and Performance Information

Fiscal Year 2016

BUDGET

JUSTIFICATIONS

The United States

Department of the Interior

NOTICE: These budget

justifications are prepared

 for the Interior, Environment 

and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Subcommittees. 

Approval for release of the 

justifications prior to their 

printing in the public record of 

the Subcommittee hearings

may be obtained through

the Office of Budget of the 

Department of the Interior.

BUREAU OF 

LAND MANAGEMENT

Table of Contents

 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Table of Contents Page i 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Executive Summary....................................................................................................... I-1

 

II. Summary of Program and Legislative Changes ..........................................................II-1

III. Performance Overview .................................................................................................III-1

Priority Goals ..................................................................................................................III-1 

The BLM’s Contribution to the Department’s Strategic Plan............................................III-5 

Goal Performance Table.................................................................................................III-6 

IV. Crosscutting Programs .......................................................................................... .....IV-1 

National Landscape Conservation System..................................................................... IV-1 

 Funding Sources for the National Landscape Conservation System................... IV-3 

 Units of the National Landscape Conservation System ...................................... IV-3 

 Wild and Scenic Rivers....................................................................................... IV-4 

 National Scenic and Historic Trails ..................................................................... IV-5 

Service First...................................................................................................................IV-9 

Engaging the Next Generation.........................................................................IV-10

Education.....................................................................................................................IV-11

Interpretation................................................................................................................ IV-13

Volunteers.................................................................................................................... IV-13

Partnerships................................................................................................................. IV-14

Landscape Approach to Managing the Public Lands.................................................... IV-16

V. Budget at a Glance ....................................................................................................... V-1 

VI. Collections ...................................................................................................................VI-1

VII. Management of Lands and Resources......................................................................VII-1 

Appropriations Language..............................................................................................VII-1 

Appropriation Language Citations .................................................................................VII-2 

Authorizations ...............................................................................................................VII-5 

Summary of Requirements .........................................................................................VII-25

Justification of Fixed Costs and Related Changes ...................................................... VII-27

Activity: Land Resources.............................................................................................VII-29

 Subactivity: Soil, Water, and Air Management................................................. VII-30

 Subactivity: Rangeland Management ..............................................................VII-35

 Subactivity: Public Domain Forest Management.............................................. VII-43

 Subactivity: Riparian Management ..................................................................VII-49

 Subactivity: Cultural Resources Management ................................................. VII-53

 Subactivity: Wild Horse & Burro Management ................................................. VII-57

Activity: Wildlife and Fisheries Management ...............................................................VII-62

 Subactivity: Wildlife Management....................................................................VII-64

 Subactivity: Fisheries Management................................................................. VII-74

Activity: Threatened and Endangered Species Management ...................................... VII-78

Activity: Recreation Management................................................................................VII-83

 Subactivity: Wilderness Management..............................................................VII-84
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

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 Subactivity: Recreation Resources Management ............................................ VII-88

Activity: Energy and Minerals Management ................................................................VII-93

 Subactivity: Oil and Gas Management............................................................. VII-95

 Subactivity: Coal Management...................................................................... VII-109

 Subactivity: Other Mineral Resources............................................................ VII-115

 Subactivity: Renewable Energy Management ............................................... VII-118

Activity: Realty and Ownership Management............................................................ VII-123

 Subactivity: Alaska Conveyance and Lands .................................................. VII-124

 Subactivity: Cadastral, Lands & Realty Management .................................... VII-129

Activity: Communication Site Management ............................................................... VII-137

Activity: Resource Protection and Maintenance ........................................................ VII-139

 Subactivity: Resource Management Planning ............................................... VII-140

 Subactivity: Resource Protection and Law Enforcement................................ VII-147

 Subactivity: Abandoned Mine Lands.............................................................. VII-151

 Subactivity: Hazardous Materials Management............................................. VII-155

Activity: Transportation and Facilities Maintenance................................................... VII-159

 Subactivity: Annual Maintenance and Operation Costs ................................. VII-161

 Subactivity: Deferred Maintenance & Capital Improvements ......................... VII-163

Activity: National Landscape and Conservation System............................................ VII-167

Activity: Challenge Cost Share.................................................................................. VII-173

Activity: Workforce and Organizational Support ........................................................ VII-175

 Subactivity: Administrative Support ............................................................... VII-187

 Subactivity: Bureauwide Fixed Costs............................................................. VII-191

 Subactivity: Information Technology Management ........................................ VII-193

Activity: Mining Law Administration ........................................................................... VII-195

Budget Schedules.....................................................................................................VII-201

VIII. Land Acquisition........................................................................................................VIII-1 

Appropriations Language.............................................................................................VIII-1 

Appropriation Language Citations and Authorizations.................................................. VIII-2 

Summary of Requirements ..........................................................................................VIII-4 

Justification of Fixed Costs and Related Changes ....................................................... VIII-5 

Activity: Land Acquisition .............................................................................................VIII-7 

 Subactivity: Land Acquisition............................................................................VIII-9 

Subactivity: Emergencies, Hardships, and Inholdings.............................. VIII-50

Subactivity: Acquisition Management ............................................................. VIII-51

Budget Schedules......................................................................................................VIII-52

IX. Oregon and California Grant Lands............................................................................ IX-1 

Appropriations Language............................................................................................... IX-1 

Appropriations Language Citations and Authorization.................................................... IX-1 

Summary of Requirements ............................................................................................ IX-5 

Justification of Fixed Costs and Related Changes ......................................................... IX-6 

Appropriation Description............................................................................................... IX-7 

Activity: Western Oregon Acquisition ........................................................................... IX-15

Activity: Western Oregon Transportation and Facilities Maintenance........................... IX-16

Subactivity: Annual Maintenance & Operations.................................... IX-17

Activity: Western Oregon Resources Management...................................................... IX-19

 Subactivity: Forest Management ...................................................................... IX-21
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

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 Subactivity: Reforestation and Forest Development ......................................... IX-23

 Subactivity: Other Forest Resources Management........................................... IX-25

 Subactivity: Resource Management Planning .................................................. IX-29

Activity: Western Oregon Information and Data Systems............................................. IX-33

Activity: Western Oregon National Landscape Conservation System........................... IX-35

Budget Schedules........................................................................................................ IX-37

X. Range Improvements.................................................................................................... X-1 

Appropriations Language................................................................................................ X-1 

Appropriations Language Citations and Authorizations ................................................... X-2 

Summary of Requirements ............................................................................................. X-4 

Activity: Range Improvements......................................................................................... X-5 

Budget Schedules........................................................................................................... X-8 

XI. Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures ..............................................................XI-1 

Appropriations Language............................................................................................... XI-1 

Appropriations Language Citations and Authorizations .................................................. XI-3 

Summary of Requirements ............................................................................................ XI-4 

Appropriation: Service Changes, Deposits, and Forfeitures (Indefinite).......................... XI-5 

Budget Schedules.......................................................................................................... XI-8 

XII. Miscellaneous Permanent Payments ........................................................................XII-1 

Appropriations Language.............................................................................................. XII-1 

Explanation................................................................................................................... XII-1 

Authorizations ............................................................................................................... XII-2 

Summary of Requirements ........................................................................................... XII-6 

Appropriation: Miscellaneous Permanent Payments ..................................................... XII-8 

2014 Total Payments of BLM Receipts to States and Counties................................... XII-14

Budget Schedules....................................................................................................... XII-15

XIII. Permanent Operating Funds.....................................................................................XIII-1 

Appropriations Language.............................................................................................XIII-1 

Explanation..................................................................................................................XIII-1 

Authorizations ..............................................................................................................XIII-1 

Summary of Requirements ..........................................................................................XIII-6 

Appropriation: Permanent Operating Funds................................................................. XIII-7 

Budget Schedules......................................................................................................XIII-16

XIV. Miscellaneous Trust Funds.....................................................................................XIV-1 

Appropriations Language.............................................................................................XIV-1 

Explanation..................................................................................................................XIV-1 

Authorizations ..............................................................................................................XIV-2 

Summary of Requirements ..........................................................................................XIV-3 

Activity: Miscellaneous Trust Funds (Current and Permanent).....................................XIV-4 

Budget Schedules........................................................................................................XIV-6 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Table of Contents Page iv

XV. Helium Fund and Operations...................................................................................XV-1 

Appropriations Language..............................................................................................XV-1 

Explanation...................................................................................................................XV-1 

Summary of Requirements ...........................................................................................XV-1 

Activity: Helium Fund and Operations ...........................................................................XV-2 

Budget Schedules.........................................................................................................XV-4 

XVI. Abandoned Wells Remediation Fund.....................................................................XVI-1 

Appropriations Language.............................................................................................XVI-1 

Summary of Requirements ..........................................................................................XVI-2 

Activity: Abandoned Wells Remediation Fund..............................................................XVI-3 

Budget Schedules........................................................................................................XVI-5 

XVII. Administrative Provisions......................................................................................XVII-1

Appropriations Language............................................................................................ XVII-1 

Appropriations Language Citations ............................................................................... XVIIXVIII. Appendices ...........................................................................................................XVIII-1

Employee Count by Grade.......................................................................................XVIII-1

BLM Organization Chart ..........................................................................................XVIII-3 

 
Executive Summary

 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 1 

Executive Summary

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) serves as the steward of vast tracts of western and 

Alaskan lands with a multiple use and sustained yield mission to maintain the health, diversity 

and productivity of public lands for present and future generations. Public demands placed on 

these lands continue to change and grow, as does the complexity of land management 

decisions and their implications for the future.

The Federal Land P olicy and M anagement Act of 1976 (FLPMA) defined the concept of 

managing public lands on t he basis of multiple use and sustained yield, and it is this unique 

mandate that is the BLM’s greatest strength. This approach emphasizes how people and the 

lands are interconnected and interdependent, and balances the diversity of interests and values 

associated with the public lands. Doing so on a landscape basis further enhances the ability to 

meet the diverse needs of our public land users in a balanced and sustainable way. 

The 2016 budget request for the BLM strikes this balance in a year that presents history-making 

opportunities for managing public lands. The Bureau must invest in conservation of America’s 

sage-steppe ecosystem, which spans over a little more than 65 million acres. Conserving this 

iconic landscape, the sagebrush habitat, and the over 350 species that call it home, would not 

only save one of America’s great treasures, it will protect our ability to sustainably manage 

these lands for future generations, including traditional and r enewable energy development, 

recreation, livestock grazing, wild horses and burros, and wildfire. All of these have far-reaching 

consequences for the Nation’s economy. 

Accordingly, it is vital that the Bureau have the resources necessary to manage both safely and 

effectively the 100,000 oil and gas production wells that we are responsible for overseeing. 

However, funding for the BLM’s onshore oil and gas program has not kept pace with its 

workload, thus presenting difficult choices for the BLM. T o help bolster BLM’s capacity to 

effectively respond to industry demand and manage the increasing workload in its Oil and Gas 

Management program, the 2016 budget includes important funding increases aimed at leasing, 

permitting, and management efficiencies through technology. The budget proposes to institute 

a fee system for its inspection program, similar to the one already in place for Federal offshore 

oil and gas leases. The new fee revenue, estimated at $48 million in 2016, will allow for a net 

increase of $6.9 million in program capacity for this critical management responsibility. The fee 

proposal will allow the BLM to be nimble in responding to industry demands while reducing the 

need for direct appropriations by $41.1 million, funds that can be directed toward other priority 

activities within the oil and gas program and elsewhere in BLM. 

This budget seeks a significant increase in funding for one of the greatest gifts we can give 

future generations, one that transcends Administrations and will span generations – our 

National Conservation Lands. Through legislative action and P residential initiative, special 

designations for these lands protect significant resource values while providing opportunities for 

recreation and making significant contributions to the US economy. The proposed investments 

will help to ensure that these legacy lands are managed for the enjoyment of all Americans and 

preserved in perpetuity.

The budget request also includes a legislative proposal to help link individual Americans to their 

public lands through the formation of the BLM Foundation, which would raise private funds and 

foster productive partnerships to promote the BLM’s multiple use and sustained yield mission. 

Such a foundation would allow individuals to demonstrate their commitment to public lands with 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 2 

their time and money. The BLM is the Nation’s only large land management agency without a 

congressionally chartered foundation to support its work. 

Bureau Overview

More than 10,000 employees manage an out sized portfolio of lands and resources that 

encompasses more than 247 m illion surface acres, primarily in 11 western States, including 

Alaska, and 700 m illion acres of Federal mineral estate, as well as the mineral operations and 

cadastral surveys on 56 million acres of Indian trust lands. In other words, the BLM is entrusted 

with 13 per cent of the Nation’s surface land and roughly one t hird of its minerals resources. 

While often thought of as a Western agency, the BLM also has significant management 

responsibilities east of the Mississippi River. 

The public lands serve several important functions. As population growth in the West has 

expanded since World War II, the BLM has faced a c orresponding rise in public demand for 

uses such as recreation, wildlife, and open space. At the same time, BLM lands have provided 

energy and m inerals, forage, forest products, and other goods to a growing Nation. Today, 

these lands not only continue producing natural gas, oil and c oal, but are also driving the 

Nation’s new energy economy by producing solar, wind and geothermal energy to reduce our 

dependence on fossil fuels. 

BLM-managed lands also provide critical open-space for an expanding population in western 

cities and towns. The BLM is also a steward of the Nation’s public lands - helping to protect 

threatened or endangered species, restore valuable habitat, manage forest and rangeland fires, 

preserve historical and pal eontological resources, and adm inister a r ange of resources that 

benefit a growing economy. In these ways, BLM management contributes to the vitality of local 

economies, and delivers benefits to all Americans. 

As with all great responsibilities, effective public land management also entails considerable 

challenges that the BLM addresses through cooperation and creativity. Collaboration is the 

hallmark of the BLM’s management approach, engaging a w ide range of stakeholders and 

communities in all its land management decisions. 

2016 Budget Request

The 2016 B LM budget request for current 

appropriations is $1.2 billion, an i ncrease of 

$107.6 million above the 2015 enacted level. 

The budget proposes $1.1 billion for the 

Management of Lands and R esources 

appropriation and $10 7.7 million for the 

Oregon and C alifornia Grant Lands 

appropriation, BLM's two operating accounts. 

The request for these two accounts 

represents a total increase of $91.4 million 

above the 2015 enac ted level. T he budget 

also proposes $38.0 million in discretionary 

funding for Land A cquisition, an i ncrease of 

$18.3 million above the 2015 enacted level. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 3 

The BLM budget request translates to a cost per acre of about $5.04 to American taxpayers.1

Recent Interior studies indicate that BLM’s management of the public lands provides an 

outstanding economic return to the American people. I n 2013,2 activities on B LM managed 

lands were estimated to contribute $107 billion to the Nation's economic output and supported 

over 446,223 domestic jobs through extractive and non-extractive uses of public lands.3

This request provides sustainable benefits across the West and for the Nation as a whole. It 

maintains working landscapes for grazing, timber and recreation; it strengthens oversight of 

onshore oil and gas development while providing increased opportunities for developing these 

economic resources; and it protects unique wildlife habitat and ec osystem functions that are 

also essential sources for clean water, clean air, carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling and 

cultural preservation.

Powering Our Future – The Bureau plays an essential role in meeting the Administration’s “Allof-the-Above” energy strategy. BLM’s oil and gas program accounts for 11 percent of the natural 

gas and five percent of the oil that is domestically produced. In addition, coal from public lands 

provides approximately 22 percent of U.S. electrical production annually. Since 2009, the BLM 

has approved 52 renewable energy projects, including 29 utility-scale solar facilities, 11 wind 

farms, and 12 geothermal plants, with associated transmission corridors and i nfrastructure to 

connect with established power grids. If fully constructed, these projects will provide more than 

14,000 megawatts of power, or enough electricity to power about 4.8 million homes, and provide 

over 20,000 construction and operations jobs.

The 2016 bud get continues strong support for the Administration’s energy goals and 

strengthens management of onshore oil and gas development. This budget request proposes 

an increase of $12.8 million above 2015 enacted levels to develop master leasing plans, 

support the work of the pilot project offices, and advance the technologies needed to improve 

management of the program. 

Since 2000, the BLM has permitted nearly 47,000 new wells; however, the agency’s role does 

not end when a well goes into production. The BLM has oversight responsibility for each of the 

approximately 100,000 wells on public land from cradle to grave. This is a significant 

responsibility and one that the BLM takes seriously to protect the public, the environment and 

taxpayer interests. The 2016 budget request includes a 

proposal to charge an inspection fee to cover the costs 

of performing those functions for industry. The BLM 

estimates that the fee schedule included in the budget 

will generate $48.0 million in offsetting collections for 

the inspection and oversight program, allowing for a 

$6.9 million increase in program capacity compared to 

the 2015 enacted level. This new fee authority will also 

bring onshore oil and gas inspections and oversight into 

congruence with offshore oil and gas management, 

where inspection and r elated activities are presently 

funded through operator fees.

 

1 Public Land Statistics, 2013 (http://www.blm.gov/public_land_statistics/pls13/pls2013-web.pdf) 2 The most recent year for which figures are available.

