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Updated August 11, 2023
National Park Service: FY2024 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
for NPS for FY2024. The amount is 19% less than the
Park System, which includes 425 units valued for their
Administration’s request and 13% less than the FY2023
natural, cultural, and recreational importance. System lands
appropriation. On July 27, 2023, the Senate Committee on
cover 81 million federal acres and 4 million nonfederal
Appropriations reported S. 2605 (S.Rept. 118-83), with
acres. As part of the Department of the Interior (DOI), NPS
$3.457 billion for NPS for FY2024. This is 8% less than the
receives funding in annual appropriations laws for Interior,
Administration’s request and 1% less than the FY2023
Environment, and Related Agencies. Selected issues for
appropriation (Table 1).
Congress include the overall staffing levels supported by
NPS appropriations, funding to address NPS’s backlog of
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
deferred maintenance, allocations for NPS land acquisition,
NPS has five discretionary appropriations accounts (Figure
and funds for NPS assistance to nonfederal entities.
1). The majority of NPS discretionary appropriations
typically have gone to the Operation of the National Park
FY2024 Appropriations
System (ONPS) account to support day-to-day activities,
The Biden Administration requested $3.764 billion in
programs, and services at park units. These include resource
FY2024 discretionary appropriations for NPS. The request
stewardship, visitor services, park protection, facility
was 8% higher than NPS’s FY2023 appropriation of $3.475
operations and maintenance, and administrative costs.
billion in P.L. 117-328, Division G. (This FY2023 total
Figure 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations Accounts
does not include $1.500 billion provided in P.L. 117-328,
(percentages reflect FY2023 appropriations)
Division N, as supplemental funding in response to natural
disasters.) The FY2024 request included increases for some
accounts and level funding or reductions for others
compared with FY2023 (Table 1). NPS also estimated
$1.200 billion in mandatory appropriations for FY2024, a
decrease of 2% from estimated NPS mandatory funding for
FY2023. These mandatory appropriations come from
entrance and recreation fees, concessioner fees, donations,
and other sources, and also include land acquisition funding
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF, 54
U.S.C. §§200301 et seq.), designated as mandatory
appropriations by the Great American Outdoors Act
(GAOA; P.L. 116-152). NPS’s 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
Source: Joint explanatory statement for P.L. 117-328.
allocated from a DOI department-wide account.
Notes: ONPS = Operation of the National Park System.
NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation. FY2023 data do not
On July 24, 2023, the House Committee on Appropriations
reflect supplemental (emergency-designated) appropriations in P.L.
reported H.R. 4821 (H.Rept. 118-155), with $3.039 billion
117-328, Division N, to address natural disasters.
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2023 Enacted
FY2024 House-Reported
% Change from Senate-Reported % Change from
Account
(P.L. 117-328)
Request
H.R. 4821
FY2023
S. 2605
FY2023
Operation of the Nat’l. Park System
2,923.4
3,189.8
2,654.0
-9%
2,935.0
+<1%
Construction
239.8a
286.6
114.6
-52%
232.9
-3%
Historic Preservation Fund
204.5
177.9
175.4
-14%
195.2
-5%
Nat’l. Recreation and Preservation
92.5
95.2
80.0
-14%
93.4
+1%
Centennial Challenge
15.0
15.0
15.0
—
15.0
—
Total
3,475.3a
3,764.5
3,039.0
-13%
3,457.0b
-1%
Source: H.Rept. 118-155 and S.Rept. 118-83. Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
a. Does not include supplemental funding provided in P.L. 117-328 to address natural disasters, which is designated as emergency spending
outside of discretionary spending limits.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2024 Appropriations
b. Total reflects rescissions of $14.5 mil ion in unobligated balances from the Centennial Chal enge and Construction accounts.
NPS’s Construction account covers repair, replacement,
Two discretionary appropriations subactivities (“Line-Item
and improvement of existing facilities as well as new
Construction and Maintenance” in the Construction account
construction. Projects are evaluated based on criteria related
and “Repair and Rehabilitation” in the ONPS account) have
to the condition of assets, their importance to park
been primary sources of discretionary funding for NPS DM.
purposes, and project benefits and risks. The account also
For FY2023, P.L. 117-328 provided $262.7 million for
covers other construction activities and planning.
these two budget subactivities. For FY2024, S. 2605 would
provide the same amount, and H.R. 4821 does not provide
NPS administers historic preservation programs through its
detail at the level of these subactivities. Portions of other
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) account. Under the
NPS discretionary budget activities also are used for DM.
National Historic Preservation Act (54 U.S.C. §§300101 et
seq.), the HPF receives $150 million annually from offshore
The majority of mandatory spending for NPS DM derives
energy revenues, but monies are available only as provided
from the GAOA (P.L. 116-152), enacted in 2020. To
in appropriations acts. Most funding goes to state and tribal
address DM of five agencies, the GAOA established the
historic preservation offices as formula grants to preserve
LRF, which receives deposits over five years based on
cultural and historical assets. Congress also has provided
amounts of federal energy revenues. For FY2021-FY2023,
some funding for nationally competitive grant programs.
funding met the annual cap of $1.9 billion, with 70%
(approximately $1.3 billion) allocated to NPS. NPS must
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
submit, in annual budget justifications, lists of DM projects
funds NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal, and
to be funded from the LRF. Appropriators may specify
private land managers with grants for outdoor recreation
alternate allocations. For FY2024, the House and Senate
planning, natural and cultural resource preservation, and
committees would allocate the funds as proposed by NPS.
other activities. The largest single program funded through
Separately, allocations from the Highway Trust Fund
the account is NPS assistance to national heritage areas.
support NPS road repair and improvements, including DM.
Other mandatory funding sources, such as recreation fees,
The Centennial Challenge account supports the National
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 and visitor experience. The
Deferred Maintenance: Frequently Asked Questions.
fund also receives offsetting collections from senior pass
sales under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act
Land Acquisition Funding
(16 U.S.C. §§6801 et seq.).
The GAOA shifted LWCF land acquisition funding from
Issues for Congress
discretionary to mandatory spending. For FY2023, NPS
received $105.8 million from the LWCF for its own land
NPS Staffing Capacity
acquisition (in addition to funds for state grants). The
In March 2023 testimony before the House Appropriations
GAOA requires that agency budget submissions include
Committee, the NPS Director highlighted declines in NPS
program and project allocations for the LWCF funds, and
staffing since FY2011. NPS full-time equivalent (FTE) staff
appropriations acts may specify alternate allocations. For
levels have declined by an estimated 12% since that time,
FY2024, the House committee would allocate $105.4
per agency budget justifications. The estimated decline for
million and the Senate committee $98.7 million for NPS
the past decade (FY2014-FY2023) is smaller, at 3%.
land acquisition. For more information, see CRS Report
During that period, 26 new units were added to the system.
RL33531, Land and Water Conservation Fund: Overview,
(See CRS Report R42757, National Park Service (NPS)
Funding History, and Issues; and CRS In Focus IF11636,
Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends.) Across all accounts,
The Great American Outdoors Act (P.L. 116-152).
NPS’s FY2024 request would support a 7% increase in FTE
staff (from an estimated 19,390 to 20,759). Proposed
NPS Assistance to Nonfederal Sites and Programs
funding reductions in H.R. 4821 and S. 2605 could impact
Some stakeholders contend that NPS assistance to
staffing levels. Separately, P.L. 117-169, commonly known
nonfederal sites and programs should be reduced, to focus
as the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, appropriated $500.0
on NPS’s “core” mission of managing national parks. In
million, available through FY2030, to hire NPS employees.
particular, some argue that national heritage areas, which
are nonfederally managed, should be self-sufficient.
Deferred Maintenance
Congress has increased NPS funding for heritage areas in
NPS’s backlog of deferred maintenance (DM), estimated by
the past decade and new areas have been added. NPS’s
NPS at $22.3 billion as of the end of FY2022, has been a
NR&P and HPF budget accounts are used primarily for
significant issue in the appropriations process. Despite
nonfederal assistance. Combined, they represented less than
legislation and agency actions aimed at addressing the
10% of total NPS funding in FY2023. For FY2024, the
backlog, it has increased over the past decade, including a
House and Senate committees would decrease combined
59% increase between FY2020 and FY2021 that NPS
funding for these accounts, while keeping them at a similar
attributes primarily to changes in its methods for estimating
percentage of the NPS total. See CRS Report RL33462,
DM. Congress may continue to assess NPS’s progress in
National Heritage Areas: Background and Issues for
addressing DM, including the balance of discretionary and
Congress; and CRS Report R45800, The Federal Role in
mandatory funding provided for this purpose.
Historic Preservation: An Overview.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
National Park Service: FY2024 Appropriations
IF12436
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy
Disclaimer
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https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12436 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED