link to page 2 
July 1, 2020
Bureau of Land Management: FY2021 Appropriations
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages 244
The Administration proposed various changes relative to
million acres of federal land, nearly all in the West. Under
FY2020 enacted levels. Decreases included deferred
its multiple-use mission, BLM manages lands for diverse
maintenance of transportation and facilities (-39%). (See
purposes, including livestock grazing, energy development,
“Deferred Maintenance,” below.) Funding for wildlife and
recreation, and conservation. The agency also administers
aquatic habitat management also would be reduced (-38%)
onshore federal energy and mineral resources generally.
for activities pertaining to threatened and endangered
species, habitat restoration, and sagebrush conservation,
This In Focus pertains to discretionary appropriations for
among others. Other reductions were proposed for resource
BLM, particularly appropriations under consideration for
management planning (-28%), management of abandoned
FY2021 in comparison with appropriations enacted for
minelands and hazardous materials (-28%), rangeland
FY2020. For FY2021, the Trump Administration requested
management (-11%), and administrative support (-12%), in
$1,222.4 million for BLM. This would be a decrease of
recognition of the completion of organizational changes to
$147.5 million (-11%) from the FY2020 appropriation of
new, unified DOI regions, according to BLM.
$1,369.8 million (P.L. 116-94, Division D).
The Administration’s FY2021 request contained additional
BLM discretionary appropriations generally are provided in
funds for some programs, including wild horse and burro
Title I of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
management (+15%). The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and
appropriations laws. Mandatory (permanent) appropriations
Burros Act of 1971 (16 U.S.C. §§1331 et seq.) provides for
also are provided to BLM under various statutes within the
management and protection of wild horses and burros on
jurisdiction of authorizing committees. For FY2021, BLM
BLM (and Forest Service) lands. As of March 2020, the
estimated its mandatory appropriations at $102.6 million.
number of wild horses and burros on BLM land was
This would be a decrease from the $298.7 million estimated
95,114, more than triple the appropriate management level
for FY2020, largely due to an anticipated reduction in
determined by the agency (26,770). Another 47,725 animals
receipts from BLM land sales in Nevada and a proposal by
were being cared for off-range in pastures and corrals as of
the Administration to cancel unobligated balances from
May 2020. The Administration sought appropriations to
prior sales.
care for animals off-range, pursue sales and adoptions, and
expand methods of population control, among other
For FY2021, issues for Congress include determining the
activities.
amount of funding to provide BLM accounts and activities
and the terms and conditions of such funding, as well as
The Administration also proposed additional funds for coal
whether to enact related Trump Administration proposals.
management (+19%) to improve coal leasing, permitting,
and inspections. Further, appropriations for cadastral, lands,
Appropriations Accounts
and realty management would increase (+7%). The
BLM discretionary appropriations are provided through
additional funding for this program—which generally
several accounts. For each account, Table 1 contains
performs cadastral surveys, manages rights-of-way, and
amounts enacted for FY2020 and requested by the
implements changes to land ownership—was intended to
Administration for FY2021.
facilitate broadband infrastructure on BLM lands.
Management of Lands and Resources. The largest
Land Acquisition. BLM typically receives appropriations
account—Management of Lands and Resources—was 88%
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire
of the Administration’s request. It funds diverse programs
lands. To focus on maintaining current BLM lands, the
including energy and minerals, wild horses and burros,
Administration’s FY2021 request did not include funding
rangelands, wildlife and fisheries, facility maintenance,
for particular acquisition projects. The request proposed
resource protection, law enforcement, and recreation.
