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Updated May 19, 2022
National Park Service: FY2022 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
had released a majority draft bill, later introduced as S.
Park System, which includes 423 units valued for their
3034, with $3.463 billion for NPS. Because FY2022
natural, cultural, and recreational importance. System lands
appropriations were not enacted by the start of the fiscal
cover 81 million federal acres and 4 million nonfederal
year, a series of continuing resolutions provided funding at
acres. As part of the Department of the Interior (DOI), NPS
FY2021 levels before enactment of P.L. 117-103.
receives funding in annual appropriations laws for Interior,
Environment, and Related Agencies. This CRS product
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
discusses NPS’s FY2022 appropriations; for information on
NPS had five discretionary budget accounts in FY2022
FY2023, see CRS In Focus IF12112, National Park
(Figure 1), not counting the land acquisition account, for
Service: FY2023 Appropriations.
which funding is now provided by mandatory
appropriations. About 85% of NPS’s FY2022 discretionary
FY2022 Appropriations
appropriations went to the Operation of the National Park
P.L. 117-103, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2022,
System (ONPS) account to support day-to-day activities,
was enacted on March 15, 2022. It contained $3.265 billion
programs, and services at park units. These include resource
for NPS, 5% more than the enacted FY2021 regular
stewardship, visitor services, park protection, facility
appropriation of $3.123 billion in P.L. 116-260. (The
operations and maintenance, and administrative costs. The
FY2022 total does not include $229.5 million provided in
FY2022 appropriation for the ONPS account was $2.767
P.L. 117-43 as supplemental funding in response to natural
billion; the Administration had requested $2.977 billion.
disasters, which is designated as emergency spending
outside of discretionary spending limits.) The regular
Figure 1. NPS Appropriations Accounts
appropriations in P.L. 117-103 included increases for four
(percentages reflect FY2022 appropriations)
of the five NPS accounts compared with FY2021 and one
account where funding was level with FY2021 (Table 1).
FY2022 appropriations in P.L. 117-103 were 7% lower than
the Biden Administration’s request of $3.497 billion. The
enacted discretionary appropriation exceeded the
Administration’s request in two accounts, matched the
request for one account, and was lower than the request for
two accounts (Table 1).
In addition to discretionary appropriations, NPS estimated
mandatory appropriations for FY2022 at $1.093 billion, a
decline of 1% from NPS mandatory funding for FY2021.
These mandatory appropriations come from entrance and
recreation fees, concessioner fees, donations, and other
Source: Joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-103.
sources and also include land acquisition funding under the
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park System’
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF; 54 U.S.C.
NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation. FY2022 data do not
§200301). Through FY2020, the LWCF funding had been
reflect supplemental (emergency-designated) appropriations in P.L.
provided through discretionary appropriations, but it was
117-43 to address natural disasters.
made mandatory in the Great American Outdoors Act
(GAOA; P.L. 116-152). NPS’s FY2022 mandatory total
The next-largest amount, 7% of the regular appropriation,
does not include $1.330 billion for NPS from the National
went to NPS’s Construction account, which covers repair,
Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF), the
replacement, and improvement of existing facilities as well
deferred maintenance fund established by the GAOA.
as new construction. Projects are evaluated based on criteria
related to the condition of assets, their importance to park
In earlier action, on July 29, 2021, the House had passed
purposes, and project benefits and risks. The account also
H.R. 4502, an FY2022 consolidated appropriations bill with
covers other construction activities and planning. P.L. 117-
$3.470 billion for NPS (also see H.Rept. 117-83 on H.R.
103 appropriated $226.0 million for the NPS Construction
4372, an earlier stand-alone House bill). On October 18,
account for FY2022; the Administration’s request was
2021, the Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee
$278.6 million.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
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Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2021 Enacted
FY2022 House-Passed Senate FY2022 Enacted % Change from
Accounta
(P.L. 116-260) Request
H.R. 4502 S. 3034
(P.L. 117-103)
FY2021
Operation of the Nat’l. Park System
2,688.3
2,977.3
2,965.8
2,930.1
2,767.0
+3%
Construction
223.9
278.6
252.6
253.1
226.0b
+1%
Historic Preservation Fund
144.3
151.8
155.8
180.1
173.1
+20%
Nat’l. Recreation and Preservation
74.2
74.5
80.4
85.2
83.9
+13%
Centennial Challenge
15.0
15.0
15.0
15.0
15.0
—
Total
3,122.7a
3,497.2
3,469.6 3,463.4
3,265.0
+5%
Sources: Data from House and Senate Committees on Appropriations; joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-103. Totals may not sum
precisely due to rounding.
a. Table does not show NPS’s Land Acquisition and State Assistance (LASA) account, for which funding was made mandatory by the GAOA
(see above). No discretionary funds went to the LASA account in FY2021 or FY2022. For FY2021 (P.L. 116-260), Congress rescinded
$23.0 mil ion from the LASA account, which is reflected in the total shown here.
b. This amount does not include supplemental funding provided in P.L. 117-43 to address natural disasters, which is designated as emergency
spending outside of discretionary spending limits.
About 5% of the FY2022 discretionary appropriations were
Through FY2020, NPS’s Land Acquisition and State
for the Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) account. The
Assistance (LASA) account consisted of discretionary
HPF, established by the National Historic Preservation Act
appropriations from the LWCF, the primary funding source
(54 U.S.C. §300101 et seq.), receives $150 million annually
for the federal land management agencies to acquire lands.
from offshore energy revenues, but monies are available
The account covered NPS’s own acquisitions—typically
only as provided in appropriations acts. P.L. 117-103
nonfederal “inholdings” inside the boundaries of national
provided $173.1 million for FY2022, primarily for NPS
park units—and NPS grants to states for outdoor recreation
formula grants to state and tribal historic preservation
needs. In August 2020, the GAOA made all funding from
offices to preserve cultural and historical assets and sites.
the LWCF mandatory spending. Allocation of the funding
Portions of the total also were for competitive grant
remains an issue in the appropriations process, as the
programs, historically black colleges and universities, and
GAOA requires that the President’s annual budget
historic revitalization, as well as the Save America’s
submission include account, program, and project
Treasures program (which preserves nationally significant
allocations for the LWCF funds, and appropriations acts
sites, structures, and artifacts) and sites related to the U.S.
may specify alternate allocations. For FY2022, in addition
Semiquincentennial (the 250th anniversary of the founding
to allocating monies for projects proposed by the
of the United States). The Administration had requested
Administration in the NPS budget request, appropriators
$151.8 million overall for the HPF account.
designated five NPS land acquisition projects as community
project funding/congressionally directed spending.
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
received about 3% of the FY2022 total discretionary
Funding for the LRF, the deferred maintenance fund
appropriations. This account funds NPS programs that
established by the GAOA, also is designated as mandatory
assist state, local, tribal, and private land managers with
spending, allocated from a DOI department-wide account.
grants for outdoor recreation planning, natural and cultural
The LRF receives annual deposits over five years based on
resource preservation, and other activities. The largest
amounts of federal energy revenues. The fund has a cap of
individual program funded through the account is NPS
$1.900 billion annually, with 70% allocated to NPS. For
assistance to national heritage areas. The FY2022
FY2022, the maximum revenues were available, so NPS
appropriation for the NR&P account was $83.9 million, of
received $1.330 billion. As in the case of the LWCF, the
which $27.1 million was for national heritage areas. The
Administration must submit to Congress, with the annual
Administration had requested $74.5 million for the account,
budget request, lists of priority DM projects to be addressed
of which $22.2 million was for national heritage areas.
with LRF funding. Appropriators may specify alternate
allocations for the funds. For FY2022, the funds were
Less than 1% of the FY2022 discretionary appropriation
allocated as proposed in the NPS budget submission.
went to the Centennial Challenge account, to support the
National Park Centennial Challenge Fund. Authorized in
For More Information
2016 (54 U.S.C. §103501), the fund provides matching
For more information, see CRS Report R42757, National
grants to spur partner donations for projects or programs
Park Service Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends; and CRS
that further the NPS mission and enhance the visitor
Report R46908, Interior, Environment, and Related
experience. Deferred maintenance projects are prioritized.
Agencies: Overview of FY2022 Appropriations.
The FY2022 appropriation for the account was $15.0
million, the same as requested by the Administration. The
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
fund also receives offsetting collections from the sale of
senior passes under the Federal Lands Recreational
IF11928
Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. §§6801-6814).
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2022 Appropriations
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11928 · VERSION 6 · UPDATED