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September 15, 2021
National Park Service: FY2022 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
NPS (Table 1). The House-passed amount is 1% lower than
Park System, which includes 423 units valued for their
the Administration’s request and 11% higher than the
natural, cultural, and recreational importance. System lands
FY2021 appropriation. The House bill contains increases or
cover 81 million federal acres and 4 million nonfederal
level funding for all NPS accounts compared with FY2021.
acres. As part of the Department of the Interior (DOI), NPS
receives funding in annual appropriations laws for Interior,
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
Environment, and Related Agencies. Selected issues for
NPS has five discretionary appropriations accounts (Figure
Congress include the total level of NPS appropriations,
1), not counting the land acquisition account (for which
funding to address NPS’s backlog of deferred maintenance
funding is now provided by mandatory appropriations). The
(DM), and funds for NPS assistance to nonfederal entities.
majority of NPS discretionary appropriations typically have
FY2022 Appropriations
gone to the Operation of the National Park System (ONPS)
account to support day-to-day activities, programs, and
The Biden Administration requested $3.497 billion in
services at park units. These include resource stewardship,
FY2022 discretionary appropriations for NPS. The request
visitor services, park protection, facility operations and
was 12% more than NPS’s FY2021 discretionary
maintenance, and administrative costs.
appropriation of $3.123 billion, enacted in P.L. 116-260.
The request included increases or level funding for all NPS
Figure 1. NPS Appropriations Accounts
accounts as compared with FY2021 (Table 1). NPS’s
(percentages reflect FY2021 appropriations)
budget justification also estimated $1.108 billion in
mandatory appropriations for NPS for FY2022, an increase
of 7% over estimated NPS mandatory funding for FY2021.
These mandatory appropriations come from entrance and
recreation fees, concessioner fees, donations, and other
sources and also include land acquisition funding under the
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF, 54 U.S.C.
§200301). The LWCF funding previously had been
provided through discretionary appropriations but was
made mandatory in the Great American Outdoors Act
(GAOA; P.L. 116-152). NPS’s mandatory total does not
include NPS’s share from the DM fund established by the
GAOA, which is recorded as a separate allocation from a
DOI department-wide account.
Source: Joint explanatory statement for P.L. 116-260.
On July 6, 2021, the House Committee on Appropriations
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park System.
reported H.R. 4372 (H.Rept. 117-83), with $3.470 billion
NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation. The FY2021
for NPS for FY2022. On July 29, 2021, the House passed
appropriation included a rescission of $23.0 million from the Land
H.R. 4502, a consolidated bill with the same amount for
Acquisition and State Assistance account.
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2021 Enacted
FY2022 % Change from House-Passed
% Change from
Accounta
(P.L. 116-260)
Request
FY2021 H.R. 4502
FY2021
Operation of the Nat’l. Park System
2,688.3
2,977.3
+11%
2,965.8
+10%
Construction
223.9
278.6
+24%
252.6
+13%
Historic Preservation Fund
144.3
151.8
+5%
155.8
+8%
Nat’l. Recreation and Preservation
74.2
74.5
+<1%
80.4
+8%
Centennial Challenge
15.0
15.0
—
15.0
—
Total
3,122.7a
3,497.2
+12%
3,469.6
+11%
Sources: Data from House Committee on Appropriations and NPS FY2022 budget request. Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
a. Table does not show NPS’s Land Acquisition and State Assistance (LASA) account. In past years this account has been supported by
discretionary funding from the LWCF, but the funding was made mandatory by the GAOA (see above). No discretionary funds were
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National Park Service: FY2022 Appropriations
provided for the LASA account for FY2021 under P.L. 116-260 or for FY2022 under the President’s request or House-passed H.R. 4502.
For FY2021 (P.L. 116-260), Congress rescinded $23.0 million from the LASA account, which is reflected in the total shown here.
