Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies:

Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Updated June 28, 2021

Congressional Research Service

https://crsreports.congress.gov

R46519

SUMMARY

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies:

Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

R46519

June 28, 2021

Carol Hardy Vincent

Specialist in Natural

The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill contains funding

Resources Policy

for three dozen 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 organizations and entities. Issues

for Congress included determining the amount, terms, and conditions of funding for agencies and programs.

P.L. 116-260, enacted on December 27, 2020, contained $38.52 billion for FY2021 for Interior, Environment, and

Related Agencies (in Division G). This total included $36.17 billion in regular appropriations and $2.35 billion for

wildfire suppression under a discretionary cap adjustment. Earlier, President Trump’s request, a House-passed

bill, and a Senate Appropriations Committee majority draft bill all supported this wildfire suppression adjustment;

it consisted of $2.04 billion for the Forest Service and $310.0 million for DOI.

Of the $38.52 billion enacted for FY2021, the 11 major DOI agencies in Title I of the law received $13.72 billion,

or 35.6% of the total. For EPA, funded in Title II, the FY2021 law contained $9.24 billion, or 24.0% of the total.

For the 24 agencies and other entities funded in Title III (“related agencies”), the FY2021 law provided $15.56

billion, or 40.4% of the total. Overall, nearly three-quarters of the $38.52 billion was for five agencies: EPA,

Forest Service, Indian Health Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs .

The FY2021 enacted total was $2.19 billion (5.4%) lower than the FY2020 enacted total of $40.72 billion, which

included $2.41 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for coronavirus preparedness and response and

activities related to the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement. However, the FY2021 enacted total was

$0.2 million (0.6%) higher than the FY2020 enacted regular appropriation of $38.30 billion (in P.L. 116-94,

Division D).

The FY2021 enacted total was $4.46 billion (13.1%) higher than President Trump’s FY2021 request of $34.07

billion. Many agencies in the bill received higher enacted appropriations than President Trump requested,

including the EPA, U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, Bureau of Indian Education, and Bureau of

Indian Affairs. Of the $34.07 billion requested, President Trump had sought the following amounts: for DOI

agencies, $12.05 billion, or 35.4% of the total requested; for EPA, $6.70 billion, or 19.7% of the total requested;

and for the related agencies in Title III of the bill, $15.31 billion, or 44.9% of the total.

Prior to enactment of P.L. 116-260, the House had passed an earlier FY2021 Interior appropriations bill. H.R.

7608, as passed by the House on July 24, 2020, contained $54.67 billion (in Division C) for agencies in the

Interior bill. This total included $39.17 billion in annual appropriations and $15.50 billion in emergency

appropriations for additional infrastructure investments of three agencies (EPA, the Indian Health Service, and the

Bureau of Indian Affairs). The FY2021 enacted appropriations law did not include this infrastructure funding. To

further negotiations between the House and the Senate, on November 10, 2020, the chair of the Senate Committee

on Appropriations released a draft Interior bill along with a draft accompanying explanatory statement. This

Senate Appropriations Committee majority draft bill contained $38.22 billion in annual appropriations .

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, by Major Title, FY2020-FY2021

Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service with data from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

Notes: The FY2020 regular appropriation in P.L. 116-94 also contained a $1.0 million rescission in Title IV (General Provisions).

The FY2020 enacted total reflects $2.41 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations for several agencies for coronavirus and

other purposes. This emergency supplemental money was contained in three laws: P.L. 116-113 ($308.0 million), P.L. 116-127 ($64.0

million), and P.L. 116-136 ($2.04 billion). The FY2021 request also included $4.0 million in Title IV (General Provisions). The FY2021

regular appropriation was contained in P.L. 116-260.

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1

Content of Report ...................................................................................................... 1

Overview of FY2021 Legislative Action ....................................................................... 1

Overview of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies..................................................... 3

Title I. Department of the Interior................................................................................. 3

Title II. Environmental Protection Agency ..................................................................... 6

Title III. Related Agencies........................................................................................... 6

FY2021 Appropriations.................................................................................................... 7

Components of President Trump’s Request.................................................................... 7

Components of FY2021 Enacted Bill............................................................................ 9

Comparing FY2020 Enacted, FY2021 Requested, and FY2021 Enacted

Appropriations........................................................................................................ 9

Figures

Figure 1. Components of President Trump’s FY2021 Request for Interior, Environment,

and Related Agencies .................................................................................................... 8

Figure 2. Appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, by Major Title,

FY2020-FY2021 ........................................................................................................ 11

Tables

Table 1. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2020-FY2021 Appropriations .......... 11

Contacts

Author Information ....................................................................................................... 14

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Introduction

Content of Report

This report focuses on FY2021 discretionary appropriations for Interior, Environment, and

Related Agencies. 1 Issues for Congress included 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 short overview of FY2021 legislative action. It next provides an

overview of the agencies and other entities funded in the Interior bill. It then describes the

appropriations requested by President Trump for FY2021 for Interior, Environment, and Related

Agencies and the appropriations enacted for FY2021. Subsequently, the report briefly compares

the total appropriations enacted for FY2020, 2 requested by President Trump for FY2021, and

enacted for FY2021. Finally, it provides a table showing each agency’s appropriations enacted for

FY2020, requested for FY2021, and enacted for FY2021.

