U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2020 Appropriations

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2020 Appropriations

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May 8, 2019
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2020 Appropriations
Introduction
in six years (see Figure 1). For FY2019, P.L. 116-6
Congress generally funds the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
provided $1.578 billion in discretionary appropriations.
Service (FWS, an agency within the Department of the
Appropriations are provided for nine accounts (Table 1).
Interior) in annual appropriations laws for the Department
of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.
Figure 1. FWS Discretionary Funding Enacted and
Discretionary appropriations for FWS fund many of the
Administration Requests, FY2010-FY2020
essential functions related to the agency’s mission, namely
the conservation, protection, and enhancement of fish,
wildlife, and plants and their habitats. Discretionary
funding covers activities including resource management
and conservation, construction projects, land acquisition,
and payments and grants to states and other parties. FWS
also receives mandatory appropriations, most of which are
disbursed directly to states. The Administration’s FY2020
request estimates $1.485 billion for mandatory
appropriations for FWS in FY2020. The remainder of this
In Focus looks at the agency’s discretionary appropriations.
Issues for Congress include the level of discretionary
funding for FWS, its distribution across agency programs,
and the possible consideration of the Administration’s
proposals to provide no funding for some activities.

Congress also may consider FWS-related policy issues,
Sources: CRS, with data from FWS budget justifications and enacted
including the creation of the Public Lands Infrastructure
appropriations.
Fund as proposed in the Administration’s FY2020 request.
For FY2020, the Administration requested $1.328 billion in
FWS Discretionary Appropriations
discretionary appropriations for FWS, $250.1 million
From FY2010 through FY2019, FWS received $1.518
(15.9%) below the FY2019-enacted level of $1.578 billion
billion annually, on average, in discretionary funding.
(Table 1).
Enacted appropriations exceeded requested amounts in four
years, and requested levels were higher than enacted levels
Table 1. FWS Appropriations by Account, FY2019 Enacted and FY2020 Administration’s Request
(nominal $ in millions)
Account
FY2019 Enacted
FY2020 Request
Resource Management
1,292.1
81.9%
1,257.2
94.7%
Construction
54.1
3.4%
15.7
1.2%
Land Acquisition
65.2
4.1%
4.5
0.3%
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund
46.0
2.9%
-31.0a
-2.3%
National Wildlife Refuge Fund
13.2
0.8%
—
—
North American Wetlands Conservation Fund
42.0
2.7%
40.0
3.0%
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund
3.9
0.2%
3.9
0.3%
Multinational Species Conservation Fund
11.6
0.7%
6.0
0.5%
State and Tribal Wildlife Grants
64.6
4.1%
31.3
2.4%
Coastal Impact Assistance Program (rescission)
-15.0
-1.0%
—
—
Total
1,577.6 100.0%
1,327.6 100.0%
Sources: CRS, with data from conference report (H.Rept. 116-9) accompanying H.J.Res. 31 (P.L. 116-6) and FWS FY2020 budget justification.
a. The FY2020 Administration’s request proposes no discretionary funding for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund and
a $31 mil ion cancellation of prior-year balances.
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Resource Management Account
did not request funding for five of the eight activities
The Resource Management (RM) account comprises the
funded in FY2019 (Table 3).
majority of the FWS discretionary budget (81.9% of the
FY2019 enacted amount; Table 1). For FY2020, the
The other six accounts fund conservation activities and
Administration requested $1.26 billion, $34.9 million
financial and technical assistance programs for state, tribal,
(2.7%) below the FY2019-enacted level of $1.29 billion. In
and international partners and other stakeholders (Table 1).
FY2019, the RM account provided funding for eight
Accounts and Activities with No
activities (Table 2). The FY2020 request did not include
Requested Funding in FY2020
funding for two activities funded in FY2019—Cooperative
Landscape Conservation and Science Support (Table 3).
In its FY2020 request, the Administration did not request
funding for two of FWS’s appropriations accounts—
Table 2. FWS Resource Management Appropriations
Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund
by Activity, FY2019 Enacted and FY2020 Request
(CESCF) and National Wildlife Refuge Fund (NWRF)—
(nominal $ in millions)
stating that funding was needed for “higher priorities”
(Table 3). The Administration also proposed a cancellation
FY2019 FY2020
of $31.0 million in CESCF balances. The Administration
Activity
Enacted Request
also proposed not funding nine activities across four other
accounts that received funding in FY2019 (Table 3).
Ecological Services
251.8
240.0
Table 3. Activities with No Requested Funding in
Habitat Conservation
65.0
67.8
FY2020 Request with FY2019 Enacted Funding Level
National Wildlife Refuge System
488.3
509.5
(nominal $ in millions)
Conservation and Enforcement
141.3
143.3
Activity (Account in Parentheses)
FY2019
Fish and Aquatic Conservation
167.2
155.6
Cooperative Landscape Conservation (RM)
$12.5
Cooperative Landscape Conservation
12.5
—
Science Support (RM)
17.3
Science Support
17.3
—
Deferred Maintenance (C)
39.9
General Operation
148.7
140.9
Land Protection Planning (LA)
0.5
Total
1,292.1 1,257.2
Exchanges (LA)
1.5
Sources: CRS, with data from H.Rept. 116-9 accompanying H.J.Res.
31 (P.L. 116-6) and FWS FY2020 budget justification.
Highlands Conservation Act Grants (LA)
20.0
Recreational Access (LA)
2.5
Other FWS Accounts
The remaining funding is divided among eight other
Land Acquisition Projects (LA)
22.6
appropriations accounts (Table 1). Funding levels in the
Tribal Wildlife Grants (STWG)
4.2
Administration’s FY2020 request are lower than the
Sources: CRS, with data from H.Rept. 116-9 accompanying H.J.Res.
enacted levels for six accounts, and the Administration
31 (P.L. 116-6) and FWS FY2020 budget justification.
proposed no funding for two accounts (Table 1).
Notes: RM = Resource Management; C = Construction; LA = Land
In FY2019, the Construction account received $54.1
Acquisition; STWG = State and Tribal Wildlife Grants.
million in discretionary funding. These appropriations
support engineering design and construction throughout
Legislative Proposal
FWS facilities and infrastructure through four activities:
In the FY2020 request, the Administration included a
Line Item Construction Projects, Bridge and Dam Safety
legislative proposal to create a Public Lands Infrastructure
Programs, Nationwide Engineering Services, and Deferred
Fund. The fund would “be supported by the deposit of 50
Maintenance. For FY2020, the Administration requested
percent of all Federal energy development revenue that
$15.7 million (a decrease of $38.4 million or 71.0%; Table
would otherwise be credited or deposited as miscellaneous
1). The Administration’s request did not include funding for
receipts to the Treasury over the 2020–2024 period, subject
Deferred Maintenance as a separate activity for FY2020
to an annual limit of $1.3 billion.” The fund would support
(Table 3).
infrastructure improvements on certain federal lands,
including wildlife refuges. This is a DOI initiative, and
Funding for the Land Acquisition account is used to acquire
similar language is included in other DOI agency requests,
land for recreation and conservation purposes. The Land
such as the request for the National Park Service.
Acquisition account received $65.2 million in FY2019. The
Administration’s FY2020 request is $4.5 million, which
R. Eliot Crafton, Analyst in Natural Resources Policy
includes a $5.3 million cancellation of balances (a decrease
of $60.6 million or 93.0%; Table 1). The Administration
IF11204

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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: FY2020 Appropriations

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