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Updated June 7, 2018
National Park Service: FY2018 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
deferred maintenance. NPS prioritizes projects based on
Park System, which covers 85 million acres and includes
“mission factors” and cost-benefit considerations. The
417 units valued for their natural, cultural, and recreational
account also covers other construction activities and
importance. NPS typically receives funding in annual
planning functions. P.L. 115-123 added supplemental
appropriations laws for Interior, Environment, and Related
funding of $207.6 million to the NPS Construction account
Agencies.
to address hurricane damage (Figure 1).
FY2018 Appropriations Summary
Figure 1. NPS Appropriations Accounts for FY2018
P.L. 115-141, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018,
was enacted on March 23, 2018. The law provided $3.202
billion for NPS, 9.2% more than the enacted FY2017
appropriation of $2.932 billion and 25.4% more than the
Trump Administration’s request of $2.553 billion. The
FY2018 appropriation included increases for all NPS
accounts compared with FY2017 and the Administration’s
FY2018 request. It reflected increases to FY2018 spending
caps enacted in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (P.L.
115-123).
Outside of regular appropriations, P.L. 115-123 provided
FY2018 supplemental funds for NPS in response to the fall
2017 hurricanes. This funding, designated as emergency
spending outside of discretionary spending limits, totaled
$257.6 million across two accounts. The supplemental
funding brings total FY2018 discretionary funding for NPS
to $3.460 billion. In addition, the Administration estimated
$708.2 million in mandatory appropriations for NPS for
FY2018, an increase of 14.4% over NPS mandatory
funding for FY2017.
Earlier, on September 14, 2017, the House had passed H.R.
Sources: P.L. 115-141 and P.L. 115-123.
3354 (H.Rept. 115-238), with $2.868 billion for NPS. On
Notes: NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation. Amounts
November 20, 2017, the Senate Appropriations Committee
reflect regular appropriations in P.L. 115-141 and supplemental
had released a draft bill recommending $2.942 billion for
(emergency-designated) appropriations in P.L. 115-123 to address
NPS. Because Congress did not enact regular
hurricane damage. Size of figures is not intended to indicate direct
appropriations for FY2018 prior to the start of the fiscal
proportionality.
year, several continuing resolutions (CRs) provided
continuing appropriations at FY2017 levels, minus a
Some 6% of the regular FY2018 appropriation went to the
rescission, prior to enactment of P.L. 115-141.
Land Acquisition and State Assistance account. These
monies come from the Land and Water Conservation Fund
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
(54 U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.), the primary funding source
NPS had six accounts funded in FY2018 (Table 1 and
for the federal land management agencies to acquire lands.
Figure 1). About 77% of the regular FY2018 appropriation
The account covers both NPS’s own acquisitions (typically
went to the Operation of the National Park System (ONPS)
consisting of nonfederal “inholdings” inside the boundaries
account to support the day-to-day activities, programs, and
of national park units) and NPS grants to states for outdoor
services of the park system. These include resource
recreation needs. Of the $180.9 million appropriated for the
stewardship, visitor services, park protection, facility
account for FY2018, $56.9 million was for NPS acquisition
operations and maintenance, and support and administrative
and $124.0 million was for state assistance. The federal
costs.
portion included $10.0 million for grants under the
American Battlefield Protection Program, to assist states
The next-largest amount, 11% of the regular FY2018
and local communities in the acquisition and preservation
appropriation, went to NPS’s Construction account, which
of threatened battlefields from the Civil War, Revolutionary
covers rehabilitation and replacement of existing facilities
War, and War of 1812.
as well as new construction. The agency planned no new
facility construction for FY2018, in order to prioritize
About 3% of the regular FY2018 appropriation came from
the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF), established by the
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National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA; 54
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
U.S.C. §§300101 et seq.). The fund receives $150 million
received about 2% of the FY2018 total. This account funds
annually from offshore energy revenues, but funding is
NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal, and private land
available only to the extent appropriated ($96.9 million for
managers with outdoor recreation planning, resource
FY2018 in P.L. 115-141). From the HPF account, NPS
preservation, and other activities. The largest single
provides matching grants to state and tribal historic
program in the account is for NPS assistance to national
preservation offices to conserve cultural and historical
heritage areas ($20.3 million in FY2018).
assets and sites. Also for FY2018, $13.5 million of the
account total was for competitive grants to underserved
Finally, about 1% of the FY2018 appropriation went to the
communities ($0.5 million) and to preserve sites associated
Centennial Challenge account, to support the National Park
with the Civil Rights movement ($13.0 million); $5 million
Centennial Challenge Fund. Authorized by Congress in
was for competitive grants to historically black colleges and
2016 (54 U.S.C. §§103501 et seq.), the fund is a matching-
universities; $5 million was for historic revitalization
grant program to spur partner donations for projects or
grants; and $5 million was for competitive grants under the
programs that further the NPS mission and enhance the
Save America’s Treasures program for preservation of
visitor experience. Deferred maintenance projects are
nationally significant sites, structures, and artifacts. In
prioritized.
addition to the regular appropriation, P.L. 115-123 provided
For More Information
$50.0 million to the account from the HPF as supplemental
funding to address hurricane damage. The funds were
For more information, see CRS Report R42757, National
primarily for compliance activities under Section 106 of the
Park Service Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends, and CRS
NHPA, to assess potential impacts of recovery projects on
Report R44934, Interior, Environment, and Related
historic properties.
Agencies: Overview of FY2019 Appropriations.
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2018
Senate Enacted
FY2018
FY2017 FY2018 House
Comm. (P.L. 115-
% Change Supplemental
Account
Enacted Request H.R. 3354
Draft 141)
from FY2017 (P.L. 115-123)
Operation of Nat’l. Park
2,425.0 2,225.5
2,410.0
2,411.8
2,478.0
+2.2%
—
System
Construction
209.4
226.5
219.8
221.7
359.7
+71.8%
207.6
Land Acquisition & State
162.0
26.4
116.1
175.7
180.9
+11.7%
—
Assistance
Nat’l. Recreation &
62.6
37.0
59.6
63.0
63.6
+1.6%
—
Preservation
Historic Preservation Fund
80.9
51.1
75.4
77.9
96.9
+19.8%
50.0
Centennial Challenge
20.0
15.0
15.0
20.0
23.0
+15.0%
—
LWCF Rescissiona
-28.0
-28.0
-28.0
-28.0
0
+100.0%
—
Totala
2,931.9 2,553.4
2,868.0
2,942.1
3,202.2
+9.2%
257.6
Sources: House Appropriations Committee detailed tables for the NPS; H.Rept. 115-238; Senate Appropriations Committee draft explanatory
statement at https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/FY2018-INT-CHAIRMEN-MARK-EXPLANATORY-STM.PDF; Joint
Explanatory Statement for P.L. 115-141, Congressional Record, vol. 164, no. 50 (Mar. 22, 2018), p. H2045.
a. Amounts reflect a rescission of Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) contract authority.
IF10794
Laura B. Comay, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2018 Appropriations
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