National Park Service: FY2015 and FY2016 Appropriations

June 5, 2015
National Park Service: FY2015 and FY2016 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
Figure 1. NPS Appropriations Accounts:
Park System, which covers 84.5 million acres of land and
Share of Total FY2015 Appropriation
includes 407 diverse units valued for their natural, cultural,
and recreational importance. NPS receives appropriations in
annual appropriations laws for Interior, Environment, and
Related Agencies.
P.L. 113-235 provided NPS with a total of $2.615
billion in discretionary appropriations for FY2015.
For FY2015, P.L. 113-235 contained $2.615 billion in
discretionary appropriations for NPS. For FY2016, NPS has
requested $3.048 billion, an increase of $433.1 million
(16.6%) over the FY2015 appropriation. The agency has

stated that much of the increased funding would address its
Source: P.L. 113-235.
growing backlog of deferred maintenance in connection
Notes: The total appropriation includes a rescission of $28 million in
with NPS’s upcoming centennial anniversary in 2016.
LWCF contract authority, not depicted in the chart.
NR&P = National Recreation and Preservation.
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by
Account
The next-largest amount, 5% of the total appropriation,
($ in millions)
went to NPS’s Construction account. The account’s primary
activity, Line-Item Construction and Maintenance, covers
FY2015 FY2016
%
construction of new facilities and rehabilitation and
Account
Enacted Request Change
replacement of existing facilities. Projects are prioritized
Operation of Nat’l. Park System
2,275.8
2,515.1
+10.5%
based on their contribution to NPS “mission factors” and
cost-benefit considerations. The account also covers other
Construction 138.3
251.0
+81.5%
construction activities and planning functions, including
Land Acq. & State Assistance
99.0
117.5
+18.7%
preparation of park general management plans and studies
that assess areas for potential addition to the system.
Nat’l. Recreation & Preservation
63.1
54.2
-14.1%
Some 4% of the total appropriation went to the Land
Historic Preservation Fund
56.4
89.9
+59.3%
Acquisition and State Assistance (LASA) account. This
Centennial Chal enge
10.0
50.0 +400.0%
amount represents NPS’s share of appropriations from the
Land and Water Conservation Fund (16 U.S.C. §§460l-4 et
LWCF Rescissiona -28.0
-30.0
-7.1%
seq.), the primary funding source for several federal land
Totala 2,614.6
3,047.7 +16.6%
management agencies to acquire lands. NPS’s share of the
funding supports the agency’s acquisitions, primarily
Sources: P.L. 113-235, Division F; House Appropriations Committee
consisting of “inholdings”—lands that are inside the
detailed tables for the National Park Service.
boundaries of national park units but are not federally
a. Totals reflect a rescission of Land and Water Conservation
owned. It also supports NPS grants to states—and, through
Fund (LWCF) contract authority.
them, to localities—for outdoor recreation needs. These
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
50/50 matching grants are primarily allocated to states by
formula. Of the $99.0 million total appropriated for the
NPS’s FY2015 appropriations were spread across six
account for FY2015, $50.8 million was for NPS acquisition
accounts, as shown in Table 1. The largest appropriations
and $48.1 million was for state assistance.
share—about 87%—went to the Operation of the National
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
Park System (ONPS) account (see Figure 1). This account
received about 2% of the total appropriation. This account
supports the activities, programs, and services that form the
funds NPS programs that primarily assist state, local, tribal,
day-to-day operations of the National Park System. The
and private land managers with outdoor recreation
majority of ONPS funding goes directly to individual park
planning, natural and cultural resource preservation, and
units. Activities covered under the account include resource
other activities outside the National Park System. The
stewardship, visitor services, park protection (including the
largest single program in the account is for NPS assistance
U.S. Park Police), facility operations and maintenance, park
to national heritage areas ($20.3 million in FY2015).
support, and external administrative costs.
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National Park Service: FY2015 and FY2016 Appropriations
Another 2% of the appropriation went to the Historic
the agency’s “second century.” For FY2016, NPS requests
Preservation Fund (HPF). Through this fund, established by
increases of $326.3 million in discretionary appropriations
the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (16 U.S.C.
and $500 million in mandatory funding for centennial-
§470), NPS provides grants to state, local, tribal, and
related activities.
private entities to conserve cultural and historical assets and
sites. The grants are normally awarded on a 60% federal/
The 113th Congress discussed in Senate hearings, but did
40% state cost-share basis, and they are administered by