Appropriations are complex. Budget justifications for some agencies are large (often a few

hundred pages long) and contain numerous funding, programmatic, and legislative changes for

congressional consideration. Further, appropriations laws provide funds for numerous accounts,

activities, and sub-activities, and their accompanying explanatory statements provide additional

directives and other important information. This report does not provide in-depth information at

the agency, account, and subaccount levels, nor does it generally detail budgetary reorganizations

or legislative changes enacted in law or proposed for FY2021. For information on a particular

agency or on individual accounts, programs, or activities administered by a particular agency, see

the CRS products footnoted throughout this report or contact the key policy staff listed at the end

of this report. In addition, 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), are listed under “Interior & Environment

Appropriations” on the “Appropriations” Issue Area page on the Congressional Research Service

(CRS) website. 3

Overview of FY2021 Legislative Action

For FY2021, President Trump sought $34.07 billion for agencies in the Interior bill, including

$31.72 billion in regular appropriations and $2.35 billion for wildfire suppression under a

Hereinafter, the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill is sometimes referred to as

the Interior bill. Many of the agencies that receive discretionary appropriations through the Interior bill also receive

mandatory appropriations under various authorizing statutes. T his report does not address mandatory appropriations.

For information on mandatory appropriations of the four main federal land management agencies—Bureau of Land

Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, Forest Service, and National Park Service—see CRS Report R45994, Federal

Land Management Agencies’ Mandatory Appropriations Accounts, coordinated by Carol Hardy Vincent .

Regular appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for FY2020 were included in Division D of

P.L. 116-94, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020. Emergency supplemental appropriations for Interior,

Environment, and Related Agencies for FY2020 were included in three laws: P.L. 116-113, T itle IX of the United

States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act; P.L. 116-127, Division A of the Families First Coronavirus

Response Act; and P.L. 116-136, Division B, T itle VII of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act

(CARES Act).

3 T he “Interior & Environment Appropriations” subissue page is on the CRS website at https://www.crs.gov/iap/

appropriations.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

discretionary cap adjustment. 4 These additional wildfire funds essentially are exempt from

discretionary spending limits.

On July 14, 2020, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 7612 (accompanied by

H.Rept. 116-448). As reported by the committee, H.R. 7612 contained $54.17 billion for Interior,

Environment, and Related Agencies. More specifically, the reported bill contained $39.17 billion,

composed of $36.82 in regular appropriations and $2.35 billion for wildfire suppression under the

discretionary cap adjustment, and $15.0 billion in emergency appropriations for additional

infrastructure investments in a proposed new Title V.

Subsequently, on July 24, 2020, the House passed H.R. 7608, containing FY2021 appropriations

of $54.67 billion (in Division C) for agencies in the Interior bill. This total included $39.17

billion in annual appropriations, composed of $36.82 billion in regular appropriations and $2.35

billion as requested by President Trump for wildfire suppression under the cap adjustment. A

proposed new Title V included $15.50 billion in emergency appropriations for additional

infrastructure investments of three agencies: the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, $13.50

billion), the Indian Health Service ($1.50 billion), and the Bureau of Indian Affairs ($0.50

billion). 5 Among other activities, the funds would have been used for the following purposes. For

EPA, funds would have been directed to State and Tribal Assistance Grants, including for the

Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds; the Hazardous Substance Superfund

program, including cleanup activities; and the Office of Inspector General. For the Indian Health

Service, monies would have been used for health facilities construction, maintenance and

improvements, and equipment. For the Bureau of Indian Education, funding would have been

provided for education construction generally, to include construction, repair, and improvement of

schools, utilities, and other facilities. All Title V funds would have been available for multiple

years, with most of the funds available until expended.

On November 10, 2020, the chair of the Senate Committee on Appropriations released a draft

Interior bill along with a draft accompanying explanatory statement.6 The release of the draft bill

facilitated further negotiations between the House and the Senate. 7 This Senate Appropriations

Committee majority draft bill contained $38.22 billion in annual appropriations, composed of

$35.87 billion in regular appropriations and $2.35 billion as requested for wildfire suppression

under the cap adjustment.

4 Under Division O of P.L. 115-141, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018, an adjustment can be m ade to

discretionary spending limits to accommodate enacted funding for wildfire suppression. T he adjustment may not

exceed specified amounts for each of FY2020-FY2027. For information on discretionary spending limits, see CRS In

Focus IF10647, The Budget Resolution and the Budget Control Act’s Discretionary Spending Limits, by Megan S.

Lynch; CRS Report R44874, The Budget Control Act: Frequently Asked Questions, by Grant A. Driessen and Megan

S. Lynch; and CRS Report R45778, Exceptions to the Budget Control Act’s Discretionary Spending Limits, by Megan

S. Lynch, especially p. 8. For a discussion of the cap adjustment for wildfire suppression, see CRS In Focus IF11675,

Wildfire Management Funding: FY2021 Appropriations, by Katie Hoover, and CRS Report R46583, Federal Wildfire

Management: Ten-Year Funding Trends and Issues (FY2011-FY2020), by Katie Hoover.

T he primary difference between H.R. 7612 as reported and H.R. 7608 as passed was an additional $0.50 billion for

infrastructure investments of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in H.R. 7608.

6 T he draft bill and explanatory statement are on the committee’s website linked to the majority press release at

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/committee-releases-fy21-bills-in-effort-to-advance-process-producebipartisan-results.

7 Ibid. See also the statement from the Senate Appropriations Committee Vice Chair Senator Patrick Leahy at

https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/news/minority/senate-approps-vice-chair-leahy-statement-on-the-release-of-thefy-2021-senate-appropriations-bills-.

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

P.L. 116-260, enacted on December 27, 2020, contained $38.52 billion for Interior, Environment,

and Related Agencies (in Division G). This total included $36.17 billion in regular appropriations

and $2.35 billion for wildfire suppression under the discretionary cap adjustment. The law did not

include emergency appropriations for additional infrastructure investments as had been approved

earlier by the House in H.R. 7608.

Overview of Interior, Environment, and

Related Agencies

The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding and

other provisions for agencies and programs in three federal departments and for numerous related

agencies. The Interior bill typically contains three primary appropriations titles and a fourth title

with general provisions. Title I provides funding for most Department of the Interior (DOI)

agencies, 8 many of which manage land and other natural resource or regulatory programs. Title I

also typically includes general provisions related to DOI agencies. Title II contains appropriations

and administrative provisions for EPA. Title III, Related Agencies, currently funds 24 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,

including the Smithsonian Institution; and various other organizations and entities. Title III also

contains administrative provisions for some agencies funded therein. Title IV, General Provisions,

typically contains additional guidance and direction for agencies in the bill. Selected major

agencies in the Interior bill are briefly described below.

Title I. Department of the Interior9

DOI’s mission is to conserve and manage the nation’s natural resources and cultural heritage;

provide scientific and other information about those resources and natural hazards; and exercise

trust responsibilities and other commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated

island communities. 10 There are nine DOI agencies and two other broad accounts funded in the

Interior bill that carry out this mission. Hereinafter, these 11 agencies and broad accounts are

referred to collectively as the DOI “agencies.” The DOI agencies and their functions funded in

the Interior bill include the following:



The Bureau of Land Management administers about 244 million acres of federal

public land, mostly in the West, for diverse uses such as energy and mineral

development, livestock grazing, recreation, and preservation. The agency also is

responsible for more than 700 million acres of federal onshore subsurface

mineral estate throughout the nation and supervises the mineral operations on

about 60 million acres of Indian trust lands. 11

8 T he exceptions are the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Utah Project, which receive appropriations through

Energy and Water Development appropriations laws. For information on FY2021 appropriations for these entities, see

CRS Report R46384, Energy and Water Development: FY2021 Appropriations, by Mark Holt and Corrie E. Clark.

9 For additional background on the Department of the Interior (DOI) and its agencies, see CRS Report R45480, U.S.

Department of the Interior: An Overview, by Mark K. DeSantis.

T his statement is taken from the DOI website at https://www.doi.gov/abouthttps://www.doi.gov/whoweare.

11 For an overview of FY2021 appropriations for the Bureau of Land Management, see CRS In Focus IF11590, Bureau

of Land Management: FY2021 Appropriations, by Carol Hardy Vincent .

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations



The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service administers 89 million acres of federal land

within the National Wildlife Refuge System and other areas, 12 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 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, together with the National Marine Fisheries

Service (Department of Commerce), is responsible for implementing the

Endangered Species Act (16 U.S.C. §§1531 et seq.); 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. 13

The National Park Service administers 80 million acres of federal land within the

National Park System, including 423 separate 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 National

Park System through grant and technical assistance programs and cooperation

with partners. 14

The U.S. Geological Survey is a science agency that provides physical and

biological information related to geological resources; natural hazards; climate

and land use change; and energy, mineral, water, and biological sciences and

resources. In addition, it is the federal government’s principal civilian mapping

agency (e.g., topographical and geological mapping) and a primary source of data

on the quantity and quality of the nation’s water resources (e.g., streamgaging).15

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 located 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. 16

The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement provides regulatory and

safety oversight for resource development in the outer continental shelf. Among

12 T his is the acreage over which the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has primary jurisdiction in the United States and

the territories. T he figure excludes acreage in marine national monuments over which the agency also has jurisdiction.

