the 2017 fiscal year on October 1, 2016. The CR generally
provided funding at the FY2016 level (in Division G, P.L. 114-113), minus an across-the-board
reduction of 0.1901% for the period covered. It also generally provided funds for continuing
projects and activities, under the same authority and conditions and to the same extent and
manner, as for FY2016.21
An earlier CR, the Continuing Appropriations Act, 2017 (Division C, P.L. 114-223), provided
continuing appropriations through December 9, 2016. That CR also generally provided funding
for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies at the FY2016 level, but with an across-theboard reduction of 0.496%.22
The first and the second CR each contained five exceptions related to Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies. These 10 “anomalies” changed the purposes or amounts of funds, extended
expiring provisions of law, or made other changes in existing law, as follows:23
Section 133 extended, through September 30, 2018, the authority in the Federal
Lands Recreation Enhancement Act for five agencies to establish, collect, and
retain recreation fees on federal recreational lands and waters.24
Section 134 extended, through the duration of the CR, the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Memorial Commission’s authorization to establish a “permanent” memorial to
President Eisenhower in the District of Columbia. It also suspended language in
21
For an overview of the general provisions of the CR that establish the coverage, duration, and rate of spending, and
of the exceptions to these general provisions, see CRS Report R44723, Overview of Further Continuing Appropriations
for FY2017 (H.R. 2028), coordinated by (name redacted) .
22
For an overview of the general provisions of the CR that establish the coverage, duration, and rate of spending, and
of the exceptions to these general provisions, see CRS Report R44653, Overview of Continuing Appropriations for
FY2017 (H.R. 5325), coordinated by (name redacted) .
The first five anomalies, Sections 133-137, were included in the first CR—P.L. 114-223. The next five anomalies,
Sections 164-166 and Sections 196-197, were added in the second CR—P.L. 114-254.
23
24
The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act is codified at 16 U.S.C. §§6801-6814. For additional background on
the program, see CRS In Focus IF10151, Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act: Overview and Issues, by (name
redacted)
.
Congressional Research Service
13
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
the FY2016 appropriations law that prohibits the Secretary of the Interior, during
FY2016, from issuing a construction permit to build the Eisenhower Memorial
until 100% of the necessary funds are raised.25
Section 135 provided $26.0 million for the Bureau of Land Management to
process, at the start of FY2017, new applications for permits to drill on federal
and Indian land. The $26.0 million in up-front revenue would be offset by an
equal amount later, as application fees are collected throughout the year.26
Section 136 increased funding for the National Park Service by $4.2 million
to support security and visitor safety activities related to the presidential
inaugural ceremonies in January 2017.27
Section 137 provided EPA with an additional $3.0 million for FY2017, within
the Environmental Programs and Management account, for operations and
necessary expenses of activities as defined in §26(b)(1) of the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA).28 It also authorized fees collected in FY2017 and credited to
the TSCA Service Fee Fund to be counted as discretionary offsetting receipts
toward the $3.0 million appropriation.
Section 164 authorized the apportionment of appropriations that are provided by
the CR up to the rate that is necessary for staffing, maintenance, security, and
administrative expenses of recently reopened galleries of the National Gallery of
Art.
Section 165 authorized the apportionment of appropriations that are provided by
the CR up to the rate that is necessary for maintenance and operation of facilities,
security, and support at the new National Museum of African American History
and Culture.
Section 166 authorized the apportionment of appropriations that are provided by
the CR up to the rate that is necessary for operating and staffing newly
constructed Indian Health Service facilities. It allowed for higher rates of funding
than otherwise would be provided under the CR to operate and provide health
services at newly constructed facilities (e.g., at new medical facilities).
Section 196(a) provided an additional $100 million within EPA’s State and Tribal
Assistance Grants account for making capitalization grants for the Drinking
Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) pursuant to Section 2201 of the Water
and Waste Act of 2016.29 Section 2201 authorized funding to be made available to
a state—subject to a presidential emergency declaration regarding lead or other
contaminants in drinking water—to provide assistance to an eligible water
25
The pertinent language in the FY2016 appropriations law is contained in P.L. 114-113, Division G, §419(b). For
more information on the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, see CRS Report R43744, Monuments and Memorials
Authorized Under the Commemorative Works Act in the District of Columbia: Current Development of In-Progress
and Lapsed Works, by (name redacted).
26
For additional information on applications for permits to drill and other issues related to oil and gas development on
federal and nonfederal lands, see CRS Report R42432, U.S. Crude Oil and Natural Gas Production in Federal and
Nonfederal Areas, by (name redacted) .
27
For more information on NPS appropriations by account and related issues, see CRS Report R42757, National Park
Service: FY2017 Appropriations and Ten-Year Trends, by (name redacted) .
28
15 U.S.C. 2625(b)(1).
29
P.L. 114-322, Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act, Title II, Water and Waste Act of 2016.