3 Department of the Interior Economic Impact Report, 2013 (page 17) 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 4 

Permanent funds provided in the 2015 N ational Defense Authorization Act and addi tional 

current appropriations requested in the 2016 budget will enhance the BLM’s ability to process 

APDs more quickly and e fficiently despite the increased complexity and t echnical challenges 

involved in today’s oil and gas operations. The NDAA provides for a 10-year authorization of 

APD processing fees, adjusted each year for inflation, which will replace the fee currently 

provided through annual appropriations language. The NDAA sets the fee at $9,500 in 2016, an 

increase of $3,000 over the 2015 APD fee of $6,500. This will generate an estimated $47.5 

million in APD fee revenues, $15.0 million more than the $32.5 million provided for in the 2015 

appropriations bill. However, of this amount, only 85 per cent or $40.4 million is available for 

BLM use to expand its APD processing capacity (for each year from 2016 to 2019). The budget 

requests that Congress appropriate the remaining $7.1 million in estimated APD fee revenues 

as part of the annual Interior appropriations bill. In addition, the 2016 BLM budget request 

includes an addi tional $3.0 million in discretionary funds to enhance the capacity of BLM’s 

permit processing project offices. The NDAA also permanently extends BLM access to the 

mandatory pilot office funding authorized under section 365 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. In 

the absence of the NDAA provision, BLM’s authority to use the lease rental revenues deposited 

into the Permit Processing Improvement Fund would have expired at the end of 2015.

The BLM budget request maintains funding for Renewable Energy at essentially the 2015 

enacted level, providing the BLM with the necessary resources to continue to aggressively 

facilitate and support solar, wind, and geothermal energy development. 

While this request addresses greater use of renewable energy sources and the responsible 

development of onshore oil and gas to meet U.S. energy needs, coal provides for the 

preponderance of near-term electrical generation for the Nation. Coal produced from Federal 

lands is the source of over 20 percent of all U.S. electricity. An increase of $1.1 million in both 

the Coal Management program and the Other Minerals program will support the automation and 

tracking of licenses, leases and permitting as well as inspection activities, including production 

verification associated with coal and other minerals. 

The BLM role in meeting the Nation’s energy requirements goes beyond the production side of 

the equation. A cross the vast public lands of the West, the BLM, through rights-of-way 

issuance, facilitates the efficient delivery of energy to meet growing demand and address the 

West’s aging electrical infrastructure, which impedes efficient energy transmission and inhibits 

renewable energy development. T o support necessary upgrades for reliability and increased 

capacity, the budget includes a $5. 0 million increase in the Cadastral, Lands and R ealty 

Management program to identify and designate energy corridors for the siting of transmission 

lines and other related infrastructure in an environmentally sensitive manner. This increase 

complements the Secretary’s Powering Our Future initiative.

Sage-Grouse Conservation – Greater sage-grouse once occupied more than 290 million acres 

of sagebrush in the West. Unfortunately, the bird, known for its flamboyant mating ritual, has 

lost much of its habitat over the last century. Large amounts of the habitat that remain have 

become fragmented or degraded. T he species currently resides in eleven States and t wo 

Canadian provinces. In a M arch 2010 dec ision, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) 

determined that listing Greater sage-grouse under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) was 

“warranted, but precluded.” The FWS stated that the BLM was not “fully implementing the 

regulatory mechanisms available” to ensure the species’ conservation. To address those 

concerns, the BLM initiated a formal land use planning process in 2011. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 5 

Since 2013, the BLM has targeted $15.0 million per year toward implementation of broad-scale 

sage-grouse planning and conservation activities, including amendment or revision of 98 land 

use plans to designate priority habitat, perform habitat restoration and improvement, and map, 

assess and monitor that habitat. To avoid the need to list the sage-grouse under the ESA, the 

BLM is creating and i mplementing a s trategy to stabilize the population. T hese efforts have 

involved unprecedented collaboration between the BLM, western State governments, and nongovernmental partners. 

Success in conserving the sage-grouse will 

demonstrate the value of planning for 

conservation and development at a landscape 

level. It will also help demonstrate that working 

at this level – across lands administered by 

State and Federal agencies – successful 

measures can be developed and implemented 

to effectively recover a species that was 

previously headed on the road to extinction 

through landscape-level planning, interagency 

collaboration, and public-private partnerships. 

Success in avoiding the need to list the Greater sage-grouse will also bring economic benefits in 

regions where the largest concentrations remain: the Rocky Mountain region, where 

development pressure is greatest; and t he Great Basin, where the primary threats are 

increasing due to a changing climate, drought, invasive species and increased risk of more 

devastating wildfires. 

The 2016 budget request includes an additional $45.0 million to expand BLM wildlife 

conservation efforts, including restoration and protection of the sage-grouse habitat. With this 

request, BLM’s resources dedicated to sage-grouse conservation will total $60.0 million and are 

an investment in preserving Western values and economies. This effort to restore and protect 

the sagebrush is vital. Sagebrush areas support the sage-grouse and over 350 other species, 

including mule deer and pronghorn, are integral to local economies for hunting, biking, and other 

recreational activities, and are the site of much of our most prolific energy development. The 

$60 million request builds on t he investment in resource planning and i nvolves the local 

community in an ef fort to take a meaningful step forward to minimize the threat of wildfire, 

control invasive plants and r emoving unwanted trees and r estoring and protecting habitat, as 

well as monitoring and assessing conditions of the sagebrush habitat.

The BLM will also implement new methods to measure and track the effectiveness of its 

conservation efforts, and set as a goal providing a net conservation gain for the species. The 

BLM will create measurable objectives for habitat management, use common criteria that can 

be shared with partner agencies, and use unbiased measures to assess and publicly report on 

the outcomes of mitigation. In the Great Basin alone, there are 17 million acres of sage-grouse 

habitat at risk of loss due to drought, wildfire, and invasive grasses. The BLM manages about 

13 million of those acres. T he BLM’s ability to assess and m onitor the results across these 

large landscapes is crucial to a s uccessful effort and c onsistent with a commitment to use 

adaptive management as a m eans of ensuring that investments in sage grouse conservation 

are effective and ef ficient. T he importance of having accurate ongoing data and i nformation 

extends to the Rocky Mountain region as well. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 6 

Cooperative Landscape Conservation – Understanding and responding to the impacts of a 

changing climate is an Administration priority, one in which the Bureau plays a critical role as 

both the Nation’s largest land manager and a par tner with States, Tribes, local governments, 

and private stakeholders. Among the most significant challenges of the changing climate is a 

projected increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events – including severe 

storms, wildfire and dr ought. I n 2016, the Department proposes investments to increase the 

resilience of both coastal and i nland communities to impacts of these events. T hese 

investments will focus on areas at high risk to climate challenges to address vulnerabilities to 

extreme events in these geographies in partnership with State, local, and t ribal governments 

and other stakeholders. Given this challenge, the 2016 budget includes a total of $25.0 million 

for Cooperative Landscape Conservation. This reflects an increase of $10.0 million in BLM’s 

Challenge Cost Share program for leveraged partnership projects to address community 

resiliency. T he Challenge Cost Share program is a 50 :50 non-Federal partner matching 

program which supports mutually beneficial public and partner projects. The funding would 

support work with non-Federal partners on projects that increase the resilience of landscapes to 

extreme weather events with a focus on the inland challenges of wildfire, flooding and drought.

Projects funded through the Challenge Cost Share programs will improve community resilience 

at the project site and provide new and needed data to communities around the Nation on what 

natural infrastructure designs and solutions contribute to resilience.

To accomplish this effectively, the Department will draw on s cientific expertise to identify 

ecosystem restoration and enhancement strategies likely to successfully build resilience to fire, 

flooding and drought. Efforts might also identify focal areas where these strategies are likely to 

have a significant return on investment by protecting communities and at risk infrastructure as 

well as improving landscape resilience in areas of strategic importance to the Department. As 

part of this initiative the Department will develop project criteria and evaluation metrics relevant 

to these new project types. Modeled on the Department’s approach to implementing Hurricane 

Sandy resilience investments, the Department would request proposals and conduct a 

coordinated evaluation of projects.

Climate change is already altering the structure and f unctions of ecosystems, changing the 

distribution and abundance of plants and animals, and in many cases limiting the ability of lands 

and waters to provide services to communities. A s average temperatures rise, droughts are 

increasing, wildfire is more frequent and catastrophic, snowpack is declining, water supplies are 

diminishing in key areas of the West, and A rctic permafrost is thawing in Alaska, creating 

challenges, as well as opportunities, on the national landscape. Landscapes are large, 

connected geographical regions that have similar environmental characteristics, such as the 

Sonoran Desert or the Colorado Plateau. Because these landscapes and the issues affecting 

them are not bound b y political or jurisdictional boundaries, the BLM is moving towards 

implementation of a l andscape-scale management approach to better understand these 

challenges and support balanced stewardship of the diverse natural resources of the public 

lands. 

To achieve this goal, BLM is undertaking two connected initiatives: Rapid Ecoregional 

Assessments (REAs) and a landscape approach for managing public lands. T he purpose of 

these initiatives is to help BLM managers and l and stakeholders, both public and 

private, understand environmental conditions and trends from a broader landscape perspective, 

and to use this information to inform, focus, and coordinate management efforts on-the-ground. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 7 

Since 2010, the BLM has launched 15 R EAs to improve the understanding of the existing 

condition of these landscapes and anticipate how they might change. The REAs provide a 

science-based information platform for formulating coordinated, multi-agency strategies that can 

respond effectively to climate change, wildfire, and ot her environmental challenges that 

transcend local administrative boundaries. 

In 2016, the BLM will finalize the Planning 2.0 initiative, which focuses on des igning a more 

proactive and flexible approach to planning across landscapes. The planning process uses 

more up-front collaboration with partners to produce durable decisions that can also readily 

address the rapidly changing environment and conditions posed by climate change, urban

growth near public lands and expanding resource development, and other stressors. 

Informed decision making and adaptive management require current data about the status and 

trend of terrestrial and aquatic systems and about the location and extent of natural and humancaused disturbances. The BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy is the 

framework for this data collection. The 2016 budget request includes an increase of $5.0 million 

to facilitate and ex pand implementation of the AIM strategy, which is central to meeting 

commitments outlined in the Greater Sage-grouse land use plans, Secretary Jewell’s landscape 

mitigation strategy and other initiatives. 

The budget request also includes a $7.8 million increase in Resource Management Planning, 

Assessment, & Monitoring to support implementation of the BLM’s geospatial strategy. T he 

BLM’s Enterprise Geospatial Information System (EGIS) aggregates data and viewing 

information across boundaries to capture ecological conditions and trends; natural and human 

influences; and opp ortunities for resource conservation, restoration, development, and 

partnering. The BLM geospatial proposal is integrated within Interior’s growing enterprise GIS 

capabilities and s erves as a c ritical component of the Department’s corporate geospatial 

strategy.

Today the BLM has an unprecedented opportunity – using science and technology to create a 

better understanding of landscapes – to advance important conservation goals and 

appropriately develop resources. The President's Budget continues to promote research and 

development, scientific investments, and monitoring to best manage the country's natural 

resources and heritage. Continued and enhanced coordination of science activities across 

bureaus will be r equired to achieve the Department's important mission objectives. The 2016 

Budget facilitates this need by better supporting integrated efforts to achieve resource 

management outcomes. The BLM has identified several key areas for investment where 

coordination with other Department bureaus will leverage results to more effectively achieve 

mission outcomes.

The BLM has been t he lead for the United States for the period of 2013-2017 on t he Arctic 

Council’s Conservation of Flora and Fauna Working Group (CAFF) Circumpolar Biodiversity 

Monitoring Program (CBMP), which coordinates living resource monitoring among an 

international network of scientists, government agencies, Indigenous organizations and 

conservation. For fiscal year 2016, the Terrestrial, Marine, and Freshwater monitoring plans are 

underway, and t he U.S. and C anada are leading the newly established coastal monitoring 

plan. http://www.caff.is/about-the-cbmp

During fiscal year 2016, BLM will continue to support the North Slope Science Initiative (NSSI), 

an intergovernmental effort to increase collaboration at the local, State, and Federal levels to 

address research, inventory, and m onitoring on the North Slope of Alaska. B LM will pursue 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 8 

scenario planning for energy and resource extraction development on the North Slope of Alaska 

and in the offshore environments of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas in coordination with the 

Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the State of Alaska, the North Slope Borough, and other 

local, regional, and national stakeholders. The project will help decision makers prioritize 

monitoring and research needed to address emerging issues regarding: weather and climate, 

increasing marine activity, permafrost, coastal and riverine erosion, hydrology and lake drying, 

coastal salinization, contaminants, fire regime, and vegetation changes. http://northslope.org/

In 2016, the BLM's Wild Horse and Burro (WHB) Program will continue its efforts to find 

innovative solutions to wild horse and burro management challenges through implementation of 

a Prize Challenge. With the assistance of InnoCentive, a global leader in crowdsourcing 

innovation problems, BLM will fundraise and launch Prize Challenge in FY15. 

America’s Great Outdoors – With more than 

64 million people living within 100 miles of BLMmanaged lands in the West, the BLM, through 

America’s Great Outdoors and ot her initiatives, 

is vital to connecting Americans to outdoor 

opportunities that help preserve the social fabric 

of the Nation, bond families across generations, 

and preserve the character of the rural 

American West. In 2013, 61 million recreational 

visits to public lands and waters generated over 

$5.5 billion in economic outputs, and supported 

over 42,000 jobs4

. However, financial 

investment in the Recreation and Visitor Services program has not kept pace with the growing 

recreation-related demands on BLM lands. In 2016, the BLM would use additional funding of 

$6.6 million to implement its National Recreation Strategy - Connecting with Communities. This 

strategy aligns the resources of the BLM’s Recreation & Visitor Services Program with the 

desired benefits sought by local communities. 

The 2016 President’s Budget Request for the BLM includes an $11.2 million increase for the 

National Conservation Lands, which celebrate their 15th anniversary in 2016, to address high 

priority needs in national monuments and nat ional conservation areas, including developing 

management plans for recently designated units, and dev eloping and i mplementing travel 

management plans for high-use units. 

A strong commitment to conservation on the public lands also means proactive management of 

the cultural and pal eontological resources that reside there. A merica’s cultural resources 

embody a r ich heritage of human experiences, architectural achievements, and c ultural 

identities. The BLM manages the largest, most diverse and scientifically important collection of 

heritage resources in North America. Through the Cultural Resources Program, a proposed 

$2.0 million increase will enhance the BLM’s capacity to preserve and protect these vast 

heritage resources, moving from a c ompliance-driven support program to one t hat is more 

capable of addressing large-scale, cross-jurisdictional projects. C urrently, only 10 per cent of 

BLM lands have completed cultural resource inventories. 

 

4 Department of the Interior Economic Impact Report, 2013 (page 17)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 9 

The BLM also has an excellent opportunity to meet the Secretary’s ambitious initiative to 

connect America’s young people to the great outdoors. With adequate resources, the BLM can 

meet the Secretary’s goals. The 2016 Budget request includes an increase of $5.0 million for 

the BLM’s youth programs and partnerships, including a $2.5 million increase in the Soil, Water 

and Air program and $ 2.5 million in the Recreation Management program over the 2015 

enacted level. These resources will enable the BLM to accomplish high priority projects and 

promote quality participant experiences and pathways to careers.

The 2016 budget also includes increases for programs funded through the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund, a vital component of the America’s Great Outdoors initiative. The 2016 

budget proposal includes a total of $93.4 million for BLM Federal land acquisition, including 

$38.0 million in requested discretionary appropriations and $55.4 million in mandatory funding. 

Other Key Program Changes – A $2.9 million increase in the Wild Horse and Burro program 

will allow the BLM to aggressively implement recommendations in the June 2013, National 

Academy of Sciences report “Using Science to Improve the BLM Wild Horse and Burro Program 

– A Way Forward”, including expanding ongoing research on population control methods. 

Curbing reproduction of wild horses on the range is critical to controlling the costs of this 

program. 

The budget includes program reductions totaling $6.9 million in the Oregon and California Grant 

Lands account from FY 2015. A reduction of $3.8 million in the Western Oregon Other Forest 

Resources program will be achieved by reducing a range of activities, including inventory and 

monitoring, rangeland health assessments and restoration projects, and activities in support of 

recreation. A $3.2 million decrease in the Western Oregon Resource Management Planning 

program reflects lower funding needs as the program moves to completing the six revised 

resource management plans. 

Offsetting Collections for 

Grazing – The BLM proposes 

to begin a pi lot project for 

accelerating grazing permit 

renewal through proposed 

grazing administration fees. A 

fee of $2.50 per animal unit 

month is estimated to 

generate $16.5 million in fee 

collections in 2016, more than 

offsetting a decrease of $3.0 

million in the request for 

appropriations, thereby 

enhancing the BLM’s capacity 

for processing grazing 

permits. The increase will

allow the BLM to make more 

progress in addressing the 

grazing permit backlog, which totaled approximately 5,600 of the nearly 17,800 permits for fiscal 

year 2014.

