link to page 1 link to page 2 link to page 1 
Updated January 23, 2024
Bureau of Land Management: FY2024 Appropriations
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the
not include $95.0 million for BLM deferred maintenance
Department of the Interior (DOI), manages 245 million
(DM) for each year (discussed below).
acres of federal land, nearly all in the West. Under its
multiple-use mission, BLM manages lands for diverse
For FY2024, issues for Congress include determining the
purposes, including livestock grazing, energy development,
amount of funding for BLM accounts and activities and the
recreation, and conservation. The agency also administers
terms and conditions of such funding, as well as whether to
onshore federal energy and mineral resources generally.
enact related Biden Administration proposals. Congress
also could conduct oversight of expenditures as well as
As of January 22, 2024, BLM is receiving appropriations
consider additional funding (e.g., for any emergencies).
for FY2024 under continuing resolutions (CRs) providing
appropriations at FY2023 levels. This is because full-year
Discretionary Appropriations Accounts
appropriations for FY2024 have not been enacted. The third
For each BLM discretionary account, Table 2 shows
CR (P.L. 118-35) provides BLM funding through March 8,
FY2023 enacted amounts and FY2024 amounts requested
2024, unless different levels of appropriations are enacted
by the Biden Administration, passed by the House (H.R.
earlier.
4821), and reported by the Senate Appropriations
Committee (S. 2605).
For FY2024, President Biden requested $1,621.5 million
for BLM—$127.5 million (9%) over the FY2023 regular
Management of Lands and Resources (MLR). For
enacted level of $1,494.0 million (in P.L. 117-328, Division
FY2024, the President sought a $115.1 million (9%)
G). The request included increases for BLM’s main
increase, the Senate committee-reported bill sought a $3.7
account—Management of Lands and Resources (MLR)—
million (<1%) increase, and the House-passed bill included
and for the account’s nine main activities (excluding mining
a $195.0 million (15%) decrease. This account, BLM’s
law administration). (See Table 1.) It also included an
largest, funds diverse activities and programs within those
increase for BLM’s second largest account—Management
activities. For instance, the land resources activity includes
of Oregon and California Grant Lands (O&C).
programs on rangelands, forestry, cultural resources, and
wild horses and burros. Table 1 shows amounts for the nine
On November 3, 2023, the House passed H.R. 4821 with
main activities in the MLR account (and mining law
$1,238.6 million for BLM for FY2024. Earlier, on July 24,
administration).
2023, the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R.
4821 (H.Rept. 118-155), also with $1,238.6 million. This
Table 1. Activities Within MLR Account (in Millions)
would be a decrease of $255.4 million (17%) from FY2023.
H.R. 4821 would decrease funding for the MLR account
FY2023
FY2024
H.R.
and eight of the account’s nine main activities, with level
Activity
Enacted Request
4821
S. 2605
funding for the recreation activity. The bill also contained a
Land Resources
$294.6
$304.3
$281.5
$291.2
decrease for the O&C account.
Wildlife &
207.2
235.4
188.5
209.2
On July 27, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee
Aquatic Habitat
reported S. 2605 (S.Rept. 118-83), with $1,498.6 million
Recreation
74.8
91.1
74.8
74.8
for BLM for FY2024. This would be an increase of $4.7
million (<1%) over FY2023. S. 2605 would increase
Energy &
234.3
281.5
216.5
236.3
funding for the MLR account; of the nine main activities in
Minerals
the account, five would receive level funding, three would
Realty and
89.8
97.6
71.9
89.8
increase, and one would decrease. S. 2605 also contained an
Ownership
increase for the O&C account.
Resource
154.8
189.9
129.5
154.8
BLM discretionary appropriations are provided in Title I of
Protection &
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations
Maintenance
laws. BLM also receives a portion of the appropriations to
DOI for wildland fire management. Mandatory (permanent)
Transportation
76.2
85.0
57.1
76.2
appropriations are provided to BLM under various statutes
& Facilities
within the jurisdiction of authorizing committees. DOI
Maintenance
estimated BLM mandatory appropriations at $564.1 million
Workforce &
175.8
190.5
105.5
175.8
for FY2023 and $423.9 million for FY2024. This total does
Organizational
Support
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Bureau of Land Management: FY2024 Appropriations
President’s request
FY2023
FY2024
H.R.
, House-passed bill, and Senate
Activity
Enacted Request
4821
S. 2605
committee-reported bill contained the same amount.
Miscellaneous Trust Funds. This account appropriates
National
61.6
72.9
55.5
63.6 contributions made to BLM (e.g., from individuals,
Conservation
businesses, and states). The FY2023 enacted amount was
Lands
$26.0 million, as were the FY2024 levels requested by the
Mining Law
-31.3
-30.3
-38.0
-30.3 President and contained in the House-passed and Senate
Administration
committee-reported bills.
(with Offsets)
Selected Mandatory Appropriations
Offsetting
0
-65.0
0
0 Deferred Maintenance (DM). BLM estimated its DM at
Col ections (Oil
$4.8 billion in FY2022 (the most recent available), more
& Gas Fees)
than four times the FY2019 estimate ($1.1 billion). The
Total MLR
$1,337.7
$1,452.8
$1,142.6
$1,341.3 increase is largely due to changes in estimation methods.
Source: CRS, with information from the House and Senate
BLM receives both discretionary and mandatory
Appropriations Committees.
appropriations to address DM. Annual Interior
Notes: MLR = Management of Lands and Resources. Because of
appropriations laws provide discretionary appropriations,
rounding, columns may not sum to totals shown.
with $32.0 million in FY2023 through the MLR account.
Oregon and California Grant Lands. This account funds
For FY2024, the President sought an increase to $39.2
management of more than 2 million acres of forested lands
million, S. 2605 would provide level funding, and H.R.
in Western Oregon, primarily for timber production. The
4821 did not detail the level of funding.
FY2023 appropriations law included $120.3 million for this
account. For FY2024, the President sought a $12.4 million
A source of DM mandatory appropriations is the National
(10%) increase, the Senate committee-reported bill sought a
Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund,
$1.0 million (1%) increase, and the House-passed bill
established by P.L. 116-152, the Great American Outdoors
included a $60.3 million (50%) decrease.
Act (GAOA). Under GAOA, BLM’s appropriation is about
$95.0 million annually (assuming maximum revenue to the
Range Improvements. The Range Improvements account
fund). GAOA requires BLM to include, as part of its budget
funds rehabilitation, protection, and improvement of BLM
submission, projects to be funded. Appropriations laws may
rangelands. By law, 50% of grazing fees collected on BLM
specify alternate allocations. For FY2024, H.R. 4821 and S.
lands or $10.0 million—whichever is greater—is credited to
2605 would allocate funding as proposed by BLM.
a Range Improvements Fund. Through the Range
Improvements account, BLM typically receives an annual
Land Acquisition. BLM typically receives appropriations
appropriation of $10.0 million for the fund. The FY2023
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to
appropriations law included $10.0 million. For FY2024, the
acquire lands. Under GAOA, LWCF programs receive
President’s request, House-passed bill, and Senate
mandatory appropriations. GAOA requires BLM to include,
committee-reported bill also contained this amount.
as part of its budget submission, program and project
allocations for the LWCF funds. Appropriations acts may
Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures. This account
specify alternate allocations. For FY2023, the Interior
allows BLM to use monies paid to the agency for activities
appropriations law provided $69.9 million for BLM
such as rights-of-way processing and energy and minerals
acquisitions. For FY2024, the President requested $73.9
authorizations. The FY2023 estimate was $30.0 million,
million, H.R. 4821 reflected an allocation of $76.2 million,
offset by collections, for a net of $0. For FY2024, the
and S. 2605 reflected an allocation of $62.4 million.
Table 2. BLM Discretionary Appropriations by Account (in Millions)
FY2023
FY2024
FY2024
Enacted
FY2024
H. Passed
S. Committee
Account
P.L. 117-328
Requested
H.R. 4821
S. 2605
Management of Lands and Resources
$1,337.7
$1,452.8
$1,142.6
$1,341.3
Oregon and California Grant Lands
120.3
132.7
60.0
121.3
Range Improvements
10.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures
0
0
0
0
Miscellaneous Trust Funds
26.0
26.0
26.0
26.0
Total BLM
$1,494.0
$1,621.5
$1,238.6
$1,498.6
Source: CRS, with information from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.
Notes: BLM = Bureau of Land Management. The Interior Budget in Brief for FY2024 shows higher FY2023 enacted and FY2024 requested totals
largely due to differences in offsetting col ections. For Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures, the $0 amounts are a result of an
appropriation matched by offsetting fees.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Bureau of Land Management: FY2024 Appropriations
IF12499
Carol Hardy Vincent, Specialist in Natural Resources
Policy
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12499 · VERSION 3 · UPDATED