Congressional Research Service
14
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
system to address such contamination (e.g., Flint, Michigan).30
Section 196(b) amended Division G of P.L. 114-113 to allow states to use
DWSRF funding to provide additional subsidies (e.g., grants and forgiveness of
principal) to water systems for debt incurred prior to the enactment of P.L. 114113, under specified terms and conditions.
Section 197 appropriated $20 million to EPA for the cost of direct loans and
guaranteed loans for water infrastructure projects as authorized under the Water
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) of 2014, which authorized
EPA’s WIFIA program.31 Additionally, Section 197 required fees collected
pursuant to Sections 5929 and 5030 of WIFIA to be credited to the appropriations
made by this section.
Table 1. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016-FY2017
Appropriations
(in thousands of dollars)
Bureau or Agency
FY2016
Enacted
Approps.
FY2017
Requested
Approps.
Percentage
Change,
FY2016
EnactedFY2017
Requested
FY2017
House Passed
(H.R. 5538,
114th
Congress)
FY2017
Senate
Committee
Reported (S.
3068, 114th
Congress)
Title I: Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
$1,236,735
$1,245,185
0.7
$1,227,003
$1,243,528
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
1,508,368
1,562,899
3.6
1,491,918
1,496,423
National Park Service
2,851,245
3,101,450
8.8
2,930,048
2,913,918
U.S. Geological Survey
1,062,000
1,168,803
10.1
1,080,006
1,068,135
Bureau of Ocean Energy
Management
74,235
80,194
8.0
74,362
74,616
Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement
88,464
96,337
8.9
88,337
83,141
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement
240,556
157,925
-34.4
251,603
236,845
Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau
of Indian Education
2,796,120
2,933,715
4.9
2,869,934
2,854,579
Departmental Offices
1,080,086a
646,831
-40.1
1,087,092b
630,169
265,000
Office of the Secretary
721,769a
278,376
-61.4
741,922b
Insular Affairs
103,441
102,717
-0.7
90,294
110,335
Office of the Solicitor
65,800
69,448
5.5
65,800
65,758
Office of Inspector General
50,047
55,911
11.7
50,047
50,047
30
See CRS In Focus IF10577, Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation (WIIN) Act, P.L. 114-322: Drinking
Water Provisions, by (name redacted).
31
P.L. 113-121, Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2014, Title V, Subtitle C. 33 U.S.C. §§3901 et seq.
For additional information on the program, see CRS Report R43315, Water Infrastructure Financing: The Water
Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) Program, by (name redacted) .
Congressional Research Service
15
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Bureau or Agency
Office of the Special Trustee for
American Indians
FY2016
Enacted
Approps.
FY2017
Requested
Approps.
Percentage
Change,
FY2016
EnactedFY2017
Requested
FY2017
House Passed
(H.R. 5538,
114th
Congress)
FY2017
Senate
Committee
Reported (S.
3068, 114th
Congress)
139,029
140,379
1.0
139,029
139,029
Department-Wide Programs
1,078,622
1,248,890
15.8
1,028,822
1,678,839
Wildland Fire Management
993,745
1,114,624
12.2
943,945
1,113,962
Central Hazardous Materials Fund
10,010
13,513
35.0
10,010
10,010
Natural Resource Damage
Assessment Fund
7,767
9,229
18.8
7,767
7,767
Working Capital Fund
67,100
111,524
66.2
67,100
67,100
480,000
0c
0
0
0c
Payments in Lieu of Taxes
Subtotal, Title I: Department of
the Interior
12,016,431
12,242,229
1.9
12,129,125
12,280,193
Subtotal, Title II:
Environmental Protection
Agencyd
8,139, 887
8,267,199
1.6
7,868,071
8,108,715
Forest Service
6,364,346
5,740,428
-9.8
5,437,701
5,744,978
Indian Health Service
4,807,589
5,185,015
7.9
5,078,636
4,993,778
National Institute of Environmental
Health Sciences
77,349
77,349
0
77,349
77,349
Agency for Toxic Substances and
Disease Registry
74,691
74,691
0
74,691
74,691
Council on Environmental Quality
and Office of Environmental Quality
3,000
3,015
0.5
3,000
3,000
Chemical Safety and Hazard
Investigation Board
11,000
12,436
13.1
11,000
11,000
Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian
Relocation
15,000
15,431
2.9
15,431
15,431
Institute of American Indian and
Alaska Native Culture and Arts
Development
11,619
11,835
1.9
11,619
15,212
Smithsonian Institution
840,243
922,224
9.8
863,347
860,243
National Gallery of Art
147,552
158,401
7.4
153,365
155,525
John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts
36,400
35,260
-3.1
36,400
35,260
Woodrow Wilson International
Center for Scholars
10,500
10,400
-1.0
10,500
10,500
National Endowment for the Arts
147,949
149,849
1.3
149,849
148,449
National Endowment for the
Humanities
147,942
149,848
1.3
149,848
148,442
Title III: Related Agencies
Congressional Research Service
16
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Bureau or Agency
FY2016
Enacted
Approps.
