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Updated April 12, 2019
National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
Park System, which includes 419 units valued for their
NPS had six discretionary appropriations accounts funded
natural, cultural, and recreational importance, and covers
in FY2019 (Figure 1 and Table 1). About 78% of the
85 million acres (roughly 81 million acres of federal land
FY2019 discretionary appropriation went to the Operation
and 4 million acres of nonfederal land). NPS typically
of the National Park System (ONPS) account to support the
receives funding in annual appropriations laws for Interior,
day-to-day activities, programs, and services of the park
Environment, and Related Agencies. This CRS product
system. These include resource stewardship, visitor
summarizes NPS’s FY2019 appropriations; for information
services, park protection, facility operations and
on FY2020, see CRS In Focus IF11178, National Park
maintenance, and support and administrative costs. The
Service: FY2020 Appropriations.
FY2019 appropriation for the ONPS account was $2.503
billion; the Administration had requested $2.425 billion.
FY2019 Appropriations Summary
P.L. 116-6, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, was
The next-largest amount, 11% of the appropriation, went to
enacted on February 15, 2019. The law provided $3.223
NPS’s Construction account, which covers rehabilitation
billion in discretionary appropriations for NPS, 1% more
and replacement of existing facilities as well as new
than the enacted FY2018 appropriation of $3.202 billion.
construction. In recent years, the agency has planned no
(The FY2018 amount does not reflect supplemental
new facility construction, in order to prioritize deferred
appropriations of $257.6 million in P.L. 115-123 to address
maintenance. NPS prioritizes projects based on “mission
hurricane damage, which were designated as emergency
factors” and cost-benefit considerations. The account also
spending not subject to discretionary spending limits.) The
covers other construction activities and planning functions.
FY2019 appropriation included increases for four NPS
Congress appropriated $364.7 million for the NPS
accounts and reductions for two accounts, as compared with
Construction account for FY2019; the Administration’s
FY2018. In addition to discretionary appropriations, NPS
request was $241.3 million.
(in its FY2020 budget justification) estimated mandatory
appropriations for FY2019 of $0.768 billion, an increase of
Figure 1. NPS Appropriations Accounts for FY2019
9% over NPS mandatory funding for FY2018. NPS’s
(NPS discretionary total in P.L. 116-6: $3.223 bil ion)
mandatory appropriations come from entrance and
recreation fees, concessioner fees, donations, and other
sources, and are used for a variety of specified purposes,
including deferred maintenance.
The enacted discretionary appropriations for FY2019 were
18% higher than the Trump Administration's request of
$2.730 billion. (The Administration’s request had originally
been $2.431 billion, but was increased in a budget
addendum following Congress’s increase to FY2019
spending caps in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, P.L.
115-123.) The enacted discretionary appropriation exceeded
the Administration’s request for each NPS budget account.
Earlier, on July 19, 2018, the House had passed H.R. 6147,
Source: P.L. 116-6 and H.Rept. 116-9.
which would have provided $3.262 billion for NPS for
FY2019. On August 1, 2018, the Senate passed its version
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park System.
of H.R. 6147, with $3.219 billion for NPS. Because regular
NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation.
FY2019 appropriations were not enacted by the start of the
fiscal year, NPS received continuing appropriations at the
Approximately 5% of the FY2019 discretionary
FY2018 level after October 1, 2018. However, continuing
appropriation went to the Land Acquisition and State
appropriations lapsed during part of the fiscal year,
Assistance (LASA) account. These monies come from the
resulting in a partial government shutdown that affected
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF; 54 U.S.C.
NPS between December 22, 2018, and January 25, 2019.
§§200301 et seq.), the primary funding source for the
For more information, see CRS In Focus CRS In Focus
federal land management agencies to acquire lands. For
IF11079, National Park Service: Government Shutdown
more information on the LWCF, see CRS Report RL33531,
Issues.
