Bureau of Land Management: FY2025 Appropriations

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Updated February 26, 2025

Bureau of Land Management: FY2025 Appropriations

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), in the Department of the Interior (DOI), manages 245 million acres of federal land, nearly all in the West. Under its multiple-use mission, BLM manages lands for diverse purposes, including livestock grazing, energy development, recreation, and conservation. The agency also administers onshore federal energy and mineral resources generally.

Because no regular, full-year appropriations were enacted by the start of FY2025 on October 1, 2024, BLM has been receiving appropriations since that time at FY2024 levels, under a continuing resolution (CR). The CR is in effect through March 14, 2025 (under P.L. 118-158, Division A), unless different levels of appropriations are enacted earlier.

For FY2025, President Biden requested $1,505.7 million for BLM—$92.6 million over the FY2024 regular enacted level of $1,413.1 million (in P.L. 118-42, Division E). The request included increases for BLM’s main account— Management of Lands and Resources (MLR) and for the account’s nine main activities (excluding mining law administration). (See Table 1.) It also included an increase for BLM’s second-largest account—Management of Oregon and California Grant Lands (O&C).

On July 24, 2024, the House passed H.R. 8998, as amended, with $1,297.6 million for BLM for FY2025. This would be a decrease of $115.6 million from FY2024. H.R. 8998 would decrease funding for the MLR account and six of the account’s nine main activities, with increases for three activities. The bill also would decrease funding for the O&C account. In earlier action—on July 11, 2024—the House Appropriations Committee reported H.R. 8998 (H.Rept. 118-581).

On July 25, 2024, the Senate Appropriations Committee reported S. 4802 (S.Rept. 118-201), with $1,465.5 million for BLM for FY2025. This would be an increase of $52.3 million over FY2024. S. 4802 would increase funding for the MLR account and its nine main activities. S. 4802 also contained an increase for the O&C account.

BLM discretionary appropriations are provided in Title I of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations laws. BLM also receives a portion of the appropriations to DOI for wildland fire management. For FY2025, issues for Congress center on the amount and terms of funding for BLM accounts and activities.

In addition, mandatory (permanent) appropriations are provided to BLM under various statutes within the jurisdiction of authorizing committees. DOI estimated BLM mandatory appropriations at $507.2 million for FY2025.

This total does not include $95.0 million for BLM deferred maintenance (discussed below).

Discretionary Appropriations Accounts

Table 2 shows amounts enacted for FY2024 in comparison with FY2025 funding requested by President Biden, passed by the House (H.R. 8998), and reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee (S. 4802).

Management of Lands and Resources (MLR). This account, BLM’s largest, funds diverse activities and programs. For instance, the land resources activity includes programs on rangelands, forestry, cultural resources, and wild horses and burros. Table 1 shows amounts for the account’s nine main activities (and mining law administration with offsets) as enacted for FY2024, requested by the President for FY2025, passed by the House for FY2025, and reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee for FY2025. It also shows estimated offsetting collections from the Administration’s proposed oil and gas inspection fee. Relative to the FY2024 enacted level, for FY2025, the President sought an $87.4 million increase, the Senate committee-reported bill would provide a $47.6 million increase, and the House-passed bill would provide a $107.9 million decrease.

Table 1. Activities Within MLR Account ($ in Millions)

Activity

FY2024

Enacted

FY2025

Request H.R. 8998 S. 4802

Land Resources $279.6 $317.4 $286.8 $283.9

Wildlife & Aquatic

Habitat Management

198.9 213.2 200.2 202.0

Recreation

Management

72.0 81.1 73.0 73.7

Energy & Minerals 219.1 251.2 211.8 225.9

Realty & Ownership

Management

87.5 90.4 72.0 89.8

Resource Protection

& Maintenance

149.0 160.0 124.2 151.0

Transportation &

Facilities Maintenance

55.0 77.0 53.9 67.2

Workforce & Org.

Support

174.7 190.1 104.8 187.4

National

Conservation Lands

59.1 65.8 58.4 61.5

Oil & Gas Inspection

Fee Offset

0 -66.0 0 0

Mining Law Admin.

