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Updated January 30, 2019
Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages
rangelands, wild horses and burros, wildlife and fisheries,
246 million acres of land, nearly all in the West, under a
threatened and endangered species, recreation, resource
multiple use mission. Uses of BLM land include livestock
protection, law enforcement, resource management
grazing, recreation, and preservation. The agency also
planning, and facility maintenance.
administers onshore federal energy and mineral resources
The Administration proposed a budget restructuring within
covering nearly 700 million acres of federal subsurface
the account to increase flexibility, cost savings, and
mineral estate, and it supervises the mineral operations on
program integration. Affected budget activities and
about 56 million acres of Indian trust lands.
subactivities included soil, water, and air; riparian areas;
At issue for Congress is determining the amount of funding
rangeland; threatened and endangered species; wildlife and
to provide for BLM programs and activities for FY2019,
fisheries; abandoned mine lands; and hazardous materials.
the terms and conditions of such funding, and whether to
The Senate, but not the House, adopted this restructuring.
enact related Trump Administration proposals.
The House and Senate included more money for this
Because no regular FY2019 appropriations have been
account than requested for FY2019 and enacted for
enacted, BLM is receiving continuing appropriations at the
FY2018. The Administration sought a decrease for this
FY2018 level through February 15, 2019 (under H.J.Res.
account and most of its activities. However, the request
28). Earlier continuing appropriations had lapsed, resulting
contained additional funds for a few programs, including
in a partial agency shutdown between December 22, 2018,
coal management to improve coal leasing and permitting,
and January 25, 2019, during which time BLM operated
and establishment of a competitive oil and gas leasing
under a “contingency” plan.
program on the Coastal Plain of the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. The House and Senate did not
For FY2019, the Administration requested $1,023.3 million
specify funding for most of these purposes.
in discretionary appropriations for BLM, a $308.7 million
The House would provide the most funding for BLM
(23.2%) decrease from the FY2018 level of $1,331.9
deferred maintenance—$114.2 million. This would be an
million. On July 19, 2018, the House passed H.R. 6147
additional $35.0 million over FY2018, $89.3 million over
with $1,387.0 million for BLM. This was $55.0 million
the request, and $55.0 million over the Senate level.
(4.1%) more than the FY2018 appropriation and $363.7
million (35.5%) more than the Administration’s request. On
The President’s request included $5.9 million to support a
August 1, 2018, the Senate passed H.R. 6147 with $1,343.4
Department of the Interior (DOI) reorganization to achieve
million for BLM. This was $11.5 million (0.9%) more than
common regional boundaries for DOI agencies and to
the FY2018 level and $320.1 million (31.3%) more than the
transfer some BLM functions from headquarters to the
Administration’s request, but $43.6 million (3.1%) less than
field. The intent is to improve public service, efficiency,
the House-passed amount. (See Table 1.)
and communication. The House and Senate did not
explicitly identify funding for BLM reorganization.
BLM discretionary appropriations generally are provided in
Figure 1. BLM FY2019 Administration-Requested
Title I of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Appropriations (dol ars in millions)
appropriations laws. Mandatory (permanent) appropriations
also are provided to BLM under various statutes within the
jurisdiction of authorizing committees. For FY2019, BLM
estimates its mandatory appropriations at $74.8 million.
This would be a decrease from the $200.2 million estimated
for FY2018, in part due to a proposed cancellation of
unobligated mandatory funds.
Appropriations Accounts
BLM discretionary appropriations are provided through
several accounts. The Administration’s FY2019 request for
these accounts is shown in Figure 1. Table 1 contains
FY2019 account funding levels in the request, the House-
passed version of H.R. 6147, and the Senate-passed version
of H.R. 6147 as compared with FY2018 enacted amounts.
Source: Prepared by CRS with information from the House
Management of Lands and Resources. The largest
Committee on Appropriations. Not shown are account rescissions
account—Management of Lands and Resources—
totaling $12.1 mil ion and a request of $0 for Service Charges,
comprised 89.1% of the request. This account funds an
Deposits, and Forfeitures due to a match by offsetting fees.
array of BLM programs, including energy and minerals,
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Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations
Land Acquisition. BLM typically receives appropriations
and changes to agency practices under existing law. Some
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire
of these proposals, and other provisions in bill or committee
lands. For FY2019, the Administration did not seek funding
report language, are discussed below.
for particular acquisitions or to facilitate access to BLM
Energy and Minerals. The request proposed changing the
land for recreation. The overall request was -$6.6 million,
distribution of revenues from geothermal leasing on federal
reflecting a rescission. The House provided $17.4 million,
lands—currently 50% to the states, 25% to the Treasury,
including funds for recreational access generally, but did
and 25% to counties—to a distribution of 50% for states
not identify individual acquisitions pending additional
and 50% for the Treasury. To maintain global
information from the Administration. The Senate included
competitiveness, the House and Senate Appropriations
$26.0 million, with portions dedicated to 11 individual
Committees (in report language) supported reducing from
projects and acquisitions benefitting recreational access.