NPS’s Construction account covers rehabilitation and
established a fund receiving deposits of certain federal
replacement of existing facilities as well as new
energy revenues over five years, up to a cap of $1.900
construction. NPS prioritizes DM in project planning.
billion annually, with 70% of the available funding
Projects are evaluated based on department-wide criteria
allocated to NPS. For FY2021, the maximum revenues
related to the condition of assets and their importance to the
were available, so that NPS received $1.330 billion. NPS
park’s purposes. The account also covers other construction
must submit to Congress, with annual budget justifications,
activities and planning.
lists of priority DM projects to be addressed with this
funding. Appropriators may specify alternate allocations for
NPS administers historic preservation programs through its
the funds. For more information, see CRS In Focus
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) account. Under the
IF11636, The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-
National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. §300101),
152).
the fund receives $150 million annually from offshore
energy revenues, but monies are available only as provided
Additionally, allocations from the Highway Trust Fund
in appropriations acts. Most of the funding goes to state and
support NPS road repair and improvements, including DM.
tribal historic preservation offices as formula grants to
Other mandatory funding sources, such as recreation fees,
preserve cultural and historical assets and sites. Congress
also have been used for NPS DM. For more information,
also has made some funding available for nationally
see CRS Report R44924, National Park Service Deferred
competitive grant programs.
Maintenance: Frequently Asked Questions.
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
Land Acquisition Funding
funds NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal, and
LWCF funding for NPS land acquisition has been a subject
private land managers with grants for outdoor recreation
of debate in the annual appropriations process. Some
planning, natural and cultural resource preservation, and
Members have expressed the view that agency funding to
other activities. The largest single program funded through
acquire new lands is misplaced given maintenance needs
the account is NPS assistance to national heritage areas.
for existing lands, whereas others have contended that the
funds—which typically are used to acquire nonfederal
The Centennial Challenge account supports the National
inholdings within existing park units—help to complete
Park Centennial Challenge Fund. Authorized by Congress
valued parks and may facilitate maintenance efforts. The
in 2016 (54 U.S.C. §103501), the fund provides matching
GAOA shifted LWCF land acquisition funding from
grants to spur partner donations for projects or programs
discretionary to mandatory spending. Under the GAOA,
that further the NPS mission and enhance the visitor
NPS budget submissions still must include account,
experience. DM is prioritized. The fund also is authorized
program, and project allocations for the LWCF funds, and
to receive offsetting collections from the sale of senior
appropriations acts may specify alternate allocations. For
passes under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement
more information, see CRS Report RL33531, Land and
Act (16 U.S.C. §6801).
Water Conservation Fund: Overview, Funding History, and
Issues for Congress
Issues; and CRS In Focus IF11636, The Great American
Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152).
Deferred Maintenance
NPS’s backlog of DM, estimated at $14.368 billion as of
NPS Assistance to Nonfederal Sites and Programs
the end of FY2020, has been a significant issue in the
Some Members and other stakeholders have questioned
appropriations process. Despite legislation and agency
whether NPS assistance to nonfederal sites and programs
actions aimed at addressing the backlog, it has increased
should be reduced in order to focus funding on the agency’s
over the past decade. NPS funding to address DM comes
“core” mission of managing national parks. Two NPS
from multiple sources and includes both discretionary and
discretionary accounts (NR&P and HPF) provide funding
mandatory spending. Congress may continue to assess
for such nonfederal assistance. These accounts combined
NPS’s progress in addressing DM, including the balance of
represented less than 10% of total NPS funding in FY2021.
discretionary and mandatory funding provided for this
For FY2022, both the Biden Administration’s request and
purpose.
House-passed H.R. 4502 would increase funding for the
NR&P and HPF accounts. In previous years, both the
Two discretionary appropriations sub-activities (Line-Item
Trump and the Obama Administrations proposed reductions
Construction and Maintenance in the Construction account
for some programs, including NPS grants to national
and Repair and Rehabilitation in the ONPS account) have
heritage areas, which are nonfederally managed. President
been primary sources of discretionary funding for NPS DM.
Trump’s FY2021 budget request, for example, would have
For FY2021, P.L. 116-260 provided $267.8 million for
eliminated heritage area project funding and encouraged
these two budget sub-activities; for FY2022, House-passed
heritage area managers to seek sustainable funding from
H.R. 4502 would provide $274.7 million. Portions of other
local and private beneficiaries. For more information, see
NPS discretionary budget activities also are used for DM.
CRS Report RL33462, Heritage Areas: Background,
Proposals, and Current Issues; and CRS Report R45800,
The majority of mandatory spending for NPS DM is
The Federal Role in Historic Preservation: An Overview.
provided through the GAOA (P.L. 116-152), enacted in
2020. To address DM of five agencies, the GAOA
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National Park Service: FY2022 Appropriations
IF11928
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11928 · VERSION 1 · NEW