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Updated August 8, 2022
National Park Service: FY2023 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
H.R. 8294, a consolidated bill with the same amount for
Park System, which includes 423 units valued for their
NPS. The amount is 1% higher than the Administration’s
natural, cultural, and recreational importance. System lands
request and 12% higher than the FY2022 appropriation. On
cover 81 million federal acres and 4 million nonfederal
July 28, 2022, S. 4686 was introduced in the Senate with
acres. As part of the Department of the Interior (DOI), NPS
$3.578 billion in FY2023 discretionary appropriations for
receives funding in annual appropriations laws for Interior,
NPS. This is 1% less than the FY2023 request and 10%
Environment, and Related Agencies. Selected issues for
more than FY2022. The Senate Appropriations Committee
Congress include the total level of NPS appropriations,
also released a draft explanatory statement for the bill.
funding to address NPS’s backlog of deferred maintenance,
and funds for NPS assistance to nonfederal entities.
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
NPS has five discretionary appropriations accounts (Figure
FY2023 Appropriations
1). The majority of NPS discretionary appropriations
The Biden Administration requested $3.607 billion in
typically have gone to the Operation of the National Park
FY2023 discretionary appropriations for NPS. The request
System (ONPS) account to support day-to-day activities,
was 10% higher than NPS’s FY2022 appropriation of
programs, and services at park units. These include resource
$3.265 billion enacted in P.L. 117-103. (The FY2022 total
stewardship, visitor services, park protection, facility
does not include $229.5 million provided in P.L. 117-43 as
operations and maintenance, and administrative costs.
supplemental funding in response to natural disasters.) The
Figure 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations Accounts
FY2023 request included increases for some accounts and
(percentages reflect FY2022 appropriations)
level funding or reductions for others compared with
FY2022 (Table 1). NPS also estimated $1.143 billion in
mandatory appropriations for FY2023, an increase of 5%
over estimated NPS mandatory funding for FY2022. These
mandatory appropriations include, among other funds,
entrance and recreation fees, concessioner fees, donations,
and land acquisition and state assistance funding from the
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF, 54 U.S.C.
§§200301 et seq.). The LWCF funding had been provided
in discretionary appropriations through FY2020 but was
made mandatory in the Great American Outdoors Act
(GAOA; P.L. 116-152). The mandatory total does not
include NPS’s share from the National Parks and Public
Land Legacy Restoration Fund (LRF)—the deferred
maintenance fund established by the GAOA—which is
allocated from a DOI department-wide account.
Source: Joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-103.
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park System;
On July 1, 2022, the House Committee on Appropriations
NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation. FY2022 data do not
reported H.R. 8262 (H.Rept. 117-400), with $3.643 billion
reflect supplemental (emergency-designated) appropriations in P.L.
for NPS for FY2023. On July 20, 2022, the House passed
117-43 to address natural disasters.
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2022 Enacted
FY2023 House-Passed % Change from Senate % Change from
Account
(P.L. 117-103)
Request
H.R. 8294
FY2022 S. 4686
FY2022
Operation of the Nat’l. Park System
2,767.0
3,086.6
3,089.9
+12%
3,044.2
+10%
Construction
226.0a
279.3
279.3
+24%
241.2
+7%
Historic Preservation Fund
173.1
151.8
170.8
-1%
191.9
+11%
Nat’l. Recreation and Preservation
83.9
74.6
88.2
+5%
85.4
+2%
Centennial Challenge
15.0
15.0
15.0
—
15.0
—
Total
3,265.0
3,607.3
3,643.3
+12% 3,577.8
+10%
Sources: Data from House Committee on Appropriations. Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
a. Does not include supplemental funding provided in P.L. 117-43 to address natural disasters.
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National Park Service: FY2023 Appropriations
NPS’s Construction account covers repair, replacement,
and “Repair and Rehabilitation” in the ONPS account) have
and improvement of existing facilities as well as new
been primary sources of discretionary funding for NPS DM.
construction. Projects are evaluated based on criteria related
For FY2022, P.L. 117-103 provided $272.7 million for
to the condition of assets, their importance to park
these two budget subactivities; for FY2023, House-passed
purposes, and project benefits and risks. The account also
H.R. 8294 would provide $270.7 million and S. 4686 would
covers other construction activities and planning.
provide $262.7 million. Portions of other NPS discretionary
budget activities also are used for DM.
NPS administers historic preservation programs through its
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) account. Under the
The majority of mandatory spending for NPS DM derives
National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. §§300101 et
from the GAOA (P.L. 116-152), enacted in 2020. To
seq.), the HPF receives $150 million annually from offshore
address DM of five agencies, the GAOA established the
energy revenues, but monies are available only as provided
LRF, which receives deposits over five years based on
in appropriations acts. Most funding goes to state and tribal
amounts of federal energy revenues. For FY2021 and
historic preservation offices as formula grants to preserve
FY2022, funding met the annual cap of $1.900 billion, with
cultural and historical assets. Congress also has provided
70% ($1.330 billion) allocated to NPS. NPS must submit, in
some funding for nationally competitive grant programs.
annual budget justifications, lists of DM projects to be
funded from the LRF. Appropriators may specify alternate
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
allocations. For FY2023, the House would allocate the
funds NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal, and
funds as proposed by NPS, while the Senate committee
private land managers with grants for outdoor recreation
draft would add one project as congressionally directed
planning, natural and cultural resource preservation, and
spending. Separately, allocations from the Highway Trust
other activities. The largest single program funded through
Fund support NPS road repair and improvements, including
the account is NPS assistance to national heritage areas.
DM. Other mandatory funding sources, such as recreation
The Centennial Challenge account supports the National
fees, also have been used for NPS DM. See CRS In Focus
Park Centennial Challenge Fund (54 U.S.C. §§103501 et
IF11636, The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-
seq.), which matches donations for projects or programs
152); and CRS Report R44924, National Park Service
that further the NPS mission or visitor experience. Deferred
Deferred Maintenance: Frequently Asked Questions.
maintenance is prioritized. The fund also receives offsetting
collections from senior pass sales under the Federal Lands
Land Acquisition Funding
Recreation Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. §§6801 et seq.).
The GAOA shifted LWCF land acquisition funding from
discretionary to mandatory spending. Allocation of the
Issues for Congress
funding remains an issue in the appropriations process, as
the GAOA requires that agency budget submissions include
NPS Staffing Capacity
program and project allocations for the LWCF funds, and
In May 2022 testimony before the House Appropriations
appropriations acts may specify alternate allocations. For
Committee, the NPS Director highlighted the decline in
FY2023, in addition to projects proposed by NPS, the
agency staffing over the past decade. NPS full-time
House included one NPS land acquisition as community
equivalent (FTE) staffing levels declined by 9% between
project funding. The Senate committee draft followed the
FY2013 and FY2022, while 25 new units were added to the
NPS request. For more information, see CRS Report
system. (See CRS Report R42757, National Park Service
RL33531, Land and Water Conservation Fund: Overview,
(NPS) Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends.) The House and
Funding History, and Issues; and CRS In Focus IF11636,
Senate bills both would meet NPS funding requests in the
The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152).
ONPS account to “build park capacity.” Across all
accounts, NPS’s FY2023 request would support an 8%
NPS Assistance to Nonfederal Sites and Programs
increase in FTE staff (from 18,930 to 20,495). Also, the
Some Members of Congress and other stakeholders have
Senate-passed Inflation Reduction Act (amending budget
questioned whether NPS assistance to nonfederal sites and
reconciliation legislation, H.R. 5376) would appropriate
programs should be reduced, to better focus on the agency’s
$500.0 million, to remain available through FY2030, to hire
“core” mission of managing national parks. In particular,
NPS employees, and contains other NPS funding.
some have encouraged national heritage areas, which are
nonfederally managed, to develop plans for self-sufficiency,
Deferred Maintenance
but Congress has increased heritage area funding over the
NPS’s backlog of deferred maintenance (DM), estimated at
past decade. Two NPS discretionary accounts (NR&P and
$21.83 billion as of the first quarter of FY2022, has been a
HPF) provide funding for nonfederal assistance. Combined,
significant issue in the appropriations process. Despite
they represented less than 10% of total NPS funding in
legislation and agency actions aimed at addressing the
FY2022. For FY2023, the House and Senate bills would
backlog, it has increased over the past decade, including a
increase combined funding for the two accounts. See CRS
59% increase between FY2020 and FY2021 that NPS
Report RL33462, Heritage Areas: Background, Proposals,
attributes primarily to changes in its methods for estimating
and Current Issues; and CRS Report R45800, The Federal
DM. Congress may continue to assess NPS’s progress in
Role in Historic Preservation: An Overview.
addressing DM, including the balance of discretionary and
mandatory funding provided for this purpose.
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Two discretionary appropriations subactivities (“Line-Item
IF12112
Construction and Maintenance” in the Construction account
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2023 Appropriations
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12112 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED