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June 4, 2018
National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
total of $3.255 billion for NPS, which is 2% more than the
Park System, which covers 85 million acres and includes
regular appropriation for FY2018 and 20% more than the
417 units valued for their natural, cultural, and recreational
Administration’s FY2019 request.
importance. NPS typically receives funding in annual
appropriations laws for Interior, Environment, and Related
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
Agencies. Issues for Congress may include the aggregate
NPS has six appropriations accounts (Figure 1 and Table
level of NPS appropriations, funding to address the
1). The high majority of NPS appropriations typically have
agency’s backlog of deferred maintenance, and funding for
gone to the Operation of the National Park System (ONPS)
land acquisition, among others.
account to support the day-to-day activities, programs, and
services of the park system. These include resource
FY2019 Status
stewardship, visitor services, park protection, facility
The Trump Administration requested $2.730 billion in
operations and maintenance, and support and administrative
discretionary appropriations for NPS for FY2019. The total
costs.
included an updated amount in an addendum to the budget
request for NPS’s Operation of the National Park System
Figure 1. NPS Appropriations Accounts
account, reflecting an increase over the agency’s originally
(percentages reflect FY2018 appropriations)
prepared budget materials in light of Congress’s increase to
FY2019 spending caps in the Bipartisan Budget Act of
2018 (P.L. 115-123), enacted on February 9, 2018.
The FY2019 request was 15% less than the FY2018 NPS
appropriation of $3.202 billion enacted in P.L. 115-141, the
FY2018 Consolidated Appropriations Act (which also
reflected spending cap increases in the Bipartisan Budget
Act). The FY2019 request included reductions for all NPS
accounts compared with FY2018. (The FY2018 total of
$3.202 billion does not include $257.6 million provided in
P.L. 115-123 as supplemental funding in response to the
fall 2017 hurricanes, which is designated as emergency
spending outside of discretionary spending limits.) The
Administration also estimated $0.789 billion in mandatory
Source: P.L. 115-141.
appropriations for NPS for FY2019, an increase of 11.5%
Notes: NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation. FY2018 data
over estimated NPS mandatory funding for FY2018.
do not reflect supplemental (emergency-designated) appropriations in
P.L. 115-123 to address hurricane damage.
On May 15, 2018, the House Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee marked up a draft Interior appropriations
bill. The full committee has not reported the bill to date.
The draft bill (and accompanying draft report) proposed a
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2018
FY2019
% Change from
House Comm.
% Change from
Account
Enacteda
Request
FY2018
Draft
FY2018
Operation of the National Park System
2,478.0
2,425.1
-2.1%
2,527.8
+2.0%
Construction
359.7
241.3
-32.9%
369.3
+2.7%
Land Acquisition and State Assistance
180.9
-1.2b
-100.6%
172.4
-4.7%
National Recreation and Preservation
63.6
32.2
-49.4%
63.6
—
Historic Preservation Fund
96.9
32.7
-66.3%
91.9
-5.2%
Centennial Challenge
23.0
0
-100.0%
30.0
+30.4%
Total
3,202.2a
2,730.1
-14.7%a
3,255.0
+1.7%
Source: House Appropriations Committee detailed spending tables. Column totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
a. FY2018 figures do not reflect supplemental appropriations of $257.6 million in P.L. 115-123 to address hurricane damage (designated as
emergency spending not subject to discretionary spending limits).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations
b. Amount reflects a request of $8.8 million in new budget authority offset by a $10.0 million cancellation of prior-year balances.
NPS’s Construction account covers rehabilitation and
Additionally, allocations from the Highway Trust Fund
replacement of existing facilities as well as new
support NPS road repair and improvements. Other sources,
construction. In recent years, the agency has planned no
such as recreation fees, also may be used.
new facility construction, in order to prioritize deferred
maintenance. NPS prioritizes projects based on “mission
Congress has considered whether to increase discretionary
factors” and cost-benefit considerations. The account also
funding for NPS DM, provide mandatory funding, and/or
covers other construction activities and planning functions.
direct the agency to use existing funding differently. For
additional information on funding and legislation related to
Funding for the Land Acquisition and State Assistance
NPS DM, see CRS Report R44924, The National Park
(LASA) account comes from the Land and Water
Service’s Maintenance Backlog: Frequently Asked
Conservation Fund (54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.), the
Questions.
primary funding source for the federal land management
agencies to acquire lands. The account covers both NPS’s
Land Acquisition Funding
own acquisitions—typically consisting of nonfederal
The extent to which NPS land acquisition funding should
“inholdings” inside the boundaries of national park units—
be increased, decreased, or redirected continues to be a
and NPS grants to states for outdoor recreation needs.
focus for Congress. At a broad level, some in Congress
object to further expansion of the federal estate, whereas
The Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) was established by
others feel that more areas need federal protection. For
the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (54 U.S.C.
NPS, some Members have suggested that agency funding to
§§300101 et seq.). The account provides matching grants to
acquire new lands is misplaced when maintenance needs for
state, local, tribal, and private entities to conserve cultural
existing lands in the system are not being met. Some also
and historical assets and sites. The grants are administered
assert that recent acquisitions have lacked the national value
by state and tribal historic preservation offices.
of earlier iconic parks. Supporters of NPS land acquisition
funding have stated that the majority of funds are used to
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
acquire nonfederal inholdings within existing park units,
funds NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal, and
and that such acquisitions help to complete valued parks
private land managers with outdoor recreation planning,
and may facilitate maintenance efforts.
resource preservation, and other activities. The largest
single program in the account is for NPS assistance to
Congress provided $56.9 million for NPS land acquisition
national heritage areas.
in FY2018. For FY2019, the Trump Administration
requested no funding for new NPS land acquisition
The Centennial Challenge account contains appropriations
projects. The Administration stated that the proposed
for the National Park Centennial Challenge Fund.
elimination of project funding would allow NPS to focus
Authorized by Congress in 2016 (54 U.S.C. §§103501 et
resources on protection and management of existing lands
seq.), the fund is a matching-grant program to spur partner
and assets. The House committee draft proposed $48.4
donations for projects or programs that further the NPS
million for NPS land acquisition.
mission and enhance the visitor experience. Deferred
maintenance projects are prioritized.
NPS Assistance to Nonfederal Sites and Programs
Issues in NPS Appropriations
Both Congress and recent presidential administrations have
questioned whether some NPS assistance to nonfederal sites
Deferred Maintenance
and programs should be reduced in light of agency budget
NPS’s backlog of deferred maintenance (DM), estimated
constraints, in order to focus funding on the agency’s “core
for FY2017 at $11.61 billion, continues to be a significant
mission” of managing federal parks. Two agency accounts
issue in the appropriations process. Despite agency efforts
(NR&P and HPF), along with some of the LASA account,
to address the backlog through improved asset
fund NPS assistance to nonfederal entities. These monies
management, the backlog increased over the past decade.
combined represent less than 10% of the agency’s total
funding. For FY2019, the Trump Administration proposed
NPS funding to address DM comes from discretionary
reductions in many nonfederal assistance programs and
appropriations and from other sources. Two appropriations
elimination of some types of assistance, including NPS
subactivities (one under Construction and the other under
grants to national heritage areas (which are nonfederally
ONPS) are among the primary sources of funds for NPS
managed). Congress provided $20.3 million for heritage
DM. For these two subactivities combined, P.L. 115-141
areas in FY2018, and the House committee draft proposed
provided $409.5 million for FY2018. The Administration’s
the same amount for FY2019.
FY2019 request was $281.5 million, and the House
committee draft proposed $434.5 million. Portions of other
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
NPS discretionary budget activities also are used for DM.
IF10900
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National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10900 · VERSION 2 · NEW