FY2017
Requested
Approps.
Percentage
Change,
FY2016
EnactedFY2017
Requested
FY2017
House Passed
(H.R. 5538,
114th
Congress)
FY2017
Senate
Committee
Reported (S.
3068, 114th
Congress)
Commission of Fine Arts
2,653
2,762
4.1
2,762
2,653
National Capital Arts and Cultural
Affairs
2,000
1,400
-30.0
2,000
2,000
Advisory Council on Historic
Preservation
6,080
6,493
6.8
6,480
6,493
National Capital Planning
Commission
8,348
8,099
-3.0
8,099
8,099
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum
54,000
57,000
5.6
57,000
57,000
Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial
Commission
1,000
44,800e
4,380
0
1,000
Women’s Suffrage Centennial
Commission
0
0
0
0
2,000
Subtotal, Title III: Related
Agencies
12,769,261
12,666,736
-0.8
12,149,077
12,373,103
Total: Interior, Environment,
and Related Agenciesf
32,925,579
33,176,164
0.8
32,146,273
32,762,011
Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House and Senate Appropriations Committee.
a. This figure includes $452.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.
b. This figure includes $480.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program.
c. Funding for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program is included in another account—Departmental Offices.
d. For additional information on appropriations enacted for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for
FY2016, see CRS Report R44208, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2016 Appropriations, by (name r
edacted) and (name redacted) . For information on appropriations requested for EPA for FY2017, see CRS
In Focus IF10383, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): FY2017 President’s Budget Request, by (name r
edacted) and (name redacted) .
e. This figure includes $1.8 million for salaries and expenses and $43.0 million for construction of a memorial
to Dwight D. Eisenhower.
f.
The FY2016 appropriations figure reflects appropriations in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016
(P.L. 114-113), Division G, of $32.29 billion, $700.0 million in emergency appropriations for Forest Service
Wildland Fire Management in Section 135 of P.L. 114-53, and rescissions of $68.0 million. The FY2017
request reflects appropriations of $32.05 billion, a proposed discretionary cap adjustment of $1.15 billion,
and rescissions of $30.0 million. The FY2017 House-passed bill reflects appropriations of $32.19 billion, and
rescissions of $48.0 million. The FY2017 Senate committee-reported bill reflects appropriations of $32.20
billion, $661.3 million in emergency appropriations, and rescissions of $101.3 million.
Congressional Research Service
17
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2017 Appropriations
Author Contact Information
(name redacted)
Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
[redacted]@crs.loc.gov , 7-....
Key Policy Staff
Area of Expertise
Name
Phone
Interior Appropriations, coordinator
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Bureau of Indian Affairs, coordinator
Nicole Carter
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Bureau of Indian Education
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Bureau of Land Management
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(name redacted)
(name redacted)
7-....
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Bureau of Safety and Environmental
Enforcement
(name redacted)
(name redacted)
7-....
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Environmental Protection Agency
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Fish and Wildlife Service
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Forest Service
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Indian Health Service
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Land and Water Conservation Fund
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Office of Insular Affairs
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Office of Natural Resources Revenue
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Office of Surface Mining Reclamation
and Enforcement
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
National Endowment for the Arts and
National Endowment for the
Humanities
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
National Park Service
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacte d-@crs.loc.gov
Smithsonian Institution
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
U.S. Geological Survey
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Wildland Fire Management
(name redacted)
7-....
-redacted-@crs.loc.gov
Congressional Research Service
18
EveryCRSReport.com
The Congressional Research Service (CRS) is a federal legislative branch agency, housed inside the
Library of Congress, charged with providing the United States Congress non-partisan advice on
issues that may come before Congress.
EveryCRSReport.com republishes CRS reports that are available to all Congressional staff. The
reports are not classified, and Members of Congress routinely make individual reports available to
the public.
Prior to our republication, we redacted names, phone numbers and email addresses of analysts
who produced the reports. We also added this page to the report. We have not intentionally made
any other changes to any report published on EveryCRSReport.com.
CRS reports, as a work of the United States government, are not subject to copyright protection in
the United States. Any CRS report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without
permission from CRS. However, as a CRS report may include copyrighted images or material from a
third party, you may need to obtain permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or
otherwise use copyrighted material.
Information in a CRS report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public
understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to members of Congress in
connection with CRS' institutional role.
EveryCRSReport.com is not a government website and is not affiliated with CRS. We do not claim
copyright on any CRS report we have republished.
This is a copy of a public record, reproduced as it was published. It is not legal advice, and it may not be the version a court would rely on. Check the official source before you cite it.