$3.0 million for acquisitions that generally facilitate access
to BLM land for recreation. The overall request was -$5.0
For FY2021, the Administration sought $1,078.5 million
million, reflecting a rescission of unobligated funds,
for this account, a decrease of $118.7 million (-10%). The
resulting in a decrease of $34.9 million (-117%) from the
FY2020 appropriation ($1,197.2 million) included a general
FY2020 enacted amount ($29.9 million). The FY2020
rescission of $19.0 million from unobligated prior-year
appropriation provided funding for eight individual
funds for which the allocation among activities and
acquisition projects and recreational access generally.
programs is not readily available. For this reason, activity
and program comparisons in this section exclude this
Oregon and California Grant Lands. This account funds
general rescission.
management of more than 2 million acres of forested lands
in western Oregon, primarily for timber production. For
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FY2021, the Administration sought $112.8 million, an
Deferred Maintenance. BLM estimated its deferred
increase of $0.7 million (+1%) over the FY2020
maintenance at $955.3 million in FY2018, mostly for roads,
appropriation of $112.1 million. The additional funding
bridges, and trails. The Administration sought $45.5 million
would be used to increase fire resiliency to improve forest
for BLM’s deferred maintenance needs in FY2021, less
health in western Oregon.
than the $75.0 million appropriated for FY2020. However,
the Administration also proposed establishing a Public
Range Improvements. The Range Improvements account
Lands Infrastructure Fund, with $6.5 billion over five years,
funds rehabilitation, protection, and improvement of BLM
for deferred maintenance of several agencies. Five percent
rangelands. The FY2021 request was $10.0 million, the
of the fund would be for BLM. Similar legislation is
same as the FY2020 enacted level. Under law, 50% of
pending in Congress.
grazing fees collected on BLM lands, or $10.0 million—
whichever is greater—are credited to a Range Improvement
Energy and Minerals. The FY2021 request proposed
Fund. Through the Range Improvements account, BLM
altering the distribution of revenues from geothermal
typically receives an annual appropriation of $10.0 million
leasing on federal lands—currently 50% to the states, 25%
for the fund.
to the Treasury, and 25% to counties—to a distribution of
50% for states and 50% for the Treasury. According to the
Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures. This account
Administration, the change would foster consistency with
allows BLM to use monies paid to the agency for particular
other revenue-sharing programs and increase the return to
activities, such as costs of processing rights-of-way and
the public. Some counties favor the status quo to reflect
energy and mineral authorizations. The FY2021 amount
their energy investments and enhance funds for services.
proposed by the Administration was offset entirely by
collections, as was the case for the FY2020 enacted
Recreation. The authority in the Federal Lands Recreation
amount.
Enhancement Act (FLREA, 16 U.S.C. §§6801 et seq.),
which allows BLM (and other agencies) to charge, collect,
Miscellaneous Trust Funds. This account appropriates
and use fees for recreation on agency lands, is set to expire
contributions made to BLM from individuals, businesses,
on October 1, 2021. As part of the FY2021 budget request,
user groups, and states. The FY2021 request of $26.0
the Administration supported permanent authority through
million was equal to the FY2020 enacted appropriation.
authorizing legislation, while also seeking a two-year
extension (through September 30, 2023) in appropriations
Legislative Proposals by the Administration
law. In FY2019, BLM retained $27.2 million in recreation
In the FY2021 request, the Trump Administration proposed
fee collections under FLREA.
extending or amending some authorities and enacting new
ones. Some of these proposals are discussed below.
Table 1. BLM Discretionary Appropriations by Account (dollars in millions)
FY2020
FY2021
% Change
Account
Enacted
Request
from FY2020
Management of Lands and Resources
$1,197.2
$1,078.5
-10%
Land Acquisition
29.9
-5.0
-117%
Oregon and California Grant Lands
112.1
112.8
+1%
Range Improvements
10.0
10.0
0%
Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeituresa
0
0
n/a
Miscel aneous Trust Funds
26.0
26.0
0%
Total BLM
$1,369.8b
$1,222.4
-11%
Source: Prepared by CRS with information from the House and Senate Committees on Ap 24
pr opriations.
Notes: n/a = not applicable. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.
a.
The amounts of $0 for Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures are a result of an appropriation matched by offsetting fees.
b. FY2020 enacted total reflects rescissions of $5.4 mil ion of unobligated Construction funds not shown in table.
Carol Hardy Vincent, Specialist in Natural Resources
Policy
IF11590
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Bureau of Land Management: FY2021 Appropriations
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