National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations

National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations

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Updated June 13, 2019
National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations
The National Park Service (NPS) administers the National
2019. For more information, see CRS In Focus IF11079,
Park System, which includes 419 units valued for their
National Park Service: Government Shutdown Issues.
natural, cultural, and recreational importance and covers
85 million acres (roughly 81 million acres of federal land
NPS’s Appropriations Accounts
and 4 million acres of nonfederal land). NPS is part of the
NPS had six discretionary appropriations accounts funded
Department of the Interior and typically receives funding in
in FY2019 (Figure 1 and Table 1). About 78% of the
annual appropriations laws for Interior, Environment, and
regular appropriation went to the Operation of the National
Related Agencies. This CRS product discusses NPS’s
Park System (ONPS) account to support the day-to-day
FY2019 appropriations; for information on FY2020, see
activities, programs, and services of the park system. These
CRS In Focus IF11178, National Park Service: FY2020
include resource stewardship, visitor services, park
Appropriations.
protection, facility operations and maintenance, and support
and administrative costs. The FY2019 appropriation for the
FY2019 Appropriations
ONPS account was $2.503 billion; the Administration had
P.L. 116-6, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019, was
requested $2.425 billion.
enacted on February 15, 2019. The law provided $3.223
billion in discretionary appropriations for NPS, 1% more
Figure 1. NPS Appropriations Accounts for FY2019
than the enacted FY2018 regular appropriation of $3.202
billion. The law included increases for four NPS accounts
and reductions for two accounts, as compared with FY2018.
FY2019 appropriations in P.L. 116-6 were 18% higher than
the Trump Administration’s request of $2.730 billion. (The
request originally had been $2.431 billion but was raised in
a budget addendum following an increase to FY2019
spending caps in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, P.L.
115-123.) The enacted discretionary appropriation exceeded
the Administration’s request for each NPS budget account.
In addition to regular appropriations, Congress included
supplemental funding for NPS hurricane recovery activities
in FY2019 as part of P.L. 116-20, enacted on June 6, 2019.

These funds, designated as emergency spending (outside of
Source: H.Rept. 116-9.
discretionary spending limits), totaled $128.0 million across
Notes: Figure does not reflect FY2019 supplemental appropriations
two accounts, bringing NPS’s total FY2019 discretionary
of $128.0 million in P.L. 116-20.
appropriations to $3.351 billion. This compares to a total of
ONPS = Operation of the National Park System. NR&P = National
$3.460 billion for FY2018, which included supplemental
Recreation and Preservation.
appropriations ($257.6 million) in P.L. 115-123, also to
address hurricane damage.
The next-largest amount, 11% of the regular appropriation,
went to NPS’s Construction account, which covers
In addition to discretionary appropriations, NPS estimated
rehabilitation and replacement of existing facilities as well
mandatory appropriations for FY2019 of $0.768 billion, an
as new construction. In recent years, the agency has
increase of 9% over NPS mandatory funding for FY2018.
NPS’s mandatory appropriations come from entrance and
planned no new facility construction, in order to prioritize
deferred maintenance. NPS prioritizes projects based on
recreation fees, concessioner fees, donations, and other
“mission factors” and cost-benefit considerations. The
sources, and they are used for a variety of specified
account also covers other construction activities and
purposes, including deferred maintenance.
planning functions. P.L. 116-6 appropriated $364.7 million
The House passed H.R. 6147 on July 19, 2018. It would
for the NPS Construction account for FY2019; the
have provided $3.262 billion for NPS for FY2019. On
Administration’s request was $241.3 million. The account
August 1, 2018, the Senate passed its version of H.R. 6147,
also received supplemental appropriations of $78.0 million
with $3.219 billion for NPS. Because regular FY2019
in P.L. 116-20 to address hurricane damage.
appropriations were not enacted by the start of the fiscal
year, NPS received continuing appropriations at the
Approximately 5% of the FY2019 regular discretionary
FY2018 level after October 1, 2018. When continuing
appropriation went to the Land Acquisition and State
appropriations lapsed, a partial government shutdown
Assistance (LASA) account. These monies come from the
affected NPS between December 22, 2018, and January 25,
Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF; 54 U.S.C.
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§§200301 et seq.), the primary funding source for the
sites, structures, and artifacts). P.L. 116-20 provided an
federal land management agencies to acquire lands. For
additional $50 million in supplemental appropriations for
more information on the LWCF, see CRS Report RL33531,
activities related to hurricane recovery. The Administration
Land and Water Conservation Fund: Overview, Funding
had requested $32.7 million overall for the HPF account.
History, and Issues. NPS’s LASA account covers both
NPS’s own acquisitions (typically consisting of nonfederal
The National Recreation and Preservation (NR&P) account
“inholdings” inside the boundaries of national park units)
received about 2% of the FY2019 total appropriation. This
and grants to states for outdoor recreation needs. Of the
account funds NPS programs that assist state, local, tribal,
$168.4 million appropriated for FY2019, $44.4 million was
and private land managers with outdoor recreation
for NPS acquisition and $124.0 million was for state
planning, resource preservation, and other activities. The
assistance. The federal portion included $10.0 million for
largest single program funded through the account is NPS
American Battlefield Protection Program grants to assist
assistance to national heritage areas. The total FY2019
states and localities with acquiring threatened battlefields.
appropriation for the NR&P account was $64.1 million, of
The Administration had requested negative funding for the
which $20.3 million was for national heritage areas. The
LASA account (with a rescission of prior-year funds). The
Administration had requested $32.2 million for the account,
request included no project funding for new NPS
of which $0.4 million was for national heritage areas.
acquisitions and none for state assistance. Noting a funding
About 1% of the FY2019 appropriation went to the
increase for the state program from mandatory
Centennial Challenge account, to support the National Park
appropriations under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security
Centennial Challenge Fund. Authorized by Congress in
Act (P.L. 109-432), the Administration proposed that
2016 (54 U.S.C. §§103501 et seq.), the fund provides
support for the state program be shifted entirely to
matching grants to spur donations for projects or programs
mandatory appropriations.
that further the NPS mission and enhance the visitor
experience. Deferred maintenance projects are prioritized.
About 3% of the FY2019 regular appropriation was for the
The FY2019 appropriation for the account was $20.0
Historic Preservation Fund (HPF) account. The HPF was
million; the Administration had requested no discretionary
established by the National Historic Preservation Act (54
funding. The Centennial Challenge Fund also is authorized
U.S.C. §§300101 et seq.). The fund receives $150 million
to receive offsetting collections from the sale of senior
annually from offshore energy revenues, but monies are
passes under the Federal Lands Recreational Enhancement
available only as provided in appropriations acts. P.L. 116-
Act (16 U.S.C. §§6801-6814), and the Administration
6 provided $102.7 million for FY2019, primarily for NPS
estimated that FY2019 offsetting collections would be
formula grants to state and tribal historic preservation
$15.0 million.
offices to conserve cultural and historical assets and sites.
Portions of the total also were for competitive grant
For More Information
programs, including programs targeted to underserved
For more information, see CRS Report R42757, National
communities, sites associated with the civil rights
Park Service Appropriations: Ten-Year Trends; and CRS
movement, historically black colleges and universities, and
Report R44934, Interior, Environment, and Related
historic revitalization, as well as the Save America’s
Agencies: Overview of FY2019 Appropriations.
Treasures program (which preserves nationally significant
Table 1. NPS Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in millions)
FY2019 % Change
FY2019
FY2018
FY2019 House-Passed Senate-Passed
Enacted
from
Supplemental
Account
Enacteda
Request
H.R. 6147
H.R. 6147 (P.L. 116-6)
FY2018
(P.L. 116-20)
Operation of Nat’l. Park System
2,478.0
2,425.1
2,527.8
2,500.4
2,502.7
+1%
—
Construction
359.7
241.3
366.3
364.7
364.7
+1%
78.0
Land Acquisition & State Assistance
180.9
-1.2b
172.4
174.4
168.4
-7%
—
National Recreation & Preservation
63.6
32.2
63.6
64.1
64.1
+1%
—
Historic Preservation Fund
96.9
32.7
101.4
91.9
102.7
+6%
50.0
Centennial Challenge
23.0
0
30.0
23.0
20.0
-13%
—
Total
3,202.2a
2,730.1c
3,261.6
3,218.6
3,222.7
+1%
128.0
Source: House Appropriations Committee detailed spending tables and P.L. 116-20. Totals may not sum precisely due to rounding.
a. FY2018 figures do not reflect supplemental appropriations of $257.6 million in P.L. 115-123 to address hurricane damage (designated as
emergency spending not subject to discretionary spending limits).
b. Amount reflects a request of $8.8 million in new budget authority offset by a $10.0 million cancellation of prior-year balances.
c. Total as shown in NPS FY2019 Budget Addendum. The total differs from that shown in H.Rept. 116-9 ($2,702.0 million) because the NPS
FY2019 Budget Addendum did not include a $28.1 million rescission of contract authority from the Land and Water Conservation Fund
that is shown in H.Rept. 116-9.

IF10900
Laura B. Comay, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

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National Park Service: FY2019 Appropriations

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