The tables below summarize the BLM’s 2016 Budget Request and available mandatory 

appropriations by major appropriation account:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 10

vs. 2015 Requested

Management of Lands & Resources 1,031,071 1,044,212 +129,450 1,173,662 

Grazing Administration Management* - - -16,500 (16,500) 

Mining Law Administration* (39,696) (39,696) +0 (39,696)

Oil & Gas Permit Processing* (32,500) (32,500) +32,500 +0

Onshore Oil & Gas Inspection Activities* - - -48,000 (48,000)

Communication Site Management^ (2,000) (2,000) +0 (2,000)

Management of Lands & Resources, Before Offsets 956,875 970,016 +97,450 1,067,466 

Offsetting Collections † +74,196 +74,196 +32,000 +106,196

Management of Lands & Resources 1,031,071 1,044,212 +129,450 1,173,662 

Oregon and California Grant Lands 114,467 113,777 -6,043 107,734 

Land Acquisition• 19,463 19,746 +18,254 38,000 

Service Charges, Deposit, & Forfeitures‡~ 29,998 32,465 -1,415 31,050 

Offsetting Collections -29,998 -32,465 +1,415 -31,050

Total, Service Charges, Deposits & Forfeitures +0 +0 +0 +0

Total, Current Discretionary 1,165,001 1,177,735 +141,661 1,319,396 

 Range Improvements◊♦ 9,280 9,270 +730 10,000 

Total, Current Mandatory, Federal Funds 9,280 9,270 +730 10,000 

Total, Current, Federal Funds 1,174,281 1,187,005 +142,391 1,329,396 

 Miscellaneous Trust Funds, Current Portion‡Δ◊ 24,617 25,759 -2,829 22,930 

Current Mandatory, Contributed Funds 24,617 25,759 -2,829 22,930 

Total, Current Appropriations 1,198,898 1,212,764 +139,562 1,352,326 

♦Change between 2015 and 2016 reflects the change in available appropriations between 2015 and 2016 due to sequester in 2015

 Current Appropriations 

(in $000) 2014 Actual 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget

*Direct budget authority for program activities appropriated within the Management of Land and Resources Account, but offset through 

collections (See Offsetting Collections line)

^Available budget authority, up to the amount shown, derived from offsetting collections from communication site rental fees

†Amount for fiscal years 2014 and 2015; includes estimates of offsetting collections for direct spending authority for program activities:

Annual Maintenance (currently $140/claim) and Location Fees (currently $34/claim) for Locatable Minerals offsetting Mining Law Administration,

Application for Permit to Drill (APD) Fees (currently $6,500/ADP) offsetting Oil & Gas Permit Processing,

Communication Site rental fees offsetting Communication Site Management,

Onshore oil and gas inspection fees proposed in this request offsetting Onshore Oil & Gas Inspection & Enforcement, and

A $2.50 per animal unit month administrative fee proposed in this request offsetting Grazing Administration Management

‡Shown as estimated amounts for fiscal years 2014 and 2015; Authority to spend collections appropriated annually; budget authority created 

when collections are recognized

~Collections authorized by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), as amended (43 USC 1735), and the Mineral Leasing 

Act of 1920, as amended by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Act of 1973 (30 USC 185)

◊ 2014 Amount includes 7.2% sequester and 2015 amount includes a 7.3% sequester pursuant to Section 254 of the Balanced Budget and 

Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended

Δ Contributed amounts authorized to be collected under Section 307(c) of FLPMA (43 USC 1701) 

•The 2014 Land Accquisition amount does not include $700K for fire repayments
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 11

Legislative Proposals

National BLM Foundation – The BLM proposes to establish a congressionally chartered 

foundation to help link individual Americans to their public lands. The BLM Foundation would 

raise private funds to promote the BLM’s multiple use and sustained yield mission and foster 

productive partnerships. A foundation would provide the Bureau with significant new tools to 

expand its partnerships and allow the public to support critical programs and activities for which 

they have a passion, whether that is the Wild Horse and Burro Program, the National 

Conservation Lands, habitat restoration, or others. Established as a c haritable, nonprofit 

organization, the foundation would benefit the public by protecting and restoring natural, 

cultural, historic, and recreational resources for future generations. The BLM is unique in that it 

is the Nation’s only large land management agency without a congressionally chartered 

foundation to support its work.

As resource issues broaden and diversify across larger landscapes and include a wider set of 

constituents, the BLM believes this approach will help reach these broader communities and 

enhance our efforts to better engage with the public. Establishing the foundation would broaden 

the BLM’s partnership capabilities to a national scale. 

Oil and Gas Management Reforms – The Administration proposes a package of legislative 

reforms to bolster and backstop administrative actions being taken to reform the management of 

Interior’s onshore and offshore oil and gas programs, with a key focus on improving the return to 

vs. 2015 Requested

Miscellaneous Trust Funds, Permanent Portion◊ 1,388 2,390 -170 2,220 

Permanent Operating Funds◊ 96,671 129,832 +81,946 211,778 

Abandoned Well Remediation Fund∇ 10,000 33,372 -33,372 -

Miscellaneous Permanent Payment Accounts 47,921 17,239 +4,930 22,169 

Land Acquisition - - +55,397 55,397 

Helium Fund∇ 242,111 22,512 +2,029 24,541 

Helium Fund Offsetting Collections -242,111 -22,512 -2,029 -24,541

Total, Permanent Funds 155,980 182,833 +108,731 291,564 

vs. 2015 Requested

Fulltime Equivalents (FTEs) 9,711 9,745 +117 9,862

 Permanent Appropriations 

(in $000) 2014 Actual 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget

 2014 amount includes 7.2% sequester of payments to States and Counties pursuant to Section 254 ofthe Balanced Budget and Emergency 

Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, except for Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act payments authorized to be 

made in 2014 (for 2013) to Oregon & California Grant Lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road counties under Public Law 113-40 

Note: Does not include the BLM Working Capital Fund, nor the offsetting collections of that fund

Employees 2014 Actual 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget

◊ 2014 amount includes 7.2% sequester pursuant to Section 254 ofthe Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended

∇ - Exempt from Sequestration in 2014 & 2015

◊ 2015 amount includes 7.3% sequester pursuant to Section 254 ofthe Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended

 2015 amount includes 7.3% sequester of payments to States and Counties pursuant to Section 254 ofthe Balanced Budget and Emergency 

Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended.

Note: The Helium Stewarship Act of 2013 does not authorize further appropriations to the Abandoned Well Remediation Fund until Fiscal Year 

2019
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 12

taxpayers from the sale of these Federal resources and on i mproving transparency and 

oversight. Proposed statutory and administrative changes fall into three general categories: 

advancing royalty reforms, encouraging diligent development of oil and gas leases, and 

improving revenue collection processes.

Royalty reforms include evaluating minimum royalty rates for oil, gas, and similar products; 

adjusting onshore royalty rates; analyzing a pr ice-based tiered royalty rate; and r epealing 

legislatively mandated royalty relief. Diligent development requirements include shorter primary 

lease terms, stricter enforcement of lease terms, and m onetary incentives to get leases into 

production, for example, through a new per-acre fee on nonproducing leases. Revenue 

collection improvements include simplification of the royalty valuation process, elimination of 

interest accruals on c ompany overpayments of royalties, and pe rmanent repeal of Interior’s 

authority to accept in-kind royalty payments. Collectively, these reforms will generate roughly 

$2.5 billion in revenue to the Treasury over ten years, of which an estimated $1.7 billion will 

result from statutory changes.

Hardrock Mining Reform – The 2016 bud get includes two legislative proposals to reform 

hardrock mining on public and private lands by addressing abandoned mine land hazards and 

providing a better return to the taxpayer from hardrock production on Federal lands. 

The first component of this reform addresses abandoned hardrock mines across the Nation 

through a new Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) fee on har drock production. J ust as the coal 

industry is responsible for remediating abandoned coal sites, the Administration proposes 

holding the hardrock mining industry responsible for the remediation of abandoned har drock 

mines. The legislative proposal will levy an AML fee on uranium and metallic mines on both 

public and private lands. The proposed AML fee on the production of hardrock minerals will be 

assessed on the volume of material displaced after January 1, 2016. The receipts will be split 

between Federal and non-Federal lands. The Secretary will disperse the share of non-Federal 

funds to each State and Tribe based on need. Each State and Tribe will select its own priority 

projects using established national criteria. The proposed hardrock AML fee and reclamation 

program will operate in parallel with the coal AML reclamation program as part of a larger effort 

to ensure the Nation’s most dangerous abandoned coal and hardrock AML sites are addressed 

by the industries that created the problems.

The second legislative proposal institutes a leasing process under the Mineral Leasing Act of 

1920 for certain minerals - gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, uranium, and m olybdenum - 

currently covered by the General Mining Law of 1872. After enactment, mining for these metals 

on Federal lands will be governed by the new leasing process and subject to annual rental 

payments and a royalty of not less than five percent of gross proceeds. Half of the receipts will 

be distributed to States in which the leases are located and the remaining half will be deposited 

in the Treasury. Existing mining claims will be exempt from the change to a leasing system. 

The proposal also increases the annual maintenance fees under the General Mining Law of 

1872 and eliminates the fee exemption for miners holding 10 or fewer mining claims. These 

changes will discourage speculators from holding claims that they do not intend to develop. 

Holders of existing mining claims for these minerals could voluntarily convert their claims to 

leases. The Office of Natural Resources Revenue will collect, account for, and di sburse the 

hardrock royalty receipts. 

Reauthorize the Federal Land T ransaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) – The 2016 budg et 

proposes to reauthorize FLTFA, which expired in July 2011, and al low lands identified as 

suitable for disposal in recent land use plans to be sold using the FLTFA authority. The FLTFA 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 13

sales revenues would continue to fund the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands and to 

cover the administrative costs associated with conducting sales.

Land and Water Conservation Fund -- The Department of the Interior will submit a legislative 

proposal to authorize permanent annual funding, without further appropriation or fiscal year 

limitation, for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). In 2016, the proposal includes 

$38.0 million in discretionary funding and $55.4 million in mandatory funding for the BLM’s land 

acquisition program.

Health Benefits for Seasonal Employees

On July 29, 2014, OPM issued a proposed rule that would expand eligibility for enrollment under 

the Federal employee health benefits (FEHB) program to certain temporary, seasonal and 

intermittent employees. This regulation would make FEHB coverage available to these newly 

eligible employees no later than January 2015. The Department developed a model to estimate 

the number of employees who would accept the new coverage and the estimated cost to the 

government. The Management of Lands and Resources account includes $2.3 million for the 

2016 program and fixed cost changes associated with the estimated cost for new coverage 

under FEHB.

Expand Analytical Capabilities of the Secretary’s Indian Water Rights Office

This Administration has put a high priority on settling Indian water rights claims as part of its 

trust relationship with tribes, and anticipates dozens of water rights negotiation in the coming 

years. The Department recommends instituting policies and s trategies that ensure an 

analytically robust, methodical, and cost-effective approach to negotiating Indian water 

settlements that result in optimal infrastructure and water delivery results for stakeholders, 

appropriate roles for financial contributors, and which strengthen climate resilience, promote 

sound watershed management, and advance water security in Indian country. The new 

approach will better coordinate expertise of the Department, Indian tribes, States, and other 

stakeholders to reach Indian water settlements more effectively and expediently. In this budget, 

the BLM supports the expanded duties and responsibilities of the Secretary’s Indian Water

Rights Office through payments made to the Working Capital Fund.

Supporting the President’s Management Agenda

The President’s Management Agenda seeks to improve the way that government works and 

delivers for citizens. The Bureau of Land Management has been particularly focused on 

delivering world-class customer services to citizens by making it faster and easier for individuals 

and businesses to complete transactions and hav e a positive experience with government, 

including through the use of electronic permitting (“e-permitting”).

Within the Oil & Gas Management program, the BLM is redesigning the Automated Fluid 

Minerals Support System (AFMSS) to improve the oil and g as permitting process. The first 

module under development will automate all of the internal and e xternal processes for 

submitting and processing Notices of Staking (NOS) and Applications for Permit to Drill (APD) 

for federal and Indian oil and gas resources. This module will automate the process from the 

time the operator submits the NOS or APD, through the required BLM reviews, to its 

approval/denial decision. The system will provide enhanced reporting capabilities that will allow 

the BLM to track the NOS/APD through the process, identify bottlenecks, and provide increased 

transparency and accountability.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter I – Executive Summary Page I - 14

The new APD module will enhance the current capabilities of the Well Information System (WIS) 

and the functionality of the current AFMSS system by automating workflows and having all data 

in electronic format. This module is the first of many that will include processing of Sundry 

Notices, additional reporting, and aut omation of inspections using mobile applications on 

tablets.

With respect to APDs, the goal of e-permitting is to continue to reduce the time spent with the 

operators fine-tuning and completing the field data required for proper surface and downhole 

technical analysis. T he BLM continues to experience challenges in the permit approval 

process, and the level of analysis has grown to match the complex and sophisticated horizontal 

well completions that BLM increasingly deals with. The BLM anticipates an i mprovement in 

processing time and overall greater program efficiency as a result of instituting an e-permitting 

system. 

The Bureau also continues to pursue shared services and c ommon infrastructure, facilitate 

agency collaboration and co-funding, and i mplement innovative approaches to resource 

management. The BLM's IT Transformation initiative will continue to achieve savings through 

labor reductions, consolidation of infrastructure staff, servers and data center closures, contract 

consolidations and the promotion of mobility which will allow us to reduce our overall footprint. 

Additionally, all IT contracts are being reevaluated through the IT Spend Plan process, resulting 

in the consolidation of contracts, maximization of bulk purchases to achieve additional savings 

and standardization. The BLM will continue its commitment to ensuring that information 

technology efforts align with Departmental initiatives focused on consolidation, shared services, 

and improving IT cost efficiency. The Bureau will continue to seek further centralization efforts 

internally, while expanding consolidation efforts by working with other Bureaus to share services 

in areas the of Data Center Consolidation, Geospatial, IT Acquisitions, and A pplication 

Consolidation to achieve greater cost efficiency.
Summary of Program 

and Legislative Changes

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 1 

SUMMARY OF PROGRAM AND LEGISLATIVE 

CHANGES

The following describes the major increases, decreases, transfers, legislative and administrative 

changes and management efficiencies in the BLM’s 2016 budget. 

Fixed Costs

Fixed Costs Increases (+$13,312,000/+0 FTE) – Requested fixed cost increases include costs 

such as planned pay increases, space rental costs, retirement system costs, health plan costs, 

workers compensation costs, unemployment compensation costs, and specified Department of 

the Interior costs funded through the Department’s Working Capital Fund.

America’s Great Outdoors

Recreation Resources Management: National Recreation Strategy (+$6,615,000/+5 FTE) – 

The requested increase will allow the BLM to implement its National Recreation Strategy, which 

aligns the resources of the BLM’s Recreation & Visitor Services Program with the desired 

outcomes of local communities, businesses, and other service providers to increase delivery of 

benefits to the recreating public and r efines program objectives to achieve recreation-tourism 

outcomes that communities value most, while capitalizing on t he inherent advantages of the 

BLM’s unique recreation brand. In 2016, the program will address safety needs, provide better 

signage and i nterpretive exhibits, improve accessibility standards at 26 BLM Visitor Centers, 

and implement the Mountain Bike Action Plan with national partners. Funding will also be used 

for an i nteractive national level map; a s ite specific webpage design that features recreation 

information; and static, printable PDF maps showing recreation facilities and amenities. 

National Conservation Lands (+$11,181,000/+20 FTE) –The 2016 budget request includes an 

increase of $11.2 million to support critical resource protection and maintenance work on the 

National Conservation Lands. Efforts to be undertaken will include eradicating invasive plants 

that jeopardize native species and contribute to unnatural, increasingly difficult-to-manage fire 

regimes; protecting equipment investments from weather; conducting inventories of the worldclass and of ten endemic resources, objects, and values for which each NM&NCA was 

designated; and implementing resource, science and travel management plans. The BLM will 

also address additional maintenance needs, accommodate public demand for increased hours 

of operation, program offerings and greater capacity on N ational Conservation Lands, and 

support critical staff positions.