not act on, other potential ways to address NPS funding in
state and tribal historic preservation offices.
connection with the centennial. Proposals focused on
funding sources to supplement discretionary appropriations,
Finally, less than 1% of the FY2015 appropriation went to a
such as an NPS endowment, increased fees, enhanced donor
Centennial Challenge account, consisting of a matching-
partnerships, or other types of mandatory appropriations.
grant program to spur partner donations for park
improvements in anticipation of the National Park System’s
Land Acquisition Funding
100th anniversary in 2016. This program also received
discretionary appropriations in FY2008 and FY2010. Both
The extent to which NPS land acquisition funding should
the George W. Bush and Obama Administrations sought
be increased, decreased, or redirected continues to be a
additional mandatory appropriations of up to $100 million
focus for appropriators. NPS’s land acquisition funding is
for this fund, but Congress did not enact such legislation.
appropriated from the Land and Water Conservation Fund,
NPS again requested this mandatory funding for FY2016.
which is due to expire on September 30, 2015. At a broad
level, some in Congress object to further expansion of the
Issues in NPS Appropriations
federal estate, whereas others feel that more areas need
federal protection. For NPS, some Members have suggested
Deferred Maintenance
that agency funding to acquire new lands is misplaced when
maintenance needs for the existing lands in the system are
NPS’s growing backlog of deferred maintenance continues
not being met. Some also assert that certain recent
to be an issue as Congress considers appropriations for
acquisitions have lacked the national value of many iconic
FY2016. The Department of the Interior estimated the NPS
sites of the National Park System. Supporters of NPS land
backlog for FY2014 at $9.31 billion to $13.70 billion, with
acquisition funding have emphasized that the majority of
a mid-range figure of $11.50 billion. Despite agency efforts
funds are used to acquire nonfederal inholdings within
to address the backlog through improved inventory and
existing park units, and they have contended that such
asset management, it has continued to increase.
acquisitions help to “complete” valued parks and may even
NPS funding to address deferred maintenance comes from
facilitate maintenance efforts.
discretionary appropriations and from other sources. Two
NPS Assistance to Nonfederal Sites
appropriations subaccounts (one under Construction and the
other under ONPS) are partially used to address deferred
Both Congress and the Administration have questioned
maintenance. Allocations to the agency from the Federal
whether some NPS assistance to nonfederal areas should be
Highway Administration are used for NPS road
reduced in light of agency budget constraints. Two agency
construction and repair. Other sources, such as recreation
accounts (the NR&P and HPF accounts), along with a
fee collections, may also be used.
portion of the LASA account, are used to fund NPS
assistance to nonfederal entities, although these accounts
Congress has considered whether to increase discretionary
combined represent less than 10% of the agency’s total
funding for NPS deferred maintenance, whether to provide
funding. In FY2016, as in previous years, the
mandatory funding outside the annual appropriations
Administration has proposed that NPS funding for national
process, and/or whether the agency needs to use existing
heritage areas (which are nonfederally managed) should be
funding more efficiently. In the 113th Congress, in addition
reduced by about half to focus funding on the agency’s core
to discretionary appropriations, P.L. 113-40 provided
mission of managing the federal parks. However, Congress
mandatory funding from federal helium sales for NPS
has not concurred with NPS requests for heritage area
deferred maintenance, totaling $50.0 million over two years
funding reductions in recent years.
(FY2018-FY2019). Funded projects must have a nonfederal
cost share. The Administration’s FY2016 budget request
For More Information
seeks other new mandatory funding, as well as increased
discretionary funding (see below), to address the NPS
For more information, see CRS Report R42757, National
backlog as the agency’s centennial anniversary nears.
Park Service: FY2016 Appropriations and Recent Trends;
CRS Report R43617, Interior, Environment, and Related
NPS Centennial
Agencies: FY2015 Appropriations; and CRS Report
For FY2015, P.L. 113-235 included $25.0 million in the
R43997, Deferred Maintenance of Federal Land
ONPS account and $10.0 million in the Centennial
Management Agencies: FY2005-FY2014 Estimates.
Challenge account for activities related to the agency’s
Laura B. Comay, lcomay@crs.loc.gov, 7-6036
2016 centennial. These activities include preparations for a

potentially high number of visitors during the centennial, as
well as broader efforts to address deferred maintenance and
IF10122
improve park infrastructure and resource stewardship for
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