(With Offsets)

-33.3 -31.3 -31.3 -33.3

Total MLR $1,261.6 $1,349.0 $1,153.8 $1,309.2

Source: CRS, with information from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

Bureau of Land Management: FY2025 Appropriations

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Notes: MLR = Management of Lands and Resources. H.R. 8998 as passed by the House. S. 4802 as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Because of rounding, certain columns do not sum to totals shown. Oregon and California Grant Lands. This account funds management of more than 2 million acres of forested lands in Western Oregon, primarily for timber production. The FY2024 appropriations law included $115.5 million for this account. For FY2025, the President sought a $5.3 million increase, the Senate committee-reported bill included a $4.7 million increase, and the House-passed bill contained a $7.7 million decrease compared with FY2024 enacted levels.

Range Improvements. The Range Improvements account funds rehabilitation, protection, and improvement of BLM rangelands. By law, 50% of grazing fees collected on BLM lands or $10.0 million—whichever is greater—is credited to a Range Improvements Fund. Through the Range Improvements account, BLM typically receives an annual appropriation of $10.0 million for the fund. The FY2024 appropriations law included $10.0 million. For FY2025, the President’s request, House-passed bill, and Senate committee-reported bill also contained this amount.

Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures. This account allows BLM to use monies paid to the agency for activities such as rights-of-way processing and energy and minerals authorizations. The FY2024 estimate was $30.0 million, offset by collections, for a net of $0. For FY2025, the President’s request, House-passed bill, and Senate committee-reported bill contained the same amount.

Miscellaneous Trust Funds. This account appropriates contributions made to BLM (e.g., from individuals, businesses, and states). The FY2024 enacted amount was $26.0 million, as were the FY2025 levels requested by the President, passed by the House, and reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Selected Mandatory Appropriations

Deferred Maintenance (DM). BLM estimated its DM at roughly $5.7 billion in FY2023 (the most recent available),

more than five times the FY2019 estimate ($1.1 billion). The increase is largely due to changes in estimation methods beginning in FY2020.

BLM receives both discretionary and mandatory appropriations to address DM. Annual Interior appropriations laws provide discretionary appropriations, with $20.0 million in FY2024 through the MLR account. For FY2025, the President sought an increase to $36.1 million, the Senate committee-reported bill contained an increase to $23.3 million, and the House-passed bill included a decrease to $19.6 million.

A source of DM mandatory appropriations is the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund, established by P.L. 116-152, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA). Under GAOA, BLM’s appropriation is roughly $95.0 million annually (assuming maximum revenue to the fund). For FY2024, BLM received $98.6 million for 15 specific projects and other purposes. GAOA requires BLM to include, as part of its budget submission, projects to be funded. Appropriations law may specify alternate allocations. For FY2025, the President’s budget request, and committee reports accompanying H.R. 8998 and S. 4802, identified funding for 19 specific projects and other purposes, totaling $95.0 million.

Land Acquisition. BLM typically receives appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to acquire lands. Under GAOA, LWCF programs receive mandatory appropriations. GAOA requires BLM to include, as part of its budget submission, program and project allocations for the LWCF funds. Appropriations laws may specify alternate allocations. For FY2024, BLM received $73.9 million for specified acquisitions and activities. For FY2025, the President requested $78.2 million. The committee report accompanying H.R. 8998 recommended an allocation of $79.1 million, and the committee report accompanying S. 4802 contained an allocation of $79.2 million.

Table 2. BLM Discretionary Appropriations by Account ($ in Millions)

Account

FY2024 Enacted

P.L. 118-42

FY2025

Requested

FY2025

House-Passed

H.R. 8998

FY2025

Senate Committee-

Reported S. 4802

Management of Lands and Resources $1,261.6 $1,349.0 $1,153.8 $1,309.2

Oregon and California Grant Lands 115.5 120.8 107.8 120.3

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 $1,413.1 $1,505.7 $1,297.6 $1,465.5

Source: CRS, with information from the House and Senate Appropriations Committees.

Notes: BLM = Bureau of Land Management. For Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures, the $0 amounts are a result of an appropriation matched by offsetting fees. Because of rounding, certain columns do not sum to totals shown.

Carol Hardy Vincent, Specialist in Natural Resources Policy

IF12749

Bureau of Land Management: FY2025 Appropriations

https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF12749 · VERSION 5 · UPDATED

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