Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations

Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations

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Updated March 30, 2019
Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages
threatened and endangered species, recreation, resource
246 million acres of land, nearly all in the West, under a
protection, law enforcement, resource management
multiple use mission. Uses of BLM land include livestock
planning, and facility maintenance.
grazing, recreation, and preservation. The agency also
The Administration proposed a budget restructuring within
administers onshore federal energy and mineral resources
the account to increase flexibility, cost savings, and
covering nearly 700 million acres of federal subsurface
program integration. Affected budget activities and
mineral estate, and it supervises the mineral operations on
subactivities included soil, water, and air; riparian areas;
about 60 million acres of Indian trust lands.
rangeland; threatened and endangered species; wildlife and
Issues for Congress included determining the amount of
fisheries; abandoned mine lands; and hazardous materials.
funding to provide for BLM programs and activities for
The FY2019 enacted appropriation adopted this
FY2019, the terms and conditions of such funding, and
restructuring, as had the Senate, but not the House.
whether to enact related Trump Administration proposals.
The FY2019 enacted appropriation, House, and Senate
Discretionary appropriations for BLM were enacted (P.L.
included more money for this account than requested for
116-6, Division E) on February 15, 2019. The enacted
FY2019 and enacted for FY2018. The Administration had
appropriation was $1,346.2 million, a $14.3 million (1.1%)
sought a decrease for this account and most of its activities.
increase over the FY2018 appropriation of $1,331.9
For BLM’s deferred maintenance of its assets, the FY2019
million. The FY2019 enacted amount also was an increase
enacted appropriation was $75.0 million, a $4.2 million
of $322.9 million (31.6%) over the Administration’s
(5.3%) reduction from the FY2018 level of $79.2 million.
FY2019 request ($1,023.3 million) and of $2.8 million
The House had supported a higher level for FY2019
(0.2%) over the FY2019 Senate-passed level ($1,343.4
($114.2 million), the Senate had approved a lower level
million), but was $40.8 million (2.9%) lower than the
($59.2 million), and the President had requested a lower
FY2019 House-passed amount ($1,387.0 million). These
level ($24.9 million). BLM had estimated deferred
House- and Senate-passed levels were contained in H.R.
maintenance of $955.3 million as of September 30, 2018.
6147 (115th Congress). (See Table 1.)
The President’s request included $5.9 million to support a
Because no regular FY2019 appropriations were enacted
Department of the Interior (DOI) reorganization to achieve
until February 15, 2019, BLM received continuing
common regional boundaries for DOI agencies and to
appropriations at the FY2018 level after the start of the
transfer some BLM functions from headquarters to the
fiscal year on October 1, 2018. However, continuing
field. The intent is to improve public service, efficiency,
appropriations lapsed during part of the fiscal year,
and communication. The conference report on the FY2019
resulting in a partial agency shutdown between December
appropriation (H.Rept. 116-9) identified a total of $14.1
22, 2018, and January 25, 2019. During this time, BLM
million for DOI reorganization related to five agencies, but
operated under a “contingency” plan.
did not specify the portion for BLM reorganization.
BLM discretionary appropriations generally are provided in
Figure 1. BLM FY2019 Administration-Requested
Title I of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies
Appropriations (dol ars in millions)
appropriations laws. Mandatory (permanent) appropriations
also are provided to BLM under various statutes within the
jurisdiction of authorizing committees. For FY2019, BLM
estimates its mandatory appropriations at $241.2 million.
Appropriations Accounts
BLM discretionary appropriations are provided through
several accounts. The Administration’s FY2019 request for
these accounts is shown in Figure 1. For each account,
Table 1 contains FY2018 enacted appropriations, and
FY2019 appropriations requested by the Administration,
passed by the House in H.R. 6147, passed by the Senate in
H.R. 6147, and enacted in P.L. 116-6.

Management of Lands and Resources. The largest
Source: Prepared by CRS with information from the House
account—Management of Lands and Resources—
Committee on Appropriations. Not shown are rescissions totaling
comprised 89.1% of the request. This account funds an
$12.1 mil ion (including $6.6 mil ion from the Land Acquisition
array of BLM programs, including energy and minerals,
account), and a request of $0 for Service Charges, Deposits, and
rangelands, wild horses and burros, wildlife and fisheries,
Forfeitures due to a match by offsetting fees.
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Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations
Land Acquisition. BLM typically receives appropriations
Miscellaneous Trust Funds. This account appropriates the
from the Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire
contributions (for various purposes) from individuals,
lands. For FY2019, the enacted appropriation was $26.5
businesses, user groups, and states. It comprised 2.3% of
million, a $1.6 million (6.4%) increase over FY2018 ($24.9
the FY2019 request. The FY2019 appropriation, request,
million). The FY2019 appropriation included funding for
House, and Senate contained funding level with FY2018
14 specific acquisitions as well as acquisitions to foster
($24.0 million).
recreation. The Administration did not seek funding for
Legislative Proposals by the Administration
particular acquisitions or for access to BLM land for
In the FY2019 request, the Trump Administration proposed
recreation, requesting -$6.6 million (reflecting a rescission).
extending or amending authorities through changes in law.
The House approved $17.4 million, including funds for
Some of these proposals are discussed below.
recreational access generally but not individual
acquisitions, pending additional information. The Senate
Energy and Minerals. The request proposed changing the
included $26.0 million, with portions for 11 individual
distribution of revenues from geothermal leasing on federal
projects and acquisitions benefitting recreational access.
lands—currently 50% to the states, 25% to the Treasury,
and 25% to counties—to a distribution of 50% for states
Oregon and California Grant Lands. Oregon and
and 50% for the Treasury. This change was not enacted in
California (O&C) Grant Lands constituted 8.8% of the
the FY2019 appropriations law.
request for FY2019. This account funds management of
Wild Horses and Burros. The Wild Free-Roaming Horses
more than 2 million acres of forested lands in western
and Burros Act (16 U.S.C. §§1331 et seq.) provides BLM
Oregon, primarily for sustained yield of timber production.
authority to destroy healthy, excess wild horses and burros.
The FY2019 appropriation was $107.0 million, essentially
The FY2019 appropriations law continued to bar the use of
level with FY2018 and the House and Senate amounts for
funds for the destruction of healthy, unadopted BLM wild
FY2019. The Administration had sought reduced funding
horses and burros and for the sale of animals for processing
($90.0 million). Also, the FY2019 appropriation did not
into commercial products. The House and Senate had
accept an Administration proposal to consolidate funding
approved this funding ban, but the Administration had
for activities to enhance flexibility and program efficiency.
proposed removing it to reduce the overpopulation of
The House, but not the Senate, had accepted the proposal.
animals. Also, the FY2019 appropriation increased funding
Range Improvements. The Range Improvements account
for wild horse and burro management, as had the House and
funds rehabilitation, protection, and improvement of BLM
Senate, but not the President. Further, the conference report
rangelands. Of the Administration’s total request, 1.0% was
on the FY2019 appropriation directed BLM to provide an
for this purpose. For FY2019, the enacted amount was
analysis to Congress, within 180 days of enactment, of
$10.0 million, as requested by the President and approved
options to reduce excess wild horses and burros.
by the House and Senate, and appropriated for FY2018.
Recreation. The authority in the Federal Lands Recreation
Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures. This account
Enhancement Act (16 U.S.C. §§6801 et seq.) that allows
provides BLM monies received by the agency for varied
BLM (and other agencies) to charge, collect, and use fees
purposes, such as costs of processing rights-of-way and
for recreation on agency lands had been scheduled to expire
energy and mineral authorizations. The FY2019 amounts
on September 30, 2019. The Administration, House, and
enacted, requested, and passed by the House and Senate are
Senate supported differing extensions. The FY2019
offset by collections, making them $0, as in FY2018.
appropriations law extended the authority to October 1,
2020. (Earlier, P.L. 115-245 had extended the authority to
September 30, 2020).
Table 1. BLM Discretionary Appropriations by Account (dol ars in mil ions)
FY2018
FY2019
House-Passed
Senate-Passed
FY2019
% Change
Account
Enacted
Request
H.R. 6147
H.R. 6147
Enacted
from FY2018
Management of Lands and Resources
$1,166.0
$911.3
$1,228.6
$1,176.8
$1,178.7
1.1%
Land Acquisition
24.9
-6.6
17.4
26.0
26.5
6.4%
Oregon and California Grant Lands
107.0
90.0
107.0
106.5
107.0
0%
Range Improvements
10.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
10.0
0%
Service Charges, Deposits, & Forfeitures
0
0
0
0
0
0%
Miscellaneous Trust Funds
24.0
24.0
24.0
24.0
24.0
0%
Total BLM
$1,331.9
$1,023.3
$1,387.0
$1,343.4
$1,346.2
1.1%
Source: Prepared by CRS with information from the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.
Notes: The amounts of $0 for Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures are a result of an appropriation matched by offsetting fees. The
FY2019 request total reflects a -$5.5 mil ion rescission of prior-year unobligated funds for construction not shown in the column.

IF10381
Carol Hardy Vincent, Specialist in Natural Resources
Policy
https://crsreports.congress.gov

Bureau of Land Management: FY2019 Appropriations

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