For additional information on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, see CRS Report R45265, U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service: An Overview, by R. Eliot Crafton. For an overview of FY2021 appropriations for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, see CRS In Focus IF11470, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2021 Appropriations, by R. Eliot Crafton.

14 For a discussion of the different types of national park units and an overview of their management, see CRS Report

R41816, National Park System: What Do the Different Park Titles Signify?, by Laura B. Comay. For an overview of

FY2021 appropriations for the National Park Service, see CRS In Focus IF11661, National Park Service: FY2021

Appropriations, by Laura B. Comay. For an overview of National Park Service appropriations in recent years, see CRS

Report R42757, National Park Service Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends, by Laura B. Comay.

15 For an overview of FY2021 appropriations for the U.S. Geological Survey, see CRS In Focus IF11433, The U.S.

Geological Survey (USGS): FY2021 Appropriations Process and Background , by Anna E. Normand.

16 For a discussion of state and federal waters, see CRS Report RL33404, Offshore Oil and Gas Development: Legal

Framework, by Adam Vann. For an overview of FY2021 appropriations for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management,

see CRS In Focus IF11752, Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2021 , by Laura B. Comay.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

its responsibilities are oil and gas permitting, facility inspections, environmental

compliance, and oil spill response planning. 17



The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement works with states

and tribes to reclaim abandoned coal mining sites. The agency also regulates

active coal mining sites to minimize environmental impacts during mining and to

reclaim affected lands and waters after mining. 18



Indian Affairs agencies provide and fund a variety of services to American

Indians and Alaska Natives. 19 Historically, these agencies have taken the lead in

federal dealings with tribes. The Bureau of Indian Education funds an elementary

and secondary school system, institutions of higher education, and other

educational programs. 20 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). 21

Departmental Offices cover diverse offices and programs. In FY2021, they

included the Office of the Secretary of the Interior, Insular Affairs, Office of the

Solicitor, and Office of Inspector General. 22



Department-Wide Programs cover varied programs and entities. In FY2021, they

included DOI Wildland Fire Management, the Central Hazardous Materials

Fund, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund, the Working Capital

Fund, and the Office of Natural Resources Revenue. 23

17 For an overview of FY2021 appropriations for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforceme nt, see CRS In

Focus IF11752, Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2021 , by Laura B. Comay.

18 For additional information on the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, see CRS Report R46266,

The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund: Reauthorization Issues in the 116th Congress, by Lance N. Larson, and CRS

Report R46610, Reclamation of Coal Mining Operations: Select Issues and Legislation, by Lance N. Larson.

19 T his description reflects appropriations for “Indian Affairs” for FY2021. FY2021 appropriations for Indian Affairs

included funding for two separate bureaus—the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education—and the

Office of the Special T rustee for American Indians.

20 For a discussion of Indian education programs, see CRS Report RL34205, Indian Elementary-Secondary Education:

Programs, Background, and Issues, by Cassandria Dortch; and CRS In Focus IF10554, Postsecondary Education of

Native Americans, by Cassandria Dortch.

For an overview of FY2021 appropriations for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, see CRS In Focus IF11602, The Bureau

of Indian Affairs: FY2021 Appropriations, by T ana Fitzpatrick.

An overview of the responsibilities of these entities is on the DOI website at https://www.doi.gov/bureaus/offices.

23 Descriptions of these programs are contained on the DOI website as follows. For DOI wildland fire management, see

https://www.doi.gov/wildlandfire. For the Central Hazardous Materials Fund, see https://www.doi.gov/oepc/centralhazardous-materials-fund-chf. For the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund, see Budget Justifications and

Performance Information, Fiscal Year 2021, Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Program at

https://www.doi.gov/budget/appropriations/2021. For the Working Capital Fund, see Budget Justifications and

Performance Information, Fiscal Year 2021, Office of the Secretary, Department-Wide Programs, pp. OS-13-OS-14, at

https://www.doi.gov/budget/appropriations/2021. For the Office of Natural Resources Revenue, see

https://www.onrr.gov/. Also, for an overview of FY2021 appropriations for wildland fire management, see CRS In

Focus IF11675, Wildfire Management Funding: FY2021 Appropriations, by Katie Hoover. For an overview of

wildland fire management appropriations in recent years, see CRS Report R46583, Federal Wildfire Management: TenYear Funding Trends and Issues (FY2011-FY2020), by Katie Hoover.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Title II. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA has no organic statute establishing an overall mission; rather, the agency administers various

environmental statutes that have an express or general objective to protect human health and the

environment. Primary responsibilities include the implementation of federal statutes regulating air

quality, water quality, drinking water safety, pesticides, toxic substances, management and

disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and cleanup of environmental contamination. EPA awards

grants to assist states and local governments in implementing federal law and complying with

federal requirements to control pollution. The agency also administers programs that provide

financial assistance for public wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects. 24