6% to 2% the federal royalty rate for soda ash mined on
Oregon and California Grant Lands. Oregon and
federal land and directed BLM to take related actions.
California (O&C) Grant Lands constituted 8.8% of the
Wild Horses and Burros. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses
request for FY2019. This account funds management of
and Burros Act (16 U.S.C. §§1331 et seq.) provides BLM
more than 2 million acres of forested lands in western
authority to destroy healthy, excess wild horses and burros
Oregon, primarily for sustained yield of timber production.
and to sell without limitation excess animals meeting
The Administration would reduce funding from FY2018.
certain criteria. In practice, BLM generally sells animals
The House would provide level funding and the Senate
with limits (e.g., a minimum purchase price). The House
nearly level funding. Also, the House, but not the Senate,
and Senate continued to bar the use of funds for the
accepted an Administration proposal to consolidate funding
destruction of healthy, unadopted BLM wild horses and
for activities to enhance flexibility and program efficiency.
burros and for the sale of animals for processing into
Range Improvements. The Range Improvements account
commercial products. To reduce the overpopulation of
funds rehabilitation, protection, and improvement of BLM
animals, the Administration had proposed using sales
rangelands. Of the Administration’s total request, 1.0% was
without limitations and removing the funding ban. Both
for this purpose. The request, House, Senate, and FY2018
bills increased monies for wild horses and burros, and the
appropriation contained $10.0 million.
House bill authorized use of single-sex or non-reproducing
herds, including through sterilization.
Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures. This account
provides BLM monies received by the agency for varied
Recreation. The authority in the Federal Lands Recreation
purposes, such as costs of processing rights-of-way and
Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. §§6801 et seq.) that allows
energy and mineral authorizations. The amounts proposed
BLM (and other agencies) to charge, collect, and use fees
by the Administration, House, and Senate are offset by
for recreation on agency lands was to expire on September
collections, making them $0, as was the case for FY2018.
30, 2019. The Administration, House, and Senate supported
differing extensions. P.L. 115-245 subsequently extended
Miscellaneous Trust Funds. This account appropriates to
the authority to September 30, 2020. The House bill also
BLM contributions (for various purposes) from individuals,
generally barred funds from being used to prohibit use of,
businesses, user groups, and states. It comprised 2.3% of
or access to, BLM and other federal lands for hunting,
FY2019 requested funds. The request, House, and Senate
fishing, and recreational shooting, under specified
proposed funding at the FY2018 level.
conditions. The Senate committee report directed DOI and
Legislative Proposals by the Administration
the Forest Service to provide advance notification of land
In the FY2019 request, the Trump Administration proposed
closures for these activities.
extending or amending authorities through changes in law
Table 1. BLM Discretionary Appropriations by Account (dol ars in mil ions)
FY2018
FY2019
% Change
House-Passed
% Change
Senate-Passed
% Change
Account
Enacted
Request
from FY2018
H.R. 6147
from FY2018
H.R. 6147
from FY2018
Management of Lands and Resources
$1,166.0
$911.3
-21.8%
$1,228.6
5.4%
$1,176.8
0.9%
Land Acquisition
24.9
-6.6
-126.5%
17.4
-30.2%
26.0
4.4%
Oregon and California Grant Lands
107.0
90.0
-15.8%
107.0
0%
106.5
-0.4%
Range Improvements
10.0
10.0
0%
10.0
0%
10.0
0%
Service Charges, Deposits, & Forfeitures
0
0
0%
0
0%
0
0%
Miscellaneous Trust Funds
24.0
24.0
0%
24.0
0%
24.0
0%
Total BLM
$1,331.9
$1,023.3
-23.2%
$1,387.0
4.1%
$1,343.4
0.9%
Source: Prepared by CRS with information from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.
Notes: The amounts of $0 for Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures are a result of an appropriation matched by offsetting fees. The
FY2019 request total reflects a -$5.5 mil ion rescission of prior-year unobligated funds for construction not shown in the column.
IF10381
Carol Hardy Vincent, Specialist in Natural Resources
Policy
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations
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