Cultural Resources: Safeguarding Our Irreplaceable Heritage (+$2,000,000/0 FTE) – The 

2016 budget request includes a program increase of $2.0 million to enhance the BLM’s capacity 

to manage unique, irreplaceable heritage resources. The program will conduct up t o 60 

additional localized on-the-ground inventories of sensitive areas, and site protection and 

stabilization projects for priority sites vulnerable to the effects of climate change (e.g. fire, 

erosion, water levels) and unauthorized activities. Projects will also focus on updating regional 

overviews and further implementing predictive modeling and data analysis to plan across broad 

landscapes and enhance the bureau’s ability to address large-scale, cross-jurisdictional landuse. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 2 

Land Acquisition – America’s Great Outdoors

Landscape Acquisition Projects: High Priority Projects (+$18,158,000 / 0 FTE) - In 2016, 

the BLM will acquire high priority acquisition projects in the core and collaborative landscape 

planning land acquisition programs. The 2016 core program is $10.4 million and will fund nine of 

BLM’s highest priorities. The collaborative landscape-planning component builds on efforts 

begun in 2011 to invest strategically in interagency landscape-scale conservation projects while 

continuing to meet bureau-specific programmatic needs. The Department of the Interior and the 

U.S. Forest Service (USFS) collaborated extensively to develop a process to more effectively 

coordinate land acquisitions with government and local community partners to achieve the 

highest priority shared conservation goals. The 2016 request includes a total of $19.9 million for 

four collaborative landscapes consisting of nine projects. Within this total, the BLM includes $9.2 

million for the Upper Rio Grande landscape, $5.8 million for the High Divide landscape, $2.6 

million for the Rivers of the Chesapeake landscape and $2.3 million for projects that are part of 

the National Trails System landscape. The 2016 request also includes a total of $4.0 million to 

benefit Sportsmen/Recreational access, a program change of +$2.0 million from the 2015 

enacted level.

Permanent Appropriation: Permanent Land Acquisition – The Department of the Interior will 

submit a l egislative proposal to permanently authorize annual funding, without further 

appropriation or fiscal year limitation for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Starting 

in 2017, $900 million annually in permanent funds would be available. During the transition to full 

permanent funding in 2017, the budget proposes $900 million in total LWCF funding in FY 2016, 

comprised of $500 million in permanent and $400 million discretionary funds. The amounts 

requested include the authorized levels for the Department of the Interior and the Department of 

Agriculture. The 2016 permanent proposal includes $55.4 million for BLM. See the Land 

Acquisition chapter for details.

Powering Our Future

Oil & Gas Management: Master Leasing Plans (+$5,757,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 budget 

request includes an increase of $5.8 million to fund the development of oil and gas master 

leasing plans (MLPs) that are currently in process or are scheduled to begin in 2016. The BLM 

typically prepares MLPs in areas where the BLM anticipates high interest for leasing and there 

are potential conflicts with other natural resources. The MLPs build upon R esource 

Management Plan decisions by providing a m ore focused and detailed analysis, including an 

analysis of optimal lease parcel configurations and potential development scenarios; identifying 

and addressing resource conflicts and as sociated environmental impacts; and i dentifying 

mitigation strategies and constraints. Through the MLP process, the BLM analyzes and 

resolves these issues prior to conducting lease sales; therefore, the MLPs will provide oil and 

gas operators increased regulatory certainty when obtaining and developing lease parcels. The 

requested funding will be used to complete or begin MLPs within the BLM Utah, New Mexico, 

Colorado, and Wyoming State offices.

Oil & Gas Management: Enhance Capacity of Oil and G as Pilot/Project Offices 

(+$3,000,000/+25 FTE) – In addition to authorizing APD fees for 2016 through 2026, the 

National Defense Authorization Act, 2015, also permanently extends BLM access to mineral 

lease rent revenues deposited in the Permit Processing Improvement Fund, which have been 

the primary source of funding for the BLM Pilot Offices established under the Energy Policy Act 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 3 

(EPAct) of 2005. U nder EPAct, BLM’s access to these mandatory rent revenues was set to 

expire at the end of fiscal year 2015. The budget estimates that $16,120,000 in rental receipts 

will be deposited in the PPIF in 2016, an increase of $702,000 over the 2015 estimate. Given 

the heavy workload and increasing need for the BLM to support increased domestic oil and gas 

production, the budget proposes to not only sustain, but enhance the capacity of current and 

future oil and gas pilot/project offices with an additional $3.0 million in requested discretionary 

appropriations. Fundi ng levels for pilot offices and ot her energy-intensive district and field 

offices have not kept pace with the increasingly time-consuming and complex work associated 

with processing current APDs. The requested funding will help the BLM reduce the backlog of 

APDs, accelerate the processing times of new APDs and other use authorizations, ensure new 

drilling projects meet stronger wellbore integrity requirements through implementation of the 

hydraulic fracturing regulation, and allow the BLM to address the complexities related to longer 

horizontal well completions. This will require better technical knowledge, training and a need to 

replace departing engineers due to retirement or other career moves.

Oil & Gas Management: Automated Support System Modernization (+$4,000,000/0 FTE): 

The 2016 budget request includes an increase of $4.0 million to complete the final phase of the 

information technology modernization project to update the 19-year old Automated Fluid 

Minerals Support System (AFMSS). T he AFMSS system is used for the collection, 

management, and s haring of information on aut horized use of fluid minerals (e.g. oil, gas, 

geothermal and helium), including the issuance of drilling permits and collection of inspection 

and enforcement data across Federal and Indian onshore operations. The new system will 

automate workflows to be consistent with BLM standards and will minimize the need for manual 

data entry, thereby improving data quality. The funding increase of $4.0 million requested as 

part of the 2016 P resident’s Budget will be used for completing the final phase that will 

automate processes not supported by the current system, allowing BLM employees to gather 

and evaluate a wider range of information in a more efficient manner. 

Oil and Gas Permit Processing from Fees (net change of -$25,375,000/-234 FTE) – As 

noted above, Section 3021 (d) of the National Defense Authorization Act, 2015 amended the 

Mineral Leasing Act to authorize APD fees in 2016 t hrough 2026 and to permanently 

appropriate the majority of these fee revenues in 2016-2026 to process applications for permits 

to drill (APDs). As a result, the offsetting collection currently provided in the annual 

appropriations language is no longer required in 2016. The NDAA sets the APD fee at $9,500, 

adjusted annually for inflation, an i ncrease $3,000 over the $6,500 fee set in the 2015 

appropriations act. The budget estimates that the $9,500 APD fee will generate $47.5 million in 

revenues in 2016. In 2016 through 2019, the NDAA permanently appropriates only 85 percent 

of this amount, estimated at $40.4 million in 2016, and makes the other 15 pe rcent of fee 

revenues subject to appropriation. The budget request proposes that Congress appropriate the 

remaining 15 percent of fee revenues (estimated at $7.1 million) as part of the 2016 I nterior 

appropriations bill. The net change of -$25.4 million reflects the difference between the $32.5 

million provided in offsetting collections in 2015, and a current appropriation of $7.1 million in 

2016 that will be covered by the 15 percent of APD fees proposed to be appropriated.

Oil and G as Inspection Activities (Net program change of +$6,874,000/+15 FTE): The 

2016 budget request proposes to institute new onshore oil and gas inspection fees to cover the 

costs of BLM’s inspection activities and reduce the net cost to taxpayers of operating BLM’s oil 

and gas program. The estimated $48.0 million in collections generated from the inspection fees 

will reduce the need for direct appropriations for the program by -$41.1 million while also 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 4 

providing for an increase of $6.9 million above the amount appropriated in 2015 for this critical 

BLM management responsibility. The increased funding is aimed at correcting deficiencies 

identified by the Government Accountability Office in its February 2011 report, which designated 

Federal management of oil and gas resources, including production and revenue collection, as 

high risk. The BLM will also complete more environmental inspections to ensure environmental 

requirements are being followed in all phases of development. The fees are similar to those 

already in place for offshore operations. Proposed appropriations language to implement the 

fees is included in the proposed General Provisions for the Department of the Interior, and is 

shown below for convenience. 

SEC.114. (a) In fiscal year 2016 t he designated operator of each lease on Federal or 

Indian lands, or each unit and communitization agreement that includes one or more 

Federal or Indian leases, that is subject to inspection under 30 U.S.C. 1718(b), and that 

is in force at the start of fiscal year 2016 shall pay a nonrefundable inspection fee that the 

Bureau of Land Management (BLM) shall collect and deposit in the ‘‘Management of 

Lands and Resources’’ account.

(b) Fees for 2016shall be:

(1) $700 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with no active or 

inactive wells, but with surface use, disturbance or reclamation;

(2) $1,225 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with 1 to 10 

wells, with any combination of active or inactive wells;

(3) $4,900 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with 11 to 50 

wells, with any combination of active or inactive wells; and

(4) $9,800 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with more than 

50 wells, with any combination of active or inactive wells.

(c) BLM will bill designated operators within 60 days of enactment of this Act, with 

payment required within 30 days of billing.

(d) If the designated operator fails to pay the full amount of the fee as prescribed in this 

section, BLM may, in addition to utilizing any other applicable enforcement authority, 

assess civil penalties against the operator under 30 U.S.C. 1719 in the same manner as 

if this section were a mineral leasing law as defined in 30 U.S.C. 1702(8).

Coal Management and Other Minerals Management: Mineral Tracking System 

(+$2,200,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes an increase of $1.1 million in the Coal

Management program and $1.1 million in the Other Minerals Management program to develop 

the Mineral Tracking System (MTS). T he funding for the MTS will be used to support the 

automation and t racking of licenses, leases and per mitting as well as inspection activities, 

including production verification, associated with coal and other solid mineral commodities (e.g. 

phosphate, sodium, potassium, etc.). 

Federal Oil and Gas Reforms - The 2016 budget includes a package of legislative reforms to 

bolster and b ackstop administrative actions being taken to reform management of Interior's 

onshore and offshore oil and gas programs, with a key focus on improving the return to 

taxpayers from the sale of these Federal resources and on i mproving transparency and 

oversight. Proposed statutory and administrative changes fall into three general categories: (1) 

advancing royalty reforms; (2) encouraging diligent development of oil and gas leases; and (3) 

improving revenue collection processes.

Royalty reforms include evaluating minimum royalty rates for oil, gas, and similar products, 

adjusting the onshore royalty rate, analyzing a pr ice-based tiered royalty rate, and repealing 

legislatively-mandated royalty relief. Diligent development requirements include shorter primary 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 5 

lease terms, stricter enforcement of lease terms, and m onetary incentives to get leases into 

production through a new per-acre fee on nonproducing leases. Revenue collection 

improvements include simplification of the royalty valuation process, elimination of interest 

accruals on company overpayments of royalties, and permanent repeal of Interior's authority to 

accept in-kind royalty payments. Collectively, these reforms will generate an es timated 

$2.5 billion in revenue to the Treasury over 10 years, of which approximately $1.7 billion will 

result from statutory changes. Many States will benefit from higher Federal revenue sharing 

payments as a result of these reforms.

Repeal Geothermal Payments to Counties - The Administration proposes to repeal Section 

224(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Prior to passage of this legislation, geothermal 

revenues were split between the Federal government and States, with 50 percent directed to 

States, and 50 percent to the Treasury. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed this distribution 

beginning in 2006 to direct 50 percent to States, 25 percent to counties, and for a period of five 

years, 25 percent to a new BLM Geothermal Steam Act Implementation Fund. The allocations 

to the new BLM geothermal fund were discontinued a year early through a provision in the 2010 

Interior Appropriations Act. The repeal of Section 224(b) will permanently discontinue payments 

to counties and restore the disposition of Federal geothermal leasing revenues to the historical 

formula of 50 percent to the States and 50 percent to the Treasury. This results in estimated 

savings of $4.0 million in 2015 and $47 million over ten years.

Engaging the Next Generation

Soil, Water and Air Management: Youth in the Great Outdoors (+$2,500,000/0 FTE) – The 

2016 budget request includes a $2. 5 million increase for the Secretary’s Youth in the Great 

Outdoors Initiative in the Soil, Water & Air Management Program. Funding will allow the BLM to 

expand efforts to provide opportunities for "the next generation to play, learn, serve, and work" 

on public lands. Special consideration will be given to those programs that provide youth from 

diverse backgrounds with hands-on learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and 

Mathematics (STEM), and prepare them for careers in STEM fields. 

Recreation Resources Management: Youth in the Great Outdoors (+$2,500,000/0 FTE) – 

The 2016 budget request includes a $2.5 million increase for the Secretary’s Youth in the Great 

Outdoors Initiative in the Recreation and Visitor Services program. Funding will allow the BLM 

to expand efforts to educate, engage, and employ young people. Special consideration will be 

given to those programs that provide youth from diverse backgrounds with hands-on learning in 

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and prepare them for careers in 

STEM fields. 

Sage-Grouse Conservation

Wildlife Management: Implement Sage-Grouse Conservation Plans (+$37,000,000/+20 

FTE) – The 2016 Budget request includes an increase of $37.0 million to support the long-term 

stage of implementing 68 r esource management plan revisions and am endments which 

describe habitat restoration and conservation needs across 27 priority areas in 11 States. The 

requested funds support activities that fall into three broad categories which involve both on-theground work and establishing the processes and organizational capability to plan and oversee 

the effort: managing resource uses in greater sage grouse habitats; restoring and reconnecting 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 6 

greater sage grouse habitats; and assessing, monitoring, and reporting on conditions in priority 

habitats. 

Resource Management Planning, Assessment and Monitoring: Sage-Grouse Monitoring 

(+$8,000,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes an increase of $8,000,000 to develop 

assessment and monitoring protocols using core indicators, standardized field methods, remote 

sensing, and a statistically valid study design to provide nationally consistent and scientifically 

defensible information. These protocols will be used to meet the monitoring commitments made 

during the Greater Sage Grouse planning effort. These commitments include gathering 

information on terrestrial and aquatic site condition, ecological sites, special status species, 

treatments, disturbance of the public lands, fire, and land uses.

Applied Science

Wild Horse and Burro: Implementation of National Academy of Sciences (NAS) 

Recommendations (+$2,993,000/0 FTE) – The program increase will be used to: continue 

ongoing multi-year research studies that focus on the development of more effective and longer 

lasting population growth suppression methods including sterilization; conduct population 

inventories using recommended survey methods; continue the programmatic environmental 

impact statement initiated in FY 2015; engage in genetic diversity monitoring; continue 

development of a robust population model; continue sentinel population studies; and apply the 

most effective, available population growth suppression methods to on-range animals. The BLM 

will continue to develop a scientific foundation that will be the basis for an ecologically and 

financially sustainable Wild Horse and Burro Program. 

Resource Management Planning, Assessment, and Monitoring: Enterprise Geospatial 

System (+$7,800,000 /0 FTE) – The BLM is requesting an increase of $7,800,000 to expand 

the implementation of BLM’s enterprise geospatial system in 2016. This expansion will include 

the aggregation of BLM’s data across administrative units, the centralization of those data in an 

enterprise system that supports all programs and offices, and the delivery of data to both 

desktop and mobile computers across the agency to improve efficiency. The enterprise 

geospatial system will support accurate and e ffective analysis and dec ision making across 

various priority landscape-scale initiatives, including the Greater Sage-Grouse Plan 

Implementation and M onitoring, Renewable and Conventional Energy Development, Rapid 

Ecoregional Assessments, Climate Change Adaptation, and Regional Mitigation. 

Rangeland Management

Grazing Permit Issuance/Shift Cost to Fees (-$2,976,000/-25 FTE) – The budget proposes to 

shift a portion of the costs of issuing and managing grazing permits from appropriated funds to 

fees. The reduction of $3.0 million in the request for appropriations combined with the estimated 

$16.5 million in fee collections from a new grazing administration fee will result in a net increase 

of $13.5 million in funding resources available to address the grazing permit backlog.

Permit Administrative Processing Fee - The 2016 budget includes appropriations language 

for a three-year pilot project to allow the BLM to recover some of the costs of issuing grazing 

permits/leases on BLM lands. The BLM would charge a permit administrative fee of $2.50 per 

Animal Unit Month, which would be c ollected along with current grazing fees. The budget 

estimates the permit administrative fee will generate $16.5 million in 2016 and that it will assist 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 7 

the BLM in processing pending applications for grazing permit renewals. During the period of 

the pilot, the BLM will promulgate regulations for the continuation of the administrative fee as a 

cost-recovery fee, to be in place once the pilot expires.

SEC. 417. Beginning on Mar ch 1, 2016, and o nly to the extent and in the amount 

provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of Agriculture shall collect an 

annual administrative fee for grazing domestic livestock on N ational Forests in the 16 

contiguous western States and on National Grasslands in the amount of $2.50 per head 

month for cattle and its equivalent for other livestock. The administrative fee shall be 

billed and collected using the process as provided in sections 222.50 through 222.52 of 

title 36, Code of Federal Regulations. Fees collected may be us ed, subject to 

appropriation, to offset the cost of administering the livestock grazing program. Nothing in 

this provision shall affect the calculation, collection, distribution, or use of the grazing fee 

under 43 U.S.C. 1751(b), title III of the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 

1010), and implementing regulations.

In fiscal year 2016, beginning on March 1, 2016, and only to the extent and in the amount 

provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of the Interior shall collect an 

administrative fee to offset the increased cost of administering the livestock grazing 

program on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management by charging $2.50 

per Animal Unit Month, which shall be billed, collected, and subject to the penalties using 

the same process as the annual grazing fee in 43 C.F.R. 4130.8–1. Penalties assessed 

shall be deposited in the General Fund of the Treasury. Nothing in this provision affects 

the calculation, collection, distribution, or use of the grazing fee under 43 U .S.C. 315–

315rr, 43 U .S.C. 1751(b), 43 U .S.C. 1905, Executive Order 12548, or administrative 

regulation.