Land and Water Conservation Fund: Overview, Funding
History, and Issues, by Carol Hardy Vincent. NPS’s LASA
account covers both NPS’s own acquisitions (typically
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consisting of nonfederal "inholdings" inside the boundaries
for competitive grants under the Save America's Treasures
of national park units) and NPS grants to states for outdoor
program, which preserves nationally significant sites,
recreation needs. Of the $168.4 million appropriated for the
structures, and artifacts. The Administration had requested
account for FY2019, $44.4 million was for NPS acquisition
$32.7 million overall for the HPF account.
and $124.0 million was for state assistance. The federal
portion included $10.0 million for grants under the
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
American Battlefield Protection Program, to assist states
received about 2% of the FY2019 total. This account funds
and local communities in the acquisition and preservation
NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal, and private land
of threatened battlefields from the Civil War, Revolutionary
managers with outdoor recreation planning, resource
War, and War of 1812. The Administration had requested
preservation, and other activities. The largest single
negative funding overall for the LASA account (based on a
program funded through the account is NPS assistance to
rescission of prior-year funds). On the federal side, the
national heritage areas. The total FY2019 appropriation for
request specified $8.8 million for acquisition management,
the NR&P account was $64.1 million, of which $20.3
but no project funding for new NPS acquisitions. The
million was for national heritage areas. The Administration
Administration also requested no funding for the state
had requested $32.2 million for the account, of which $0.4
assistance program. Noting a funding increase for the state
million was for national heritage areas.
program from mandatory appropriations under the Gulf of
Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-432), the
Finally, about 1% of the FY2019 appropriation went to the
Administration proposed that support for the state
Centennial Challenge account, to support the National Park
assistance program be shifted entirely to mandatory
Centennial Challenge Fund. Authorized by Congress in
appropriations.
2016 (54 U.S.C. §§103501 et seq.), the fund is a matching-
grant program to spur donations for projects or programs
About 3% of the FY2019 discretionary appropriation was
that further the NPS mission and enhance the visitor
for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) account. The HPF
experience. Deferred maintenance projects are prioritized.
was established by the National Historic Preservation Act
The FY2019 appropriation for the account was $20.0
of 1966 (NHPA; 54 U.S.C. §§300101 et seq.). The fund
million; the Administration had requested no discretionary
receives $150 million annually from offshore energy
funding. The Centennial Challenge Fund is also authorized
revenues, but funding is available only to the extent
to receive offsetting collections from the sale of senior
appropriated in annual appropriations laws. The FY2019
passes under the Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement
appropriation was $102.7 million, primarily for NPS
Act (16 U.S.C. §§6801-6814), and the Administration
matching grants to state and tribal historic preservation
estimated that FY2019 offsetting collections would be
offices to conserve cultural and historical assets and sites.
$15.0 million.
Also, $15.3 million of the account total was for competitive
For More Information
grants to underserved communities ($0.8 million) and to
preserve sites associated with the Civil Rights movement
For more information, see CRS Report R42757, National
($14.5 million); $8.0 million was for competitive grants to
Park Service Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends; and CRS
historically black colleges and universities; $5.0 million
Report R44934, Interior, Environment, and Related
was for historic revitalization grants; and $13.0 million was
Agencies: Overview of FY2019 Appropriations.
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2019 Enacted
FY2018
FY2019 House-Passed
Senate-Passed
(P.L. 116-6) % Change from
Account
Enacteda
Request H.R. 6147
H.R. 6147
FY2018
Operation of the National Park System
2,478.0
2,425.1
2,527.8
2,500.4
2,502.7
+1%
Construction
359.7
241.3
366.3
364.7
364.7
+1%
Land Acquisition and State Assistance
180.9
-1.2b
172.4
174.4
168.4
-7%
National Recreation and Preservation
63.6
32.2
63.6
64.1
64.1
+1%
Historic Preservation Fund
96.9
32.7
101.4
91.9
102.7
+6%
Centennial Challenge
23.0
0
30.0
23.0
20.0
-13%
Total
3,202.2a
2,730.1c
3,261.6
3,218.6
3,222.7
+1%
Source: House Appropriations Committee detailed spending tables, unless otherwise noted. Column totals may not sum precisely due to
rounding.
a. FY2018 figures do not reflect supplemental appropriations of $257.6 mil ion in P.L. 115-123 to address hurricane damage (designated as
emergency spending not subject to discretionary spending limits).
b. Amount reflects a request of $8.8 mil ion in new budget authority offset by a $10.0 mil ion cancel ation of prior-year balances.
c. Total as shown in NPS FY2019 Budget Addendum. The total differs from that shown in H.Rept. 116-9 ($2,702.0 mil ion) because the NPS
FY2019 Budget Addendum did not include a $28.1 mil ion rescission of contract authority from the Land and Water Conservation Fund
that is shown in H.Rept. 116-9.
IF10900
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF10900 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED