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November 29, 2023
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2024 Appropriations
Introduction
Figure 1. FY2015-FY2024 FWS Discretionary Funding
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), an agency
(in FY2022 dol ars)
within the Department of the Interior (DOI), has a mission
to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants
and their habitats. Congress funds FWS through
discretionary and mandatory appropriations. FWS
discretionary appropriations typically are included in the
annual Department of the Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies Appropriations acts. Discretionary
appropriations fund many activities related to the agency’s
mission, such as resource management and conservation,
construction projects, and payments and grants to states and
other parties. This In Focus focuses primarily on annual
Source: CRS using “budget authority” data from Appendix A of The
discretionary funding for FWS for FY2024.
Interior Budget in Brief. In general, enacted amounts are taken from the
volume two years later than the fiscal year indicated.
FWS sometimes receives supplemental funding in addition
Notes: Appropriations general y exclude supplemental funding,
to annual discretionary appropriations. For instance, the
transfers, recessions, and cancel ations. Figures are adjusted to
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58),
FY2022 constant dol ars using Office of Management and Budget,
enacted in 2021, provided FWS with supplemental funding
President’s Budget Fiscal Year 2024, Historical Tables, Table 10.1: Gross
of $91.0 million annually from FY2022 to FY2026. The
Domestic Product and Deflators Used in the Historical Tables: 1940-2028.
monies were provided for activities under the Resource
Management account, including fish and wildlife passage
Resource Management Account
restoration and regional ecosystem restoration. Further,
The Resource Management account comprises the majority
mandatory (permanent) appropriations are provided to FWS
(88% in FY2023) of the FWS annual discretionary
under various statutes within the jurisdiction of authorizing
appropriation (Table 1). For FY2024, the Administration
committees. The Interior Budget in Brief, Fiscal Year 2024,
requested a $303.4 million increase from the FY2023
estimated FWS mandatory appropriations at $2.14 billion in
enacted level for this account. The House-passed bill
FY2023 and $1.99 billion for FY2024. These totals do not
contained a $212.5 million decrease from FY2023. The
include $95.0 million in annual mandatory funding
Senate committee-reported bill contained a $30.4 million
authorized under the Great American Outdoors Act (P.L.
increase from FY2023. Table 2 shows the funding levels
116-152) for deferred maintenance.
for activities within the account.
FWS Discretionary Appropriations
Other FWS Accounts
From FY2015 to FY2023, FWS received, on average, $1.76
In FY2023, $217.6 million in annual discretionary funding
billion annually in discretionary funding (adjusted to
was appropriated for seven other FWS accounts that
FY2022 dollars; see Figure 1). For FY2024, the
support construction, conservation activities, financial and
Administration requested $2.09 billion in discretionary
technical assistance, and revenue sharing, among other
funding for FWS across eight accounts (Table 1).
activities (Table 1). For FY2024, the Administration
requested a $15.6 million increase from the FY2023
Regular FY2024 appropriations were not enacted by the
enacted level for these seven accounts. The House-passed
start of the fiscal year (October 1, 2023). FWS is receiving
bill contained a $21.3 million decrease from FY2023. The
funding at FY2023 levels under a continuing resolution in
Senate committee-reported bill contained a $0.2 million
effect through February 2, 2024 (P.L. 118-22).
increase from FY2023.
For FY2024, H.R. 4821, as passed by the House on
Issues for Congress
November 3, 2023, would appropriate $1.54 billion for
Among other issues for FY2024, Congress is considering
FWS, a $233.8 million decrease from the FY2023 enacted
the funding levels of agency activities that aim to improve
level and $552.7 million less than the Administration’s
and restore habitats. For example, the IIJA provided $200
FY2024 request. S. 2605, as reported by the Senate
million to be distributed over five years to FWS for
Appropriations Committee on July 27, 2023, would
technical assistance and project funding to restore fish
appropriate $1.80 billion for FWS for FY2024, $30.6
passages in rivers. The Administration’s FY2024 request
million more than the FY2023 enacted level and $288.4
would provide an additional $18.6 million through the
million less than the FY2024 request.