Title III. Related Agencies

Title III of the Interior bill currently funds 24 agencies, organizations, and other entities, which

are collectively referred to as the “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 federal land within 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. 25

The Indian Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services

provides medical and environmental health services for approximately 2.6

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 24 hospitals,

50 health centers, 24 health stations, and 11 school health centers. Tribes and

tribal organizations, through Indian Health Service contracts and compacts,

operate another 22 hospitals, 285 health centers, 54 health stations, 127 Alaska

village clinics, and 5 school health centers. 26

The Smithsonian Institution is a museum and research complex consisting of 19

museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park (“National Zoo”), and 9

research facilities throughout the United States and around the world. 27

24 For a detailed compendium of environmental laws administered by EPA, see CRS Report RL30798, Environmental

Laws: Summaries of Major Statutes Administered by the Environmental Protection Agency , coordinated by David M.

Bearden. For an overview of FY2021 appropriations for EPA, see CRS In Focus IF11563, U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency FY2021 Appropriations, by Robert Esworthy and David M. Bearden.

25 For an overview of Forest Service land management, see CRS Report R43872, National Forest System Management:

Overview, Appropriations, and Issues for Congress, by Katie Hoover and Anne A. Riddle. For an overview of FY2021

appropriations for the Forest Service, see CRS In Focus IF11638, Forest Service: FY2021 Appropriations, by Katie

Hoover. For an overview of Forest Service appropriations in recent years, see CRS Report R46557, Forest Service

Appropriations: Ten-Year Data and Trends (FY2011-FY2020), by Katie Hoover.

26 Department of Health and Human Services, Indian Health Service (IHS), Justification of Estimates for

Appropriations Committees, FY2021, p. CJ-68, at https://www.ihs.gov/budgetformulation/congressionaljustifications/.

For additional information on the agency, see CRS Report R43330, The Indian Health Service (IHS): An Overview, by

Elayne J. Heisler.

27 T hese statistics are from the Smithsonian Institution’s website at http://www.si.edu/About.

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Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations



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. 28

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 more than 64,000 grants. It also supports a

Challenge Grant program to stimulate and match private donations in support of

humanities institutions.

FY2021 Appropriations

Components of President Trump’s Request

For FY2021, President Trump requested $34.07 billion for the 36 agencies and entities funded in

FY2021 in the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill. 29 This total

included $31.72 billion in regular appropriations and $2.35 billion for c ertain wildfire suppression

activities under an adjustment to discretionary spending limits for FY2021. Budget authority

designated for those activities would cause the spending limits to be adjusted, making it

effectively not subject to the limits. 30

The total request is broken out unevenly across the three major funding titles in Interior bills and

among agencies and entities within each title, as is typically the case. For the 11 major DOI

agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $12.05 billion, or 35.4% of the $34.07 billion total

requested. For EPA, funded in Title II of the bill, the request was $6.70 billion, or 19.7% of the

total. For the 24 agencies and other entities currently funded in Title III of the bill, the request was

$15.31 billion, or 44.9% of the total.

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 FY2021 request covered more than 30 agencies, funding for a small subset of these

agencies accounted for most of the total. For example, the requested appropriations for three

agencies—Forest Service, EPA, and Indian Health Service—were more than half (59.8%) of the

total request. Further, nearly three-quarters (73.6%) of the request was for these three agencies

and two others, National Park Service and Bureau of Indian Affairs.

For DOI agencies, President Trump’s requests for FY2021 ranged from $116.2 million for the

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement to $2.79 billion for the National Park

28 For an overview of the Smithsonian Institution and related issues for Congress, see CRS Report R44370,

Smithsonian Institution: Background, Issues for Congress, and Selected Legislation, by R. Eric Petersen.

Agency and bill totals in this report generally reflect rescissions.

30 President T rump’s request for a $2.35 billion discretionary cap adjustment for wildfire suppression included $2.04

billion for the Forest Service and $310.0 million for DOI.

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Service. The requests for 5 of the 11 agencies exceeded $1 billion. Nearly two-fifths (39.0%) of

the $12.05 billion requested for DOI agencies was for two agencies: the National Park Service

($2.79 billion) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs ($1.91 billion).

For Related Agencies in Title III, President Trump’s requested funding levels exhibited more

variation. They ranged from $0 for some agencies to $7.38 billion for the Forest Service. 31 The

Indian Health Service, with a request of $6.29 billion, and the Smithsonian Institution, with a

request of $1.11 billion, were the only other agencies in Title III for which the request was more

than $1 billion. The next-largest request was $161.6 million for the National Gallery of Art. By

contrast, 13 Title III entities each had requests of less than $10 million each. Figure 1 identifies

the share of President Trump’s FY2021 request for particular agencies in the Interior bill.

Figure 1. Components of President Trump’s FY2021 Request for

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

(in billions of dollars)

Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) with data from the House and Senate

Appropriations Committees.

Notes: The “Indian Affairs” request reflected funds for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian

Education, and the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. The FY2021 appropriations la w did not appropriate

funds to the Bureau of Trust Funds Administration but rather to the Office of the Special Trustee for American

Indians. Agencies shown in shades of red are in the Department of the Interior, Title I of the bill. The

Environmental Protection Agency, shown in blue-grey, is in Title II of the bill. Agencies shown in shades of greenbrown are Related Agencies, Title III of the bill. Figures may not add to total shown due to rounding.

31As noted, the Forest Service request included $2.04 billion under a discretionary cap adjustment for wildfire

suppression.

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Components of FY2021 Enacted Bill

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, P.L. 116-260, enacted on December 27, 2020,

contained $38.52 billion (Division G) for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. This total

included $2.35 billion for wildfire suppression under the cap adjustment. 32

Of the $38.52 billion, the 11 major DOI agencies in Title I received $13.72 billion, or 35.6% of

the total. For EPA, funded in Title II of the bill, the FY2021 law contained $9.24 billion, or 24.0%

of the total. For the 24 agencies and other entities currently funded in Title III of the bill, the

FY2021 law provided $15.56 billion, or 40.4% of the total.

As in President Trump’s request, the FY2021 enacted appropriations for five agencies constituted

nearly three-quarters of the $38.52 billion total. The appropriations for EPA, Forest Service,

Indian Health Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Indian Affairs totaled $28.18 billion,

or 73.2% of the total.

For DOI agencies, the FY2021 enacted amounts ranged from $125.1 million for the Bureau of

Safety and Environmental Enforcement to $3.12 billion for the National Park Service. The

FY2021 enacted amounts for 7 of the 11 DOI agencies exceeded $1 billion. For Related Agencies

in Title III, the FY2021 enacted amounts ranged from $0 for one agency to $7.42 billion for the

Forest Service. 33 As under President Trump’s request, three Title III agencies received more than

$1 billion; in addition to the Forest Service, these agencies included the Indian Health Service

($6.24 billion) and the Smithsonian Institution ($1.03 billion). The next-largest amounts in Title

III were $176.4 million for the National Gallery of Art and $167.5 million for each of the

National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. For each of

11 Title III agencies, the FY2021 law included less than $10 million.

Comparing FY2020 Enacted, FY2021 Requested, and FY2021 Enacted

Appropriations

For FY2020, the total enacted appropriation for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies was

$40.72 billion. This total included



$38.30 billion in P.L. 116-94, Division D (composed of $36.05 billion in regular

appropriations and a $2.25 billion discretionary cap adjustment for wildfire

suppression);34

$308.0 million in emergency supplemental appropriations in P.L. 116-113, Title

IX, for EPA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for activities related to the

United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement;35

$64.0 million in emergency supplemental appropriations in P.L. 116-127,

Division A, for the Indian Health Service for coronavirus preparedness and

response;36 and

32 T he $2.35 billion enacted for FY2021 included $2.04 billion for the Forest Service and $310.0 million for DOI.

33 T he Forest Service appropriation included $2.04 billion under a discretionary cap adjustment for wildfire

suppression. T he entity for which the FY2021 enacted law included no funding was the Women’s Suffrage Centennial

Commission.

34 P.L. 116-94 was enacted as the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020.

35 P.L. 116-113 was enacted as the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act .

36 P.L. 116-127 was enacted as the Families First Coronavirus Response Act .

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations



$2.04 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations in P.L. 116-136, Division

B, for coronavirus health response and agency operations. 37 Although the

coronavirus monies were provided to several agencies, approximately threequarters of the funds (76.2%) were appropriated for three Indian-focused

agencies: the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, and the

Indian Health Service (as shown in Table 1). For all agencies, the funds were

appropriated “to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus, domestically or

internationally” and were available until September 30, 2021. 38

The FY2020 enacted, FY2021 requested, and FY2021 enacted levels included funding for

wildfire suppression under the discretionary cap adjustment, as follows. The FY2020 enacted

amount was $2.25 billion, and the amount requested and appropriated for FY2021 was $2.35

billion. These were the maximum amounts available under law for each of these years. 39

The FY2021 enacted total of $38.52 billion was $2.19 billion (5.4%) lower than the FY2020

enacted total of $40.72 billion due to the inclusion in the FY2020 total of emergency

supplemental funding for coronavirus and other purposes. However, the FY2021 enacted level

was $0.2 million (0.6%) higher than the FY2020 enacted regular appropriation of $38.30 billion.