Western Oregon

Other Forest Resources Management: Reduce Core Capability (-$3,753,000/-24 FTE) – A 

decrease of $3.8 million will reduce a r ange of activities, including inventory and m onitoring, 

rangeland health assessments and restoration projects, and activities in support of recreation, 

soil, water, and air. Some cost savings are expected by primarily thinning stands less than 80 

years old, where less pre-disturbance surveys are needed.

Resource Management Planning: Planned Completion of Six Resource Management 

Plans (-$3,175,000/0 FTE) –The BLM plans to complete the six revised RMPs in Spring 2016. 

As the final environmental impact statements are released and dec isions are signed, the 

program’s emphasis will be t o support plan implementation with continued collaboration both 

internally and externally.

Other Program Changes

Soil, Water and Air Management: Enhance Core Capabilities (+$1,520,000/0 FTE) – The 

2016 budget request includes a program increase of $1.5 million. The additional funds will be 

used to increase regional air resource monitoring and modeling efforts, specifically designed to 

share data across Federal agencies and support regional conventional and renewable energy 

development; enhance the development of Ecological Site Descriptions on r ange lands and 

within pilot areas for forestry, riparian and w etlands; increase water quantity compliance 

monitoring and reporting necessary to meet regulatory requirements as well as protect Federal 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 8 

reserve water rights; and support watershed assessment projects that promote an i ntegrated 

implementation approach across BLM programs.

Riparian Management: Enhance Core Capability (+$1,340,000/+2 FTE) – The 2016 budget 

request includes a $1. 3 million increase to strengthen BLM’s core capability to pursue a 

landscape approach to managing BLM vegetation resources, including managing over 150,000 

miles of riparian areas and nearly 13 million acres of wetlands. Increased funding will be used to 

treat acres not meeting land health standards in sage-grouse habitat and t o identify and 

prioritize management and restoration efforts and to support BLM management decisions. 

Increased funding will also be used for monitoring and assessment of drought conditions with a 

goal of improving the quality and quantity of water for wildlife.

Resource Management Planning, Assessment and Monitoring: 

Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring Strategy (AIM) (+$5,000,000 /+3 FTE) – The BLM is 

requesting an i ncrease of $5,000,000 to support implementation of its comprehensive 

assessment, inventory and m onitoring strategy. The increase will facilitate an i ntegrated 

approach in managing resources across multiple scales and det ermining the condition and 

trends in public lands across large landscapes. The AIM Strategy is intended to reach across 

programs, jurisdictions, stakeholders, and agencies to provide data and information valuable to 

decision makers. In 2016, five interrelated monitoring efforts will be implemented to inform the 

regional mitigation and monitoring strategies for the Solar Programmatic EIS and for the Greater 

Sage-Grouse Planning Initiative.

Cadastral, Lands and Realty: Transmission Corridors (+$5,000,000/0 FTE) – The requested 

funding would position the BLM to strategically plan for the long term increased demand and 

updates to the electric grid throughout the West with an improved and updat ed assessment 

process for the development and siting of energy corridors and rights-of-way (ROWs). Strategic 

planning would take into consideration renewable energy development including wind, solar, 

geothermal and hy dropower. Planning activities would include revising land use plans in 

coordination with Federal, State, local and t ribal stakeholders; revising energy corridors; 

developing landscape-level mitigation and best management practices; and synchronizing BLM 

and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) land use/management plans with transmission planning 

conducted by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council.

Abandoned Mine Lands: Red Devil Mine Remediation (+$2,800,000/0 FTE) – The Red Devil 

Mine (RDM), located on the Kuskokwim River in Southwestern Alaska, is an abandone d 

cinnabar mine which produced mercury from 1939 thru 1971. In 2009, the BLM initiated a 

Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) of the Red Devil Mine site under the 

Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The $2.8 

million proposed increase for 2016 w ould be us ed for ground and s urface water monitoring, 

Proposed Plan Development and Remedial Design/Remedial Action (RD/RA) development. 

Annual Maintenance: Enhance Core Capability (+500,000/0 FTE) – The increase will fund 

additional preventive maintenance on c onstructed assets supporting administrative, 

recreational, and infrastructure needs, with an emphasis in areas under greatest pressure from 

community growth.

Deferred Maintenance: High-Priority Projects (+$4,240,000/0 FTE) – The requested increase 

will support additional facility repair projects that otherwise would not have been funded. 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 9 

Priorities will be identified using the Department’s capital investment guidelines. The projects 

include sustainability upgrades, radio infrastructure, and bridge, dam, and facilities repairs on 

critical assets. 

Challenge Cost Share: Climate Resilient Landscapes (+$10,000,000/0 FTE) - The increase 

of $10.0 million in Challenge Cost Share funds will be used to expand collaborative partnerships 

and projects that address the adverse impacts of climate change on public resources. The BLM 

will prioritize projects using criteria developed in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service and National Park Service to conserve and restore the most vulnerable lands. Projects 

will invest in heritage resources, fish, wildlife and plants, and recreation lands that can recover 

quickly from disturbance change. The BLM will use novel, cost-effective methods maximizing 

the return on investment.

Administrative Support: Health Benefits for Seasonal Employees (+$2,275,000/0 FTE) – 

On July 29, 2014, the Office of Personnel Management issued a proposed rule that would 

expand eligibility for enrollment under the Federal employee health benefits (FEHB) program to 

certain temporary, seasonal and intermittent employees. This regulation would make FEHB 

coverage available to these newly eligible employees no l ater than January 2015. The 

Department developed a model to estimate the number of employees who would accept the 

new coverage and the estimated cost to the government. 

Administrative Support: Enhance Core Capabilities (+$1,000,000/0 FTE) – The increased 

funding supports increased costs associated with operating the BLM’s management and 

support infrastructure, continuous improvements to internal controls and compliance to support 

mission assurance and accountability, and supports human capital planning and workforce 

planning. 

Permanent Reprogrammings and Internal Transfers

Transfer to National Conservation Lands ( +$5,009,000/+0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM will 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to undertake a 

systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer will create 

consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and operational costs 

across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount represents the 

amount these various MLR subactivities have contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Other Legislative Proposals

National BLM Foundation – The budget request includes a legislative proposal to establish a 

congressionally-chartered BLM Foundation. This foundation is an opportunity to leverage 

private funding to support public lands, achieve shared outcomes, focus public support of the 

BLM mission, and improve messaging. 

The legislative proposal to be transmitted soon will follow the structure of statutes establishing 

similar foundations for other land management agencies. A s a c haritable corporation under 

section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the foundation will not be considered 

an agency of the United States and will be authorized to encourage, accept and administer 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 10

private gifts of money for the benefit of BLM activities. It will also undertake activities that 

further the purposes of public lands and support the mission of BLM. 

As with similar organizations, the foundation will have a boar d of directors appointed by the 

Secretary for set terms and m ay receive support from the Secretary. For the purposes of 

audits, it will be treated as a private corporation under Federal law. The foundation will not be 

authorized to perform any function the authority for which is provided to BLM under any other 

provision of law.

Mining Law – The 2016 budget includes a legislative proposal to reform hardrock mining by 

instituting a leasing process under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (MLA) for certain minerals 

(gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, uranium, and m olybdenum). Half of the receipts will be 

distributed to the State where the lease is located and half would be deposited to the Treasury’s 

General Fund. The proposal also increases annual maintenance fees and eliminates the fee 

exemption for miners holding 10 or fewer mining claims.

a 

Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) – The 2016 Budget includes a proposal to 

reauthorize FLTFA and allow lands identified as suitable for disposal in recent land use plans to 

be sold using the FLTFA authority. FLTFA sales revenues would continue to be used to fund 

the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands and the administrative costs associated with 

conducting sales.

Hardrock Abandoned Mine Land Fund – To provide additional resources for the reclamation 

of abandoned hardrock mines, the 2016 budget proposes a new AML fee on hardrock 

production. J ust as the coal industry is held responsible for abandoned coal sites, the 

Administration proposes to hold the hardrock mining industry responsible for the remediation of 

abandoned hardrock mines. The legislative proposal will levy an AML fee on uranium and 

metallic mines on both public and private lands. The proposed AML fee on the production of 

hardrock minerals will be charged on the volume of material displaced after January 1, 2016. 

The receipts would be split between Federal and non-Federal lands. The Secretary will 

disperse the share of non-Federal funds to each State and Tribe based on need. Each State 

and Tribe will select its own priority projects using established national criteria. The proposed 

hardrock AML fee and reclamation program will operate in parallel with the coal AML 

reclamation program as part of a l arger effort to ensure the Nation’s most dangerous 

abandoned coal and har drock AML sites are addressed by the industries that created the 

problems.

Recreation Fees Mandatory Appropriation – The 2016 budget proposes legislation to 

permanently authorize the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which was extended by 

P.L. 113-235 through September 30, 2016. In addition, as a short-term alternative to proposed 

legislation for long-term reauthorization, the 2016 budget proposes appropriations language to 

further extend authorization for the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act through 

September 30, 2017.

Reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools payments – In 2012, under PL 112-141, the 

Secure Rural Schools Act was reauthorized for one year (2012). The payments made to 

counties in 2013 (for 2012) again used a formula based on acreage of Federal land, previous 

payments, and per capita personal income. In October 2013, Congress enacted Public Law 

113-40 which extended payments for one year to the O&C Grant Lands and the Coos Bay 
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 11

Wagon Road counties through fiscal year 2013 (with the payment made in 2014). The 2016 

President’s budget includes a l egislative proposal to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools 

(SRS) Act for five years, starting in 2015, with funding through mandatory U.S. Forest Service 

appropriations. This SRS proposal revises the allocation split between the three portions of the 

program from the current authority emphasizing enhancement of forest ecosystems, restoration 

and improvement of land health and water quality, and the increase of economic activity. 

If no proposal is enacted, payments to O&C and CBWR counties in 2016 would be under the 

1937 and 1939 s tatutes. For more information on t his proposal, see the U.S. Forest Service 

2015 Budget Justification.
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Chapter II – Summary of Program and Legislative Changes Page II – 12

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Performance Overview

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Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 1 

PERFORMANCE OVERVIEW

This section discusses the BLM’s Priority Goals and t heir relationship to the BLM’s major 

initiatives, and the BLM’s contributions to the Department of the Interior’s Strategic Plan.

Priority Goals

The four areas where the BLM contributes to DOI’s success in meeting its priority goals are:

• Renewable Energy Resource Development,

• Climate Change Adaptation,

• Youth Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Resources, and

• Oil & Gas Resources Management.

The BLM programs affected include: Soil, Water, and Air Management; Range Management; 

Forestry; Riparian Management; Wildlife and Fisheries Management; Threatened and 

Endangered Species Management; Wild Horse and Burro Management; Recreation 

Management; National Monuments and Conservation Areas; Wilderness Management; Oil and 

Gas Management; and Renewable Energy Management.

Renewable Energy Resource Development – By September 30, 2015, increase approved 

capacity authorized for renewable (solar, wind, and geothermal) energy resources affecting 

Department of the Interior managed lands, while ensuring full environmental review, to at least 

16,500 Megawatts since 2009. 

BLM Contribution: The BLM’s Renewable Energy Management Program contributes to the 

Secretary’s Powering Our Future and R esponsible Use of the Nation’s Resources Initiative. 

Public lands managed by the BLM in the western U.S. have high potential for wind, solar and 

geothermal energy production. Public lands also provide crucial transmission corridors for 

renewable energy generated on non-Federal lands. The BLM has identified approximately 20 

million acres with wind energy potential in 11 western States, 22 million acres with solar energy 

potential in six southwestern States, and 149 million acres with geothermal potential in several 

western States and Alaska. The 2016 President’s Budget requests $29.4 million for Renewable 

Energy Management, which maintains funding at the 2015 enacted level plus an i ncrease of 

$295,000 for fixed costs.

Implementation Strategy: In 2016, the BLM will implement a competitive leasing program using 

new regulations for solar and wind energy leasing developed under Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act authority. P rior to that, it will continue to selectively offer for competitive 

leasing some lands made available by the solar energy Programmatic Environmental Impact 

Statement (PEIS). The Record of Decision on the Solar PEIS includes 17 solar energy zones, 

containing approximately 285,000 acres potentially available for solar energy development. The 

BLM has added two additional solar energy zones through land use planning efforts for the 

Arizona Restoration Design Project and the West Chocolate Mountains Renewable Energy 

Evaluation Area in California. More are anticipated with future land use planning efforts. 

Making these lands available for BLM leasing proposals provides for the best siting locations for 

environmentally-sound solar energy development projects. The BLM is continuing this leasing
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Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 2 

program through a nomination and r equest for proposal process, until competitive leasing is 

fully established through rulemaking.

In 2016, a West Wide Wind Mapping Project will be available to identify wind energy exclusion 

areas and s ensitive resource conflicts for wind energy development on publ ic lands. This 

project is expected to be completed in 2015 and be available to assist in BLM land use planning 

efforts and i n siting reviews of proposed wind energy projects on BLM public lands in the 

western States. The wind energy constraint analysis methodology will further streamline the 

environmental review of site-specific wind projects. It will also broaden the analysis of additional 

planned transmission development. T he final Wyoming wind analysis report will provide new 

information to address a greater level of wind energy development in Wyoming. 

Performance Metrics: The Department is presently employing a set of internal measures and 

milestones to monitor and track achievement of the priority goals. Progress in these areas is 

reported and reviewed throughout the year by the Deputy Secretary’s Principals Operations 

Group to identify and address any need for enhanced coordination or policy measures to 

overcome barriers to the achievement of the priority goal. The BLM has identified the following 

existing Strategic Plan measure that relates to this priority goal: “Number of megawatts of 

approved capacity authorized on public land for renewable energy development while ensuring 

full environmental review.” Through the end of 2014, the BLM issued decisions on solar, wind, 

and geothermal energy development project proposals with a combined capacity of more than 

14,140 megawatts under the priority goal. Projects approved in 2015 and 2016 are projected to 

provide sufficient additional capacity to reach the goal of over 16,500 megawatts of capacity.

Though the specifics of any priority goals beyond FY 2015 will be developed as part of the FY 

2017 budget process, the BLM will continue its work on processing renewable energy rights-ofway in FY 2016 and expects to contribute 16,500 MW towards the 17,000 megawatts target for 

the Department as a whole by the end of 2016.

Climate Change Adaptation – By September 30, 2015, the Department of the Interior will 

demonstrate maturing implementation of climate change adaptation, as scored when 

implementing strategies provided in its Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan. 

BLM Contribution: The BLM will work within five broad strategies developed by DOI to 

demonstrate implementation of climate change adaptation. These five broad strategies are 

mainstream and i ntegrate climate change adaptation into both agency-wide and regional 

planning efforts; ensure agency principals demonstrate commitment to adaptation efforts 

through internal communications and policies; ensure workforce protocols and pol icies reflect 

projected human health and safety impacts of climate change; design and construct new or 

modify/manage existing agency facilities and/or infrastructure with consideration for the potential 

impacts of projected climate change; and update agency external programs and policies to plan 

for and address the impacts of climate change. Each of these five strategies will have a BLM 

component that will contribute to the Department’s overall goal of addressing the impacts of 

climate change. The 2016 BLM budget request includes $25.0 million for climate change 

adaptation an increase of $10 million over the 2015 enacted budget.

Implementation Strategy: In 2015 and 2016, the BLM will identify priority focal areas for funding 

to restore or enhance landscape resiliency as one of many efforts to integrate climate change 

adaptation into planning efforts. The Bureau will integrate national science committee 

recommendations into decision making as part of its ongoing management commitment. 

Similarly, the BLM will review design criteria for climate change considerations in deferred
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Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 3 

maintenance or capital improvement projects over $1.0 million to ensure they incorporate best 

available sustainable measures, reduce water use to help mitigate possible water shortages, 

install photovoltaic cells where possible to help alleviate energy use, and use inspections to 

identify potential energy savings in facilities. Each of these measures helps to alleviate 

greenhouse gas emissions. Finally in working with our public land users, the BLM will develop a 

program to help visitors understand how climate change may affect their ability to use and enjoy 

the public lands. 

Performance Metrics: The Department is presently employing a set of internal measures and 

milestones to monitor and track achievement of the priority goals. Progress in these areas will 

be reported and reviewed throughout the year by the Deputy Secretary’s Principals Operations 

Group to identify and address any need for enhanced coordination or policy measures to 

overcome barriers to the achievement of the priority goal.

Youth Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Resources – By September 30, 2015, the 

Department of the Interior will provide 40,000 work and training opportunities over two fiscal 

years (FY2014 and FY 2015) for individuals age 15 to 25 to support the mission of the 

Department. The Department is proposing to expand this goal to provide 100,000 work and 

training opportunities over four fiscal years, FY 2014 through FY 2017, for individuals ages 15 

to 35.

BLM Contribution: The BLM has incorporated this priority goal into its Celebrating and 

Enhancing America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. The Bureau will continue to focus on providing a 

continuum of experiences through its youth education, engagement, and employment programs. 

Special consideration is given to those programs that involve young people ages 15 to 25 

through various student employment programs, the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps 

and other youth partnership organizations. The BLM is also emphasizing recruiting youth from 

diverse backgrounds. Programs for school age youth such as Hands on the Land and 

conservation corps and internship programs for high school and older youth expose young 

people to natural and cultural resources and to career pathways in those fields. The 2016 BLM 

budget includes $6.0 million for the Celebrating and Enhancing America’s Great Outdoors 

initiative, which is $5.0 million above the 2015 enacted level. This funding will provide youth 

opportunities assisting the BLM with trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration, 

inventory and monitoring in support of a wide range of programs, such as archaeological 

resources; wilderness characteristics; soil, water, and air resources as well as climate change 

impacts.

Implementation Strategy: In 2016, the BLM will continue to pursue opportunities to facilitate, 

develop, and sustain partnership activities to support BLM’s mission and will continue pursuing 

collaborative opportunities to educate, engage, and employ youth, particularly throughout the 

National Landscape Conservation System. 

Performance Metrics: The Department is presently employing a set of internal measures and 

milestones to monitor and track achievement of the priority goals. Progress in these areas will 

be reported and reviewed throughout the year by the Deputy Secretary’s Principals Operations 

Group to identify and address any need for enhanced coordination or policy measures to 

overcome barriers to the achievement of the priority goal.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 4 

Oil and Gas Resources Management – By September 30, 2015, the BLM will increase the 

completion of inspections of Federal and Indian high-risk oil and gas cases by nine percent over 

FY 2011 levels, which is equivalent to covering as much as 95 percent of the potential high-risk 

cases. 

BLM Contribution: The inspection of high-risk-producing oil and gas cases ensures that 

hydrocarbon production on f ederally-managed lands is properly accounted for and results in 

accurate royalty payments to the public and Indian owners of the minerals. Oil and gas 

production on federally-supervised lands represents a s ignificant part of the Nation’s 

hydrocarbon production. Operating regulations at 43 CFR 3161.3 (a) require the BLM to inspect 

all leases which produce high volumes of oil or natural gas and those leases that have a history 

of non-compliance at least once a year. By focusing on high-risk-producing cases, rather than 

randomly selecting producing cases for inspection, the BLM’s resources are more efficiently 

used. The high-risk cases account for about 13 percent of the total cases but account for over 

60 percent of the oil and gas produced on Federal and Indian mineral estates. This effort is a 

component of addressing the deficiencies identified in the GAO High Risk report, including 

ensuring data on production verification and royalties are consistent and reliable, meeting goals 

for oil and gas verification inspections, and ensuring that informal employee training is 

supported by formalized training courses offered on a c onsistent basis. The 2016 President’s 

Budget proposes establishing inspection fees to cover the cost of the inspections. T he 

estimated collections generated from the proposed inspections fees is $48.0 million. This will 

allow for a r eduction of $41.1 million in requested appropriations (the amount of the 2015 

appropriation for inspection activities), resulting in a net increase of $6.9 million in resources 

available for BLM inspections and ov ersight. The 2016 budg et also proposes an i ncrease to 

complete the final phase of its Automated Fluid Minerals Support System (AFMSS) 

modernization project allowing collection of inspection and enforcement data across Federal 

onshore operations to strengthen BLM’s oversight and permitting functions and enable the BLM 

to effectively implement its leasing reforms.

Implementation Strategy: High-risk cases are determined by seven risk factors, four generated 

by the BLM and three derived from the Office of Natural Resources Revenue risk model. The 

four BLM factors are: production rating; number of missing Oil and Gas Operations Reports; 

non-compliance rating; and last production inspection date rating. The Field Offices inspect the 

cases throughout the year, which are then entered into AFMSS. The Washington Office then 

runs reports from AFMSS showing the number of high-risk-production inspections completed. 

The number of high-risk-production cases is determined by the individual Field Offices, based 

on the Bureau’s risk-based inspection strategy. The milestones for 2015 and 2016 w ill be 95 

percent or above at the end of the year.

Performance Metrics: The BLM is presently employing the following milestones to monitor and 

track achievement of this priority goal: 1) Revising Onshore Oil and Gas Orders 3, 4, 5, and 9 

which cover how oil and gas is measured and stored in a secure facility to prevent theft and 

mishandling of production, waste, and beneficial use; 2) Evaluating and adjusting onshore 

royalty rates; and 3) Reinstating training for managers on oil and gas operations. Progress in 

these areas is reported and reviewed throughout the year by the Deputy Secretary’s Principals 

Operations Group to identify and address any need for enhanced coordination or policy 

measures to overcome barriers to the achievement of the priority goal.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 5 

The BLM’s Contribution to the Department’s Strategic Plan

The FY 2014-2018 DOI Strategic Plan, in compliance with the principles of the GPRA 

Modernization Act of 2010, provides a c ollection of mission objectives, goals, strategies and 

corresponding metrics that provide an i ntegrated and focused approach for tracking 

performance across a wide range of DOI programs. While the DOI Strategic Plan for 2014 – 

2018 is the foundational structure for the description of program performance measurement and 

planning for the 2016 President’s Budget, further details for achieving the Strategic Plan’s goals 

are presented in the DOI Annual Performance Plan and Report (APP&R). Bureau-and programspecific plans for 2016 are fully consistent with the goals, outcomes, and measures described in 

the 2014-2018 version of the DOI Strategic Plan and related implementation information in the 

Annual Performance Plan and Report (APP&R).
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 6 

Goal Performance Table 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Mission Area 1: Celebrating and Enhancing America's Great Outdoors

Goal 1: Protect America's Landscapes

Strategy 1: Improve land and water health. 

Percent of DOI stream/shoreline miles that have achieved 

desired conditions where condition is known and as 

specified in management plans. (SP) 

85% 

132,466/ 

154,976

86% 

133,055/ 

155,274

86%

133,866

155,151

85% 

132,344/ 

154,976

85%

131,976/

154,976

85% 131,976/ 

154,976

Contributing Programs: Land Resources; Wildlife and Fisheries Management; O&C Resources; Contributed Funds; Challenge Cost Share; and Other Subactivities.

Percent of DOI acres that have achieved desired conditions 

where condition is known and as specified in management 

plans. (SP)

63% 

155,970,340/ 

248M

66% 

163,558,379/ 

248M

63% 

155,210,537/ 

248M

63% 

155,317,905/ 

248M

64% 

155,500,000/ 

248M

63% 

155,600,000/ 

248M

Contributing programs: Land Resources; Wildlife Management; O&C Resources Management; Contributed Funds/Reimbursables; and Other Subactivities. 

Percent of baseline acres infested with invasive plant 

species that are controlled. (SP)

0.99% 

333,177/ 

35,762,000

0.57% 

204,667/ 

35,762,000

0.68%

246,710/

35,762,000

0.58% 

210,395/ 

35,762,000

1.3% 

1,038,157/ 

79,236,079

1.3% 

1,038,157/ 

79,236,079

Comments: Reporting of this measure changed based on a new baseline inventory done in 2014. The target also reflects changes due to the performance measure revision. 

Contributing Programs: Land Resources; Burned Area Rehabilitation; O&C Resources Management; Challenge Cost Share; and Other Subactivities.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 1 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Number of DOI riparian (stream/shoreline) miles restored to 

the condition specified in management plans. (BUR) 749 867 671 510 600 700

Contributing Programs: O&C Resources Management; Land Resources; Wildlife Management; Reimbursables; Challenge Cost Share and Contributed Funds; and Range 

Improvements.

Number of DOI acres restored to the condition specified in 

management plans. (BUR) 848,477 556,457 502,787 487,770 488,738 500,000

Contributing Programs: Land Resources; Wildlife Management; O&C Resources Management; Range Improvements; Forest Ecosystems; SNPLMA Conservation; Resource 

Management Planning; Forestry Pipeline Restoration; NM&NCA's; Other Reimbursables. 

Percent of surface waters (acres) managed by BLM that 

meet State (EPA-approved) water quality standards. (BUR)

87% 

283,616/ 

324,628

91% 

335,765/ 

371,060 

90% 

11,631,022/ 

12,923,358

89% 

3,049,333/ 

3,426,217

89% 

3,023,000/ 

3,400,000

88% 

2,816,000/ 

3,200,000

Contributing Programs: Land Resources; Wildlife Management; O&C Resources Management; Range Improvements; Forest Ecosystems; SNPLMA Conservation; Resource 

Management Planning; Forestry Pipeline Restoration; NM&NCA's; Other Reimbursables. 

Percent of surface waters (stream miles) managed by BLM 

that meet State (EPA-approved) water quality standards. 

(BUR) 

91% 

124,188/ 

136,327

89% 

103,700/ 

116,937 

91% 

221,722/ 

243,706

91% 

142,583/ 

143,959

90% 

127,000/ 

142,000

88% 124,100/ 

141,100

Percent of Wild Horse and Burro Herd Management Areas 

(HMAs) achieving appropriate management levels. (BUR) 39% 69/179 40% 

72/179

26% 

47/179

17% 

31/179

15% 

26/179 7% 13/179
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 2 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual 2015 Enacted

2016 

President's 

Budget

Percent of Resource Management Plans completed within 

four years of start. (BUR)

41% 

28/ 69

39% 

28/72 

39% 

29/75

38% 

29/77

31% 

30/95

30% 

31/104

Percent of Resource Management Plan evaluations 

completed within 5 years. (BUR) 

41%

56/ 136

44% 

65/149

42%

66/157

45% 

73/164

45% 

73/164

49%

81/164

Percent of Resource Management Plans with 

Implementation Strategies. (BUR)

36% 

49/ 136

38% 

56/149

37%

58/157

34% 

55/164

34% 

55/164

40%

66/164

Percent of Resource Management Plans evaluated as 

making significant progress toward achieving riparian 

condition goals. (BUR)

18% 

24/136

22% 

33/149

22% 

34/157

25% 

41/164

28% 

44/164

32%

52/164

Percent of public lands where Visual Resource 

Management data have been recorded in digital format for 

both inventory and management classes. (BUR)

71% 

177,427,913/ 

248M

76% 

187,663,813/ 

248M

80%

198,541,465/

248M

82% 

201,506,063/ 

248M

82% 

201,506,063/ 

248M

82% 

201,506,063/ 

248M

Percent of sites (acres) reclaimed or mitigated from the 

effects of degradation from past mining. (BUR)

32% 

3,046/ 

9,262

51% 

4,723/ 

9,262 

64% 

8,834/ 

13,747

9% 

2,982/ 

34,510

9% 2,603/ 

34,461

8% 

2,925/ 

35,000

Comments: Performance from 2014 forward reflects a revised method of calculating the percent of acres reclaimed and/or mitigated. The new system more precisely

represents field performance in restoring/reclaiming abandoned mine lands.

Percent of known contaminated sites remediated on BLMmanaged land. (BUR)34% 

92/ 272

39% 

108/ 272

46% 

126/ 272

49% 

131/269

50% 

134/269

50% 

137/269

Percent of physical and chemical hazards mitigated in 

appropriate time to ensure visitor or public safety. (BUR)

92% 

740/800

91% 

9601/1,052

92% 

1,026/1,112

85% 

980/1,159

85% 

1,037/1,220

85% 

1,037/1,220
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 3 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Number of incidents/investigations closed for natural, 

cultural, and heritage resources offenses.(BUR) 4,744 4,450 6,330 6,774 11,593 11,593

Number of natural, cultural, and heritage resource crimes 

detected that occur on BLM lands.(BUR) 9,438 9,434 15,307 17,640 17,640 17,640

Strategy 2: Sustain fish, wildlife, and plant species by protecting and recovering the Nation’s fish and wildlife, in cooperation with partners, including States. 

Number of threatened and endangered species recovery 

activities implemented. (SP) 1,328 1,921 1,844 1,519 1,660 1,650

Contributing Programs: Threatened and Endangered Species Management; O&C Wildlife Habitat Management, and NM&NCA's.

Number of stream/shoreline miles of habitat restored or 

enhanced that directly support the conservation of Bureau 

species of management concern. (BUR)

418 225 307 510 250 237

Contributing Programs: Fisheries; Wildlife Management; Threatened and Endangered Species Management; O&C Wildlife Management; and NM&NCA's. 

Number of acres of habitat restored or enhanced that 

directly support the conservation of Bureau species of 

management concern. (BUR) 

295,799 250,000 250,000 218,500 300,000 382,000

Contributing Programs: Wildlife; Fisheries ; T&E Management; O&C Wildlife Management; and NM&NCA's. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 4 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Goal 2: Protect America’s Cultural and Heritage Resources

Strategy 1: Protect and maintain the Nation's most important historic areas and structures, archeological sites, and museum collections.

Percent of archaeological sites on DOI inventory in good 

condition (SP)

84% 

60,521 

71,644

86% 

69,362/ 

80,653

85% 

64,562/ 

75,918

85%

68,588/

80,685

85% 

70,000/ 

82,350

85% 

70,000/ 

83,000

Percent of historic structures on DOI inventory in good 

condition (SP)

48% 

193/ 400

48% 

197/410

52% 

217/421

51% 

221/431

51% 

225/435

53% 

230/435

Percent of collections on DOI inventory in good condition. 

(SP) 

83% 

118 / 142

83% 

120/144

86% 

123/ 143

84% 

132/158

85% 

135/159

87% 

139/160

Percent of paleontological localities in BLM inventory in 

good condition. (BUR) 

95% 

26,643/ 

27,230

99% 

26,376/ 

26,621

98% 

19,259/ 

19,609

36%

6,191/ 

17,129

44% 

8,360/ 

19,000

45% 

9,000/ 

20,000

Comments: BLM instituted a revised internal reporting format in 2014 to collect current data on paleontological localities, focusing on assessments conducted within the last five years 

as more accurate assessments of condition.

Number of units of National Scenic and Historic Trail 

inventory completed to standards. (BUR) 384 222 106 91 50 50

Number of units of National Scenic and Historic Trail 

monitoring completed to standards. (BUR) 1,320 2,542 718 189 150 150

Percent of designated Wild and Scenic River miles 

achieving goals, objectives, and desired conditions in 

maintaining, protecting, and/or enhancing river-related 

values. (BUR)

94 % 

2,512/2,681

 

88%

2,371/2,681

61%

1,505 / 2,450

62% 

1,526/ 2,450

62% 

1,526/ 2,450

62% 

1,526/ 2,450
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 5 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Percent of Wilderness Areas under BLM Management with 

Completed Basline Wilderness Character Monitoring. 

(BUR) 

New Measure in 

2015

New Measure in 

2015

New Measure in 

2015

New Measure in 

2015

Establish 

Baseline

Baseline 

established

Percent of designated Monuments and NCAs inventoried 

for the resources, objects, and values for which they were 

designated, (BUR) 

New Measure in 

2014

New Measure in 

2014

New Measure in 

2014

46% 4,461,021/ 

9,697,871

50% 

4,848,936/ 

9,697,871

55% 

5,333,829/ 

9,697,871

Goal 3: Provide Recreation and Visitor Experience

Strategy 1: Enhance the enjoyment and appreciation of our natural and cultural heritage by creating opportunities for play, enlightenment, and inspiration.

Percent of visitors satisfied with the quality of their 

experience. (SP)

95% 

95/ 100

94% 

94/100

96% 

96/100

96% 

96/100

96% 

96/100

96% 

96/100

Percent satisfaction among visitors served by facilitated 

programs. (SP) 

90% 

90/ 100

97% 

97/100

94% 

94/100

95% 

95/100

94% 

94/100

94% 

94/100

Percent of customers satisfied with the value for fee paid. 

(BUR) 88% 70% 83% 83/100

75% 

75/100

74% 

74/100

74% 

74/100

Percent of recreation fee program receipts spent on fee 

collection. (BUR) 3% 3% 3% 3% 3% 3%

Mission Area 3: Powering Our Future and Responsible Use of the Nation's Resources 

Goal 1: Secure America's Energy Resources

Strategy 1: Ensure environmental compliance and the safety of energy development.

Percent of oil and gas acres reclaimed to appropriate final 

land condition. (SP) 

23% 

2,327/ 

10,062

23% 

1,949/ 

8,651

24%

1,661/

6,992

24% 

2,122/ 

8,822

27%

2,400/

8,900

27%

2,400/

8,900
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 6 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Percent of producing fluid mineral cases that have a 

completed inspection during the year. (SP)

36% 

9,869/ 

27,419

33% 

10,297/ 

27,419

37%

10,204/

27,719

27%

7,915/

29,321

28%

8,100/

29,200

31% 

9,000/ 

29,200

Percent of required coal inspection and enforcement reviews 

completed. (BUR)

93%

2,513/

2,700

101% 

2,731/ 

2,700

95%

2,467/

2,600

91% 

2,353/ 

2,600

100%

2,650/

2,650

100%

2,650/

2,650

Percent of Federal oil and gas lease assignments processed. 

(BUR) 

90%

27,548/

30,611

90%

12,706/

14,087

80%

12,140/

15,361

87% 

12,194/ 

14,000

82% 

11,500/ 

14,000

82% 

11,500/ 

14,000

Strategy 2: Develop Renewable Energy Potential

Number of megawatts of approved capacity authorized on 

public land and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for 

renewable energy development while ensuring full 

environmental review. (SP)

8,005 9,844 15,767 16,534 18,000 18,500

Strategy 3: Manage Conventional Energy Development

Percent of coal lease applications processed. (SP) 7% 

3/42

18% 

8/45

15% 

6/40

10% 

4/41

10% 

4/42

10% 

4/42

Percent of pending fluid mineral Applications for Permit to 

Drill (APDs) which are processed. (SP)

56% 

5,200/ 

9,308

61% 

5,861/ 

9,549

60% 

4,892/ 

8,180

56% 

4,924/ 

8,862

57% 

4,550/ 

8,046

57% 

4,550/ 

8,046

Number of coal post-leasing actions approved for energy 

minerals. (BUR) 345 375 325 263 335 335
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 7 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Percent of pending cases of right-of-way grant applications. 

(BUR) 

92% 

1,872/ 2,041 

47% 

1,380/ 

2,965

47% 

1,402/ 

3,000

49% 

1,458/ 

2,989

49% 

1,518/ 

3,110

50% 

1,500/ 

3,000

Percent of oil and gas Reservoir Management Agreements 

processed. (BUR) 90% 2,944/3,265 82% 3,605/4,385

86%

3,443/ 4,000

91% 

4,089/4453

85% 

3,400/4,000

85% 

3,400/4,000

Goal 2: Sustainably Manage Timber, Forage, and Non-Energy Minerals 

Strategy 1: Manage Timber and Forest Products Resources 

Percent of allowable sale quantity timber offered for sale 

consistent with applicable resource management plans. 

(SP)

70% 

143/ 203

85% 

172/ 203

80% 162/ 

203

77% 

155/ 203

80% 

162/ 203

80% 

162/ 203

Volume of wood products offered consistent with applicable 

management plans (Public Domain & O&C) (SP) 240 242 243 269 240 228

Contributing Programs: O&C Forest Management; Forestry Management

Administrative cost per thousand board feet of timber 

offered for sale. (BUR) $217 $194 $207 $182 $200 $200 

Volume of wood products offered (biomass for energy) 

consistent with applicable management plans. (BUR) 119,000 157,751 137,347 116,559 100,000 100,000 

Contributing Programs: Forestry Management; Hazardous fuels; O&C Resources Management ; and Forest Ecosystem Health . 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 8 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Percent of forestry improvements (acres) completed as 

planned. (BUR)

67% 

17,301/ 

25,700

62% 

15,906/ 

25,700

100% 

16,050/ 

16,000

111% 

17,720/ 

16,000

94% 

15,000/ 

16,000

91% 

14,500/ 

16,000

Strategy 2: Provide for Sustainable Forage and Grazing

Percent of grazing permits and leases processed as planned 

consistent with applicable resource management plans. 

(SP)

36% 

1,945/ 

5,383

22% 

1,491/ 

6,685

21% 

1,344/ 

6,300

22% 

1,374/ 

6,300

23% 

1,572/ 

6,900

34% 

2,295/ 

6,800

Contributing Programs: Range Land Management; National Monuments and National Conservation Areas; O&C Range Management . 

Number of grazing administration actions conducted. 

(BUR) 

96% 

30,006/ 

31,102

108% 

34,200/ 

31,617

115% 

35,298/ 30,752

120% 

33,738/ 

28,000

100% 

31,994/ 

31,994

100% 

32,016/ 

32,016

Contributing Programs: Range Land Management; National Monuments and National Conservation Areas; O&C Range Management . 

Strategy 3: Manage Non-Energy Mineral Development

Percent of non-energy mineral exploration and development 

requests processed. (SP)

5% 

27/572

11% 

73/ 645

25% 

114/475

22% 

105/475

13% 

60/475

13%

60/475

Number of mined acres reclaimed to appropriate land 

condition and water quality standards. (SP) 1,317 1,408 2,279 1,554 1,300 1,300
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 9 

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Percent of Mineral Material permits and contracts

processed for non-energy minerals. (BUR)

52% 

1,225/ 2,340

37% 

740/ 2,000

21% 

503/ 2,028

47% 

513/1,082

37%

710/ 1,900

37%

710/ 1,900

Percent of Reclamation Bond Adequacy. (BUR) 105% 

2,027,497,506/1,937,402,788

98% 

$2,363,046,865/ 

$2,404,511,715

99%

2,543,000,000/

2,563,000,000

96%

2,590,000,000/

2,697,000,000

98%

1,960,000,000/

2,000,000,000

98%

1,960,000,000/

2,000,000,000

Average time for processing Plans of Operation for 

locatable minerals. (BUR) 22 mo 14 mo 14 mo 17 mo 14 mo 15 mo

Percent of Notices and Plans of Operations inspected. 

(BUR) 56% 1,734/3,092 44% 

1,338/3,039

47% 

1,393/ 2,954

48% 

1,293/ 2,674

50% 

1,525/ 3,050

50% 

1,525/ 3,050

Percent of Mineral Material trespass actions resolved 

for non-energy minerals. (BUR)

31% 

40/ 127

23% 

42/ 180

13% 

15/ 117

27% 

12/ 44

33% 

47/ 135

25%

45/180

Number of mining notices processed. (BUR) 603 525 516 521 500 480

Percent of time the Crude Helium Enrichment Unit 

(CHEU) was operating during the fiscal year. (BUR)

95% 

345/365

105% 

357/340

105% 

356/ 340

102% 

347/ 340

100% 

340/ 340

100% 

340/ 340

Number of Mineral Material inspections and 

production verifications. (BUR) 3,319 3,076 2,969 3,106 3,100 3,100

Number of Non-energy Solid Mineral inspections 

and production verifications. (BUR) 1,391 1,817 1,757 1,684 1,700 1,700
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 10

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Mission Area 6: Building a Landscape Level Understanding of Our Resources 

Goal 1: Provide Shared Landscape-Level Management and Planning Tools

Strategy 1: Ensure the use of landscape level capabilities and mitigation actions

Number of landscape-scale mitigation actions taken that 

directly expand the conservation of natural resources. (SP) New in 2014 New in 2014 New in 2014 2 14 9 

Management Initiatives : Building a 21st Century Department of the Interior 

Goal 4: Improving Acquisition & Real Property Management

Percent of buildings maintained in adequate condition, 

determined by Facilities Condition Index (FCI) < 0.15. 

(BUR) 

90% 4,480/ 

4,949

92% 

4,546/4,971

90% 3,978/ 

4,323

92% 

3,976/4327

92% 

3,956/4,319

92% 

3,975/4,314

Percent of sites maintained in adequate condition, 

determined by Facilities Condition Index (FCI) < 0.15. 

(BUR) 

89% 

3,064/3,431

89% 

3,079/3,464

88% 

3,128/3,490

89% 

3,120/3,499

89% 

3,110/3,493 89% 3,114/3,497

Number of lane miles of roads maintained in adequate 

condition. (BUR) 32,059 34,376 33,765 33,625 34,000 34,700

Number of Deferred Maintenance and Construction projects 

completed. (BUR) 116 311 70 220 220 220

Increase the percentage of BLM organizational units rated 

in good safety, health, and environmental condition 

(CASHE). (BUR)

93% 

111/ 120

96% 

115/ 120

95% 

114/ 120

94% 

113/ 120

95% 

114/ 120

95% 

114/ 120
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter III – Performance Overview Page III – 11

Target Codes: SP = Strategic Plan measure, BUR = Bureau specific measure

Type Codes: C = Cumulative measure, A = Annual measure

Supporting Performance Measures 2011

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual 2014 Actual 2015 Enacted 

2016 

President's 

Budget

Percent of survey projects of Federal and Indian Trust 

lands that are funded. (BUR)

22% 

338/1,570 

20% 

317/1,570

14% 

258/1,862 16% 248/1,570 8.5% 135/1,575

8%

116/1,575

Percent of cadastral surveys approved within 18 months 

of the funding date. (BUR)

78% 

320/409

82% 

335/409

69% 

388/559

59%

241/409

52% 

214/410

52% 

214/410

Percent of land entitlements patented to the State and 

Alaskan Native Corporations as required by statute. 

(BUR) 

59% 

88,341,737/ 

150,149,836

63% 

94,244,957/ 

150,149,836

65%

97,000,457

150,149,836

65%

97,544,793/

150,149,836

66%

98,944,793/

150,149,836

67%

100,344,793/

150,149,836

Number of acres conveyed out of public ownership 

through sale or exchange. (BUR) 36,910 20,491 114,924 58,363 38,899 40,000

Number of acres acquired to consolidate ownership and 

improve management. (BUR)

4% 

454 /11,849

1% 

111/ 11,849

62% 

7,371/ 11,849 144% 17,054/11,849 50% 12,359/ 24,696

50% 

12,000/ 24,000

Number of land exchange cases completed to 

consolidate ownership, improve management, and 

acquire important resources. (Bureau Measure)

New Measure in 

2014

New Measure in 

2014

New Measure in 

2014 12 4 4 

Crosscutting Programs

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 1 

 

The BLM has a num ber of programs that are funded through multiple sources. The National 

Conservation Lands is one such example; its components are described below. In addition, the 

BLM has partnership, education, and volunteer programs that are supported by a num ber of 

funding sources. Service First and BLM’s partnership program provide tools to BLM managers 

to more efficiently and effectively use funding and to provide results on the ground.

The National Conservation Lands

The BLM is unique in its mission of managing the public lands for multiple use and sustained 

yield of resources, including conservation. More than 30 million acres of BLM land is 

recognized for outstanding conservation values and designated for special management by Acts 

of Congress or Presidential Proclamations.

The BLM manages these special areas to maintain and enhance their conservation values with 

the goal to conserve, protect, and restore these important landscapes and their outstanding 

cultural, ecological, and scientific values. These areas range from broad Alaskan tundra to redrock deserts and from deep river canyons to rugged ocean coastlines and include some of 

America’s finest natural and cultural treasures.

The National Conservation Lands include the following unit designations. Each of these unit 

designations and information about each unit type can be found in the following sections.

• National Monuments and National Conservation Areas; 

• Wilderness/Wilderness Study Areas; 

• National Wild and Scenic Rivers; and

• National Scenic and Historic Trails. 

Natural and C ultural Benefits - The diverse ecosystems designated in the National 

Conservation Lands protect a myriad of endangered species and habi tats, and the diverse 

ecosystems help ensure that the Nation’s extraordinary biodiversity will be sustained for present 

and future generations to enjoy. As landscape pressures associated with drought, climate 

change and the effects of landscape stressors on species habitat and migration corridors 

continue to be of concern, units of the National Conservation Lands offer opportunities for 

scientists to conduct important research and data collection. Additionally, the National 

Conservation Lands contain over 30 percent of all special-status animal species found on BLM 

lands.

Also preserved within the National Conservation Lands are priceless artifacts from our Nation’s 

history, including explorer William Clark’s 1806 signature on a sandstone bluff in Montana. This 

signature is the only on-site physical evidence of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Dinosaurs 

and other prehistoric species left myriad evidence of their passing through the National 

Conservation Lands and many of their fossils are now displayed in visitor centers and 

cooperating museums.

Crosscutting Programs
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 2 

 

Recreation Benefits - As wide-open spaces and opportunities for natural exploration continue 

to dwindle, the National Conservation Lands conserve over 30 million acres of rugged 

landscapes for the public to explore and enjoy and hosts more than one-fourth of all recreation 

on BLM lands. These diverse lands provide opportunities for recreationists of all kinds, from 

white-water rafters and rock climbers to hunters and fishermen, hikers and skiers to boaters and 

off-highway vehicle riders. The BLM manages units that include over 2,700 recreation sites and 

22 visitor centers, and serves approximately 14 million visitors annually. Because of the high 

rate of visitation, the communities surrounding the National Conservation Lands reap significant 

economic benefits through tourism services. In southeast Nevada, Red Rock Canyon National 

Conservation Area alone serves over one m illion visitors each year. These visitors generate 

more than $1.7 million in recreation fees that are reinvested in the unit and directly contribute to 

the regional tourist economy, benefitting local communities and businesses located there.

The BLM, in cooperation with local communities, supports the creation of recreation and visitor 

facilities in nearby gateway communities rather than building extensive facilities within the units. 

In New Mexico, the BLM worked with the Las Cruces Museum of Nature and S cience to 

establish exhibits on the Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. The new visitor center will 

provide educational opportunities about BLM-managed resources at the nearby Prehistoric 

Trackways National Monument. These facilities also draw additional tourism that supports the 

local economy and creates economic diversity. 

These lands are critical to the implementation of important Administration initiatives, including 

America’s Great Outdoors and Let’s Move Outside, and the Department of the Interior’s Youth 

in the Great Outdoors Initiative. For example, the National Conservation Lands connect youth, 

veterans, and families to the outdoors through a num ber of programs and recreational 

opportunities including internship opportunities for students, employment and training 

opportunities for veterans, and volunteer opportunities on designated units of the National 

Conservation Lands. The incredible beauty and sense of adventure provided by these lands 

entice both individuals and families to be a part of these public lands. 

In addition to the revenue generated by tourism, the National Conservation Lands also provide 

revenue from energy development, ranching, mineral extraction, and art. These lands must be 

conserved for the future and the BLM promotes the sustainable use of these lands as supported 

through the proclamation or designating legislation. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 3 

 

The following table displays the amounts of funding allocated to the National Conservation 

Lands. These amounts represent recurring base funding only.

National Conservation Lands

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 

Request

Program 

Change 

from 

2015

Management of Land & Resources:

NMs & NCAs 31,819 31,819 48,470 +11,181 

Wilderness Management 18,264 18,264 18,559 - 

Oregon & California Grant Lands:

NMs & NCAs 748 753 767 - 

Crosscutting Programs:

National Wild & Scenic River Program 6,971 6,925 6,925 +0 

National Scenic & Historic Trail Program 6,358 6,358 6,358 +0 

Total, National Conservation Lands 64,160 64,119 81,079 +11,181 

*The total change for NMs & NCAs is +$16,651 which also includes internal transfers of +$5,009 and fixed cost of 

+461. See the National Conservation Lands activity chapter for details on this transfer.

Units of the National Landscape Conservation System

The following table displays the individual units, by designation type, included in BLM’s National 

Landscape Conservation System. The NLCS includes National Monuments, National Conservation Areas 

and Similar Designations, Wilderness Areas, Wilderness Study Areas, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, 

National Historic Trails, National Scenic Trails, and Other Congressional Designations.

20 National Monuments

Arizona

Agua Fria 70,900 acres

Grand Canyon-Parashant 808,747 acres

Ironwood Forest 128,734 acres

Sonoran Desert 486,600 acres

Vermilion Cliffs 279,568 acres

California

California Coastal 3937 acres along 840 miles of 

coastline

Carrizo Plain 208,698 acres

Fort Ord National Monument 7,205 acres

Santa Rosa-San Jacinto Mountains 94,055 acres

Colorado Canyons of the Ancients 174,240 acres

Idaho Craters of the Moon 274,693 acres

Montana Pompeys Pillar 51 acres

Upper Missouri River Breaks 374,976 acres

New 

Mexico

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks 4,124 acres

Prehistoric Trackways 5,255 acres

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks 496,330 acres

Rio Grande del Norte 242,555 acres

Oregon Cascade-Siskiyou 62,814 acres

San Juan Islands 970 acres

Utah Grand Staircase-Escalante 1,866,134 acres
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 4 

 

21 National Conservation Areas and Similar Designations

Alaska Steese NCA 1,208,624 acres

Arizona

Gila Box Riparian NCA 21,767 acres

Las Cienegas NCA 41,972 acres

San Pedro Riparian NCA 55,495 acres

California

King Range NCA 56,167 acres

Headwaters Forest Reserve 7,542 acres

Piedras Blancas Historic Light Station Outstanding National Area 

(ONA) 18 acres

Colorado

McInnis Canyon NCA 123,430 acres

Gunnison Gorge NCA 62,844 acres

Dominguez-Escalante NCA 210,172 acres

Florida Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse ONA 63 acres

Idaho Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey NCA 482,100 acres

Nevada

Black Rock Desert High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails NCA 799,165 acres

Red Rock Canyon NCA 198,065 acres

Sloan Canyon NCA 48,438 acres

New 

Mexico

Fort Stanton-Snowy River Cave NCA 24,977

El Malpais NCA 230,000 acres

Oregon Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and Protection Area 428,446 acres

Yaquina Head ONA 95 acres

Utah Red Cliffs NCA 44,825 acres

Beaver Dam Wash NCA 63,478 acres

221 Wilderness Areas 8,736,691 acres

545 Wilderness Study Areas 12,835,035 acres

69 National Wild and Scenic Rivers 2,416 miles

1,164,894 acres (20% of the national system)

11 National Historic Trails

5,343 miles

California 1,493 miles

El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro 60 miles

Iditarod 418 miles

Lewis and Clark 369 miles

Mormon Pioneer 498 miles

Nez Perce 70 miles

Oregon 848 miles

Pony Express 596 miles

San Juan Bautista De Anza 103 miles

Old Spanish 887 miles

Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route 1 mile
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 5 

 

5 National Scenic Trails

667 miles

Arizona 31 miles

Continental Divide 389 miles

Pacific Crest 233 miles

Pacific Northwest 12 miles

Potomac Heritage 2 miles

Other Congressional Designations

California Desert* 10,671,080 acres

*The lands of the California Desert are congressionally designated, but are not 

a part of the National Landscape Conservation System.

National Wild and Scenic Rivers System

The National Wild and S cenic Rivers System (WSR) was created by Congress in 1968 t o 

preserve rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free-flowing 

condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The Act is notable for 

safeguarding the special character of these rivers, while also recognizing the potential for their 

appropriate use and development. It encourages river management that crosses political 

boundaries and promotes public participation in developing goals for river protection. Through 

the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) initiative, the President emphasized the value of rivers and 

waterways to our Nation’s history, economy, and way of life. Rivers connect people and 

communities to America’s great outdoors and are vital migration corridors for fish and wildlife. 

In the 21st century, healthy rivers will enhance the resilience of human and natural communities. 

Millions of people visit WSRs annually either on their own or through hundreds of permitted 

commercial outfitters. This use provides significant economic impact to local communities and 

helps them to sustain the natural heritage of their wild and scenic rivers.

The BLM WSR program is part of the National Conservation Lands and engages local 

communities to help them foster a sense of shared stewardship and pride in their local WSRs. 

The BLM has the responsibility to protect and enhanc e river values (free flowing condition, 

water quality, and out standingly remarkable values) on 69 des ignated rivers in seven States 

covering over 2,400 miles and 1, 165,000 acres (about 20 pe rcent of the WSR ) and o n 

hundreds of eligible and suitable rivers across the western States. The BLM WSR Program 

focuses on the protection and enhancement of river values with the following activities:

• Evaluate free flowing rivers to determine if they are eligible for inclusion within the WSR 

and assign a tentative classification (wild, scenic or recreational) for rivers determined 

eligible;

• Submit recommendations resulting from studies on potential WSRs; 

• Manage eligible, suitable and des ignated WSRs to protect and enh ance their free 

flowing condition, water quality and outstandingly remarkable values;

• Develop and implement statutorily required comprehensive river management plans that 

reflect the requirements of the WSR Act and national policies and guidance;

• Monitor designated WSR and eligible and suitable river segments to minimize noxious 

weed infestations, trespass activities, and the impacts from commercial and noncommercial recreation activities;
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 6 

 

• Provide visitor services and publ ic information and i nterpretation through publications, 

wayside exhibits, appropriate instructional signage, and river-related visitor centers;

• Restore riparian habitats to healthy and functioning condition by removing or modifying 

activities creating unacceptable impacts along rivers;

• Protect or enhance water quality on WSRs by requiring and implementing best 

management practices for new land use authorizations and activities, changing current 

management practices where appropriate, and restoring degraded watershed function;

• Make determinations regarding the impacts of proposed water resources projects on 

designated WSRs, congressionally authorized study rivers, and on r ivers identified for 

study by the BLM; and

• Maintain relationships with tribal governments, other Federal agencies, State and local 

governments, friends’ groups and other non-profit organizations, and the general public 

concerned with comprehensive river-related plans, studies, and/or management.

The BLM’s revised Wild and Scenic Rivers Manual provides policy and program direction for 

identification, evaluation, planning, and m anagement of designated rivers, congressionally 

authorized study rivers, and BLM-identified eligible and suitable rivers. The BLM will continue to 

implement this updated policy and program guidance by providing training courses that enable 

staff and managers to work collaboratively with partners and communities to protect river values 

and manage river uses. T he BLM will coordinate with other programs, agencies and 

organizations to strengthen and improve monitoring strategies and best management practices; 

using partnerships, science and outreach to help monitor and manage river values. 

The WSR program works to implement the AGO initiative through collaborative landscape and 

watershed protection and restoration work, improved recreation access and opportunities, and 

community partnerships that enhance quality of life outcomes for residents and visitors. The 

WSR program also supports the Department of the Interior’s Youth in the Great Outdoors 

initiative. The BLM will focus on pr otecting and restoring rivers for people and wildlife;

enhancing river recreation which supports jobs in tourism and outdoor recreation; working with 

communities to take action to secure economic, social and ec ological benefits of having a 

healthy river; and working collaboratively with local, State, tribal and other Federal agencies on 

river protection, restoration, and recreation access. 

The WSR program is funded by multiple subactivities at $6.9 million within the MLR and O&C 

appropriations (see table below). Fees collected at specific recreation sites and for Special 

Recreation Permits are returned to those locations to support management of WSRs. The BLM 

also leverages base funding by matching volunteer labor and contributions; cooperating with the 

National Park Service (NPS), the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and State agencies where river 

areas are co-managed. Donations of labor and contributed funds from river and other 

partnership organizations increase BLM’s capability and improve outcomes. The BLM plans to 

align funding and performance to increase program efficiencies and transparency.
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Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 7 

 

National Scenic and Historic Trails Program

Congressionally designated National Scenic and Historic Trails (National Trails) are corridors of 

cultural heritage, resource conservation, and out standing recreation opportunities. N ational 

Trails span thousands of miles in nearly all 50 States, crossing Federal, State, tribal, local 

government, and private lands. The National Trails System was established under the National 

Trails System Act of 1968. Program responsibilities include managing eighteen National Trails 

(five scenic and 13 historic) on the ground, crossing nearly 6,000 miles of BLM public lands in 

14 States. The BLM serves as interagency Trail Administrator, or trail-wide lead, for the 

Iditarod, Old Spanish, and El Camino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trails. The BLM 

coordinates closely with the NPS and the USFS Trail Administrators and other National Trail 

managing agencies to promote a seamless system of public trails. The Bureau also supports 

five National Trail-related visitor centers which tell the stories of the trails, fostering public 

enjoyment, appreciation, volunteerism, and learning, while inspiring people to get outside to 

experience these National Trail treasures. 

The BLM safeguards the nature and purposes of National Trails, and protects the recreational, 

scenic, historic, natural, and cultural qualities of the areas through which the trails pass. The 

BLM strives to model the America’s Great Outdoors initiative along these trails in its work with 

volunteers, nonprofit trail groups, long-term partners, and willing landowners and supports the 

Secretary’s Youth Initiative by providing opportunities for recreation, education, and 

National Wild & Scenic River Program

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 

Request

Change 

from 

2015

Soil, Water & Air Management 181 181 181 +0 

Rangeland Management 457 457 457 +0 

Public Domain Forest Mgmt 118 118 118 +0 

Riparian Management 419 419 419 +0 

Cultural Resources Mgmt 320 320 320 +0 

Wild Horse & Burro Mgmt 9 9 9 +0 

Wildlife Management 214 214 214 +0 

Fisheries Management 352 352 352 +0 

Threatened & Endangered Species 213 213 213 +0 

Recreation Resources Management 2,924 2,924 2,924 +0 

Oil & Gas Management 31 31 31 +0 

Alaska Conveyance 113 113 113 +0 

Cadastral, Lands & Realty Mgmt 50 50 50 +0 

Land & Realty Management 46 - - +0 

Hazardous Materials Management 121 121 121 +0 

Annual Maint. & Ops 1,220 1,220 1,220 +0 

Administrative Support 59 59 59 +0 

Other Forest Resource Mgmt 124 124 124 +0 

National Wild & Scenic Rivers 6,971 6,925 6,925 +0 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 8 

 

volunteerism. National Trail work is guided by the 15-year National Conservation Lands

Strategy and the 10-year National Trails Strategy.

National Scenic Trails provide outdoor recreation opportunities, public enjoyment, and promote 

conservation. T hey are planned, constructed, and maintained by the BLM and volunteers to 

provide visitors with long-distance hiking, backpacking, day hiking, and horseback riding 

opportunities, and to support related recreational activities such as camping, fishing, hunting, 

wildlife observation, nature study, and photography. National Scenic Trails provide public 

access to some of the Nation’s most spectacular vistas, guide visitors through canyons, along 

arid deserts, across windswept tundra, and to the summit of snowcapped peaks.

National Historic Trails tell the iconic stories of America, including exploration, western 

expansion and settlement, economic development, cultural divides, and the pursuit of religious 

freedom. These pathways of history and t he associated settings are identified, protected, 

restored, stabilized, and interpreted by the BLM and volunteers for future generations. Physical 

remnant and artifact discoveries include wagon ruts, swales, wagon train encampments, 

structures, signature rocks, pioneer grave sites, and skirmish sites, and artifacts such as period 

coins, weapons, household items, and tools. Public land visitors can experience National 

Historic Trails and the stories of the trails at visitor centers, wayside exhibits, historic sites, 

recreational trails, auto tour routes, and along intact trail segments. The BLM manages more 

miles of National Historic Trails than any other Federal agency.

Capacity-building and leveraging limited funding is critical to program success. The BLM 

recognizes its charge under the National Trails System Act of 1968 in encouraging and assisting 

nonprofit organizations, and provides limited support for training, education, workshops, 

conferences, publications, and youth apprenticeships. National Trails stewardship work is 

effected through cooperative agreements to acknowledge, support, and leverage resources. As 

part of this effort, approximately twenty major nonprofit trail organizations, such as the Nez 

Perce Trails Foundation, Oregon-California Trails Association, National Pony Express 

Association, and the Pacific Crest Trail Association, contribute thousands of hours working with 

the BLM in National Trail planning, development, operations, maintenance, and ac quisition. 

National Trail organizations estimate that volunteer organizations contribute more than $35.0 

million in annual program value through volunteer hours and fiscal contributions.

BLM National Trail inventory and m onitoring work is readily identifiable and systematic within 

budget and performance systems. This work is critical for the establishment of National Trail 

management corridors through land use planning, and i n proposed project review for priority 

renewable and nonrenewable energy development and transmission projects. 

The BLM National Trails Program is funded by multiple subactivities within the MLR 

appropriation (see table below). The budget proposes $6.4 million in 2016, the same as the 

2015 enacted level. Fees collected at National Trail Visitor Centers and specific recreation sites 

are returned to those locations. The BLM also leverages base funding by matching volunteer 

labor and c ontributions; applying for grants or other Federal or State funding; and through 

cooperative agreements at the local, State, and national level. The BLM plans to align funding 

and performance to increase program efficiencies and i mprove the transparency for how 

resources are allocated throughout the National Trails System.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 9 

 

National Scenic & Historic Trail Program

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 

Request

Change 

from 

2015

Soil, Water & Air Management 112 112 112 +0 

Rangeland Management 68 68 68 +0 

Riparian Management 20 20 20 +0 

Cultural Resources Mgmt. 557 557 557 +0 

Wildlife Management 93 93 93 +0 

Threatened & Endangered Species 99 99 99 +0 

Recreation Resources Management 4,397 4,397 4,397 +0 

Annual Maint. & Ops 1,012 1,012 1,012 0

National Scenic & Historic Trails 6,358 6,358 6,358 0

Service First

Service First is a partnership authority (P.L. 106-291, as amended by P.L. 109-54, P.L. 112-74, 

and further amended by P.L 113-76) between the agencies and offices of the Department of the 

Interior and the agencies and offices of the Department of Agriculture. Service First authority 

was made permanent in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 ( P.L. 112-74) and further 

expanded to include all agencies and offices in both the Department of the Interior and 

Department of Agriculture in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014 (P.L. 113-76).

The BLM continues to strengthen partnerships among the NPS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS), and the USFS to attain the three Service First goals of improving natural and 

cultural resource stewardship, enhancing customer service, and increasing operational 

efficiency. The four agencies provide national leadership, direction, and counsel on 

implementing the authorities and promoting the principles of Service First through the Service 

First Leadership Team (SFLT). The SFLT’s goals include enhancing each agency’s ability to 

meet its mission; increasing collective capacity to manage Federal resources on a l andscape 

basis; overcoming institutional barriers that hinder interagency programs and i nitiatives; and 

improving constituent and customer service and r esource management through streamlined 

processes, increased efficiencies, and use of emerging technologies.

Discussions are already underway with the legal community in both Departments about 

implementing the expanded authority in the new agencies. Further, both Departments and other 

agencies are exploring how and where to use the newly expanded authority in existing and new 

partnerships. 

In 2016, Service First will continue to focus on opportunities for co-location of agency facilities 

where feasible and appropriate. Co-location better facilitates inter-agency communication and 

results in integration of natural resource management across the landscape. It is one method for 

increasing coordination across resource programs that include conserving water, hazardous 

fuels reduction, landscape-scale species conservation, sustaining rural communities, nurturing 

youth through education and connections to the outdoors, and recreation management including 

off-highway vehicle use and trail management.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 10 

 

Service First will also continue to make advances in creating an i ntegrated information 

technology system where employees will be able to access other agencies’ data and systems 

while maintaining appropriate security levels. Joint access to the more complex databases 

including geographic information systems, invasive weed inventories, and o ther natural 

resource data will result in more seamless customer service and improve operational efficiency 

for shared employees and co-located offices.

Finally, the agencies plan to build a strong interagency network with focused tools and regular 

outreach and i nformation exchange such as best practices on S ervice First opportunities, 

challenges and successes.

Engaging the Next Generation

With the launch of the 21st-Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC), the BLM has joined 

with its Federal and non-Federal partners to engage young people and veterans in working to 

protect, restore, and en hance America’s Great Outdoors. Building on youth education and 

engagement programs that foster personal connections with our Nation’s public lands, the BLM 

is engaging millennials, including veterans, in work that supports the multiple-use mission of the 

Bureau, helping to create the next generation of conservation leaders. Young people are 

employed in priority projects such as trail construction and maintenance, habitat restoration, and 

inventorying and m onitoring in support of a wide range of program needs, including

archaeological resources; wilderness characteristics; soil, water, air and climate resources; and 

renewable energy compliance. 

The BLM’s National Strategy on E ducation, Interpretation, and Y outh Engagement envisions 

young people involved from an early age in learning and recreation on public lands, who then go 

on to become active stewards and conservation leaders as adults. The BLM’s strategic focus 

aligns well with the four pillars of the Secretary’s youth platform announced early in FY 2014. 

The Secretary has pledged that the Department will engage the next generation by providing 

opportunities to play, learn, serve, and work on public lands by: 

• Creating recreational opportunities for more than 10 million young people by 2017;

• Providing educational opportunities in the natural classrooms that our public lands 

provide to at least 10 million K-12 students annually;

Efficient Government through Service First

The BLM San Luis Valley Field Office is a Service First, dual-delegated unit. All line 

officers have both USFS and BLM management authorities and responsibilities. All units 

are comprised of blended staff. One unit also has a FWS Ecological Services staff 

member that provides technical assistance and, on some projects, is an interdisciplinary 

team member. The BLM and the USFS share personnel and resources with the San 

Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge Complex and Great Sand Dunes National Park and 

Preserve.

By integrating staff, budget, and other resources, the BLM and the USFS are able to 

effectively save approximately 10 F TE compared to separate units. This savings is 

possible by adding to the capacity of one a gency or the other to complete priority 

projects. Either agency can purchase expertise from the other; eliminating the need for 

each agency to have all expertise on s taff. Flexibility is gained by the ability to move 

personnel to the agency and program where the need and funding is greatest.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 11 

 

• Engaging one million volunteers in support of public lands; and

• Providing 100,000 work and training opportunities over four fiscal years, 2014 through 

2017, for individuals ages 15 to 35 to support the mission of the Department.

The 2016 P resident’s budget request includes an increase of $5.0 million in support of the 

Secretary’s goals for engaging the next generation. The funding will be used to enhance BLM’s 

capability to accomplish high-priority projects in a br oad range of resource programs and 

promote quality participant experiences and pathways to careers. Expanding and enhancing 

partnerships will be critical to success.

The BLM will continue to partner with youth corps organizations, with a special emphasis on 

those organizations that meet the needs of underserved youth, including those from Tribes and 

rural communities. In 2016, the BLM will also continue to identify science and resource priorities 

that can be addressed through short- or long-term projects involving the 21 CSC and other 

youth corps and veteran’s crews, as well as volunteers, field schools, and interns. Scaling up a 

citizen science program involving youth and volunteers will be a key focus of efforts in 2016. 

In 2016, the BLM will also focus on identifying mission-critical jobs and skills that are needed for 

entry-level positions in those occupations. T his includes continued expansion of a r esource 

assistant internship program based on the DOI’s Direct Hire Authority and focused on missioncritical jobs. In addition, by expanding partnerships with universities and professional 

organizations, the Bureau will enable more young people to explore careers in Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Opportunities to pursue field-based 

investigations and experiences, such as those provided to college interns and to K-12 students 

involved in the BLM Hands on the Land network of outdoor classrooms, can nurture and sustain 

student interest in pursuing STEM degrees and careers. 

The BLM will also support the DOI/VISTA volunteers who have been engaged in several States 

to serve impoverished communities with programs that engage youth in outdoor educational 

experiences and STEM education, foster economic opportunities