Fisheries and Aquatic Conservation activity for fish passage
improvement. Authorizing committees continue to assess
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the funding of programs aimed to support wildlife
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National
movement across public, tribal, and private lands.
Marine Fisheries Service) was included in S. 2309.
For FY2024, Congress also is considering whether to enact
A second Administration proposal would shift the Office of
Administration proposals as set out in The Interior Budget
Subsistence Management from FWS to the DOI Assistant
in Brief. One proposal would expand the authority for
Secretary for Indian Affairs, with a related shift of funding
agencies to transfer funds under the IIJA to FWS to
from activities within Resource Management. According to
accelerate and improve environmental reviews in support of
FWS, the change would facilitate expanded tribal
development of infrastructure projects and energy solutions.
comanagement partnerships and incorporation of
In its report on S. 2605, the Senate Appropriations
Indigenous knowledge into subsistence management. In its
Committee noted that the requested transfer authority of
report on S. 2605, the Senate Appropriations Committee
unobligated IIJA funding to FWS (and the National
expressed support for this transfer.
Table 1. Discretionary Funding by Account for FWS
Table 2. Activities Within Resource Management
(nominal $ in millions)
Account (nominal $ in millions)
H.R. 4821
S. 2605
H.R.
FY2023
FY2024
House
Comm.
4821
S. 2605
Account
Enacted
Request
Passed
Reported
FY2023
FY2024
House
Comm.
Activity
Enacted
Request
Passed
Reported
Resource
Management
1,555.7
1,859.1
1,343.2
1,586.1
Ecological
Services
296.0
384.5
270.4
298.7
Construction
29.9
51.0
15.0
29.9
Habitat
Cooperative
Conservation
74.2
100.1
64.8
79.7
Endangered
Species
National Wildlife
Conservation
Refuge System
541.6
624.9
487.4
539.2
Fund
24.6
23.7
22.0
24.6
Conservation
National
and Enforcement
175.0
223.2
148.1
174.0
Wildlife
Fish and Aquatic
Refuge Fund
13.2
0.0
13.2
13.2
Conservation
241.6
259.8
222.6
247.2
North
Science Support
35.4
55.5
30.3
36.4
American
Wetlands
General
Conservation
Operations
166.3
206.2
116.4
165.9
Fund
50.0
50.0
48.5
50.2
Stewardship
Neotropical
Priorities
25.6
0
0
44.9
Migratory
Bird
Damage
Conservation
5.1
9.9
5.0
5.1
Recovery
Provision
0
5.0
0
0
Multinational
Species
Account Total
$1,555.7
$1,859.1
$1,340.0
$1,586.1
Conservation
Source: CRS using data from House and Senate Appropriations
Fund
21.0
22.0
20.0
21.0
Committees (H.Rept. 118-155 on H.R. 4821 and S.Rept. 118-83 on S.
2605).
State and
Notes: The total for the House-passed column differs from the
Tribal Wildlife
amount shown in Table 1, because it does not reflect $3.2 mil ion in
Grants
73.8
76.6
72.6
73.8
floor amendments that did not specify the activity. Columns may not
Accounts
sum to totals shown due to rounding
Total
$1,773.3
$2,092.2
$1,539.5
$1,803.8
Source: CRS using data from House and Senate Appropriations
Caitlin Keating-Bitonti, Analyst in Natural Resources
Committees (H.Rept. 118-155 on H.R. 4821 and S.Rept. 118-83 on S.
Policy
2605) and House floor amendments. FY2024 request amounts are
Carol Hardy Vincent, Specialist in Natural Resources
from S.Rept. 118-83, which includes $5.0 mil ion in the Resource
Policy
Management account (see Table 2) that H.Rept. 118-155 identifies
IF12540
separately as an administrative provision. Columns may not sum to
totals shown due to rounding.
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2024 Appropriations
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