The FY2021 enacted total of $38.52 billion was $4.46 billion (13.1%) higher than President

Trump’s FY2021 request of $34.07 billion. This was the result of higher FY2021 appropriations

for many agencies in the Interior bill, including the following increases over President Trump’s

request: EPA, $2.53 billion; U.S. Geological Survey, $344.3 million; National Park Service,

$330.1 million; Bureau of Indian Education, $292.8 million; and Bureau of Indian Affairs, $251.5

million.

President Trump’s FY2021 request was $6.65 billion (16.3%) lower than the FY2020 enacted

total of $40.72 billion, including emergency supplemental appropriations. It was $4.24 billion

(11.1%) lower than the FY2020 enacted regular appropriation of $38.30 billion. This was the

result of lower funding requested by President Trump for many agencies relative to their FY2020

funding levels.

Figure 2 depicts FY2020 enacted appropriations, FY2021 appropriations requested by President

Trump, and FY2021 enacted appropriations. It shows the appropriations contained in each of the

three main appropriations titles of the Interior bill—Title I (DOI), Title II (EPA), and Title III

(Related Agencies). For FY2020 enacted appropriations, it depicts the regular annual

appropriations in P.L. 116-94 and the emergency supplemental appropriations for coronavirus and

other purposes in P.L. 116-113, P.L. 116-127, and P.L. 116-136. For FY2021 enacted

appropriations, it depicts the regular annual appropriations in P.L. 116-260. Table 1, at the end of

this report, lists the appropriations for each agency that were enacted for FY2020, requested by

President Trump for FY2021, and enacted for FY2021.

37 P.L. 116-136 was enacted as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).

38 See P.L. 116-136, Division B, T itle VII.

39 2 U.S.C. §901(b)(2)(F).

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Figure 2. Appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies,

by Major Title, FY2020-FY2021

Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

Notes: The FY2020 regular appropriation in P.L. 116-94 also contained a $1.0 million rescission in Title IV

(General Provisions). The FY2020 enacted total reflects $2.41 billion in emergency supplemental appropriations

for several agencies for coronavirus and other purposes. This emergency supplemental money was contained in

three laws: P.L. 116-113 ($308.0 million), P.L. 116-127 ($64.0 million), and P.L. 116-136 ($2.04 billion). The

FY2021 request also included $4.0 million in Title IV (General Provisions). The FY2021 regular appropriation was

contained in P.L. 116-260.

Table 1. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies:

FY2020-FY2021 Appropriations

(in thousands of dollars)

Bureau or Agency

FY2020

Regular

Enacted

FY2020

Suppl.

Enacted

FY2020 Total

Enacted

FY2021

Admin.

Request

FY2021

Regular

Enacted

Title I: Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management

$1,369,838

$1,222,358

$1,309,634

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

$1,643,520

$4,000

$1,647,520

$1,378,631

$1,583,861

National Park Service

$3,377,284

$2,792,561

$3,122,651

U.S. Geological Survey

$1,270,957

$971,185

$1,315,527

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

$131,611

$125,760

$127,760

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

$133,444

$130,339

$125,064

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation

and Enforcement

$257,481

$116,166

$222,599

$3,331,998

$522,000

$3,853,998

$2,960,824

$3,505,152

Bureau of Indian Affairs

$2,032,124

$453,000

$2,485,124

$1,907,881

$2,159,384

Bureau of Indian Education

$1,191,334

$69,000

$1,260,334

$944,544

$1,237,369

$108,399

Indian Affairsa

Bureau of Trust Funds Administration

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Bureau or Agency

Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians

FY2020

Regular

Enacted

FY2020

Suppl.

Enacted

FY2020 Total

Enacted

FY2021

Admin.

Request

FY2021

Regular

Enacted

$108,540

$108,399

$365,978

$213,400

$579,378

$363,292

$363,731

Office of the Secretary

$131,832

158,400

290,232

$127,938

$103,210

Insular Affairs

$111,344

55,000

166,344

$89,199

$115,156

Office of the Solicitor

$66,816

$86,813

Office of Inspector General

$55,986

$59,342

$58,552

Department-Wide Programs

$1,485,180

$1,546,660

$1,529,609

Wildland Fire Management

$1,252,338

$1,313,090

$1,302,623

Central Hazardous Materials Fund

$22,010

$1,874

$10,010

Natural Resource Damage Assessment Fund

$7,767

$4,709

$7,767

Working Capital Fund

$55,735

$78,513

$60,735

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

$147,330

$148,474

General Provisions: Payments in Lieu of Taxesc

$500,000

$441,976

$515,000

Subtotal, Title I: Department of the Interior

$13,867,291

$739,400

$14,606,691

$12,050,752d

$13,720,588

$9,057,401

$311,230

$9,368,631

$6,704,071

$9,237,153

$875

Forest Service

$7,433,413

$70,800

$7,504,213

$7,378,836

$7,423,834

Indian Health Service

$6,047,094

$1,096,000

$7,143,094

$6,293,568

$6,236,279

National Institute of Environmental Health

Sciences

$81,000

$73,688

$81,500

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

$76,691

$12,500

$89,191

$62,000

$78,000

Council on Environmental Quality and Office of

Environmental Quality

$2,994

$3,500

Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board

$12,000

$10,200

$12,000

Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation

$7,500

$4,000

Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native

Culture and Arts Development

$10,458

$78

$10,536

$10,710

$10,772

Smithsonian Institution

$1,047,358

$7,500

$1,054,858

$1,110,313

$1,032,732

National Gallery of Art

$173,225

$161,587

$176,445

John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts

$43,490

$25,000

$68,490

$40,400

Woodrow Wilson International Center for

Scholars

$14,000

$8,211

$14,000

National Endowment for the Arts

$162,250

$75,000

$237,250

$30,175

$167,500

National Endowment for the Humanities

$162,250

$75,000

$237,250

$33,420

$167,500

Departmental Officesb

Title II: Environmental Protection Agency

Subtotal, Title II: Environmental Protection

Agency

Title III: Related Agencies

Dept. of Agriculture Under Secretary for Natural

Resources & Environment

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

FY2020

Regular

Enacted

Bureau or Agency

FY2020

Suppl.

Enacted

FY2020 Total

Enacted

FY2021

Admin.

Request

FY2021

Regular

Enacted

Commission of Fine Arts

$3,240

National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs

$5,000

Advisory Council on Historic Preservation

$7,378

$7,400

National Capital Planning Commission

$8,124

U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum

$60,388

$61,388

Presidio Trust

$10,000

-$1,000

$20,000

Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission

$1,800

$1,000

Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission

$1,000

World War I Centennial Commission

$7,000

$6,000

$7,000

Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff

Commission on Native Children

$500

$15,379,028

$1,361,878

$16,740,906

$15,306,635

$15,562,979

-$1,000

$4,000

$38,302,720

$2,412,508

$40,715,228

$34,065,458

$38,520,720

Subtotal, Title III: Related Agencies

Title IV: General Provisions

Subtotal, Title IV: General Provisions

Total Interior, Environment, and Related

Agencies

Source: Prepared by CRS with data from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. Agency and bill

totals generally reflect rescissions.

Notes: Regular appropriations for FY2020 were contained in P.L. 116-94, Division D. Three laws contained

supplemental appropriations for FY2020: P.L. 116-113 ($308.0 million); P.L. 116-127 ($64.0 million), and P.L. 116136 ($2.04 billion). Regular appropriations for FY2021 were contained in P.L. 116-260, Division G.

This row shows total funding for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and Office of the

Special Trustee for American Indians, which was funded in FY2020 as part of the Departmental Offices

Account. For FY2021, President Trump sought to move the functions of the Office of the Special Trustee

for American Indians into a (proposed) new Bureau of Trust Funds Administration. The FY2021

appropriations were enacted for the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians.

For FY2020, appropriations for the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indian s were provided as

part of the Departmental Offices account. For FY2021, appropriations were requested for a proposed

Bureau of Trust Funds Administration as part of the Indian Affairs account. For FY2021, appropriations

were enacted for the Office of the Special Trustee for American Indians as part of the Ind ian Affairs

account. For comparison purposes, all these appropriations are shown in the Indian Affairs account.

The FY2020 enacted and FY2021 enacted appropriations for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes Program were

included in the General Provisions of Title I. The FY2021 requested appropriations for the program were

included under Department-Wide Programs. For easier comparison, all these appropriations are shown in

this table under General Provisions.

This figure includes $1.0 million for a general provision not shown in the column figures above.

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Author Information

Carol Hardy Vincent

Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

Key Policy Staff

Area of Expertise

Name

Interior Appropriations, coordinator

Carol Hardy Vincent

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

David M. Bearden

Bureau of Indian Affairs

Tana Fitzpatrick

Bureau of Indian Education

Cassandria Dortch

Bureau of Land Management

Carol Hardy Vincent

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management

Laura B. Comay

Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement

Laura B. Comay

Environmental Protection Agency

David M. Bearden

Forest Service

Katie Hoover

Indian Health Service

Elayne J. Heisler

Land and Water Conservation Fund

Carol Hardy Vincent

Office of Insular Affairs

R. Sam Garrett

Office of Natural Resources Revenue

Laura B. Comay

Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement

Lance N. Larson

National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for

the Humanities

Shannon S. Loane

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (Superfund

authorities)

David M. Bearden

National Park Service

Laura B. Comay

Payments in Lieu of Taxes

R. Eliot Crafton

Reorganization of DOI

Mark DeSantis; Carol Hardy Vincent

Smithsonian Institution

Shannon S. Loane

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

R. Eliot Crafton

U.S. Geological Survey

Anna E. Normand

Wildland Fire Management

Katie Hoover

Congressional Research Service

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: Overview of FY2021 Appropriations

Disclaimer

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under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other

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connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not

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Congressional Research Service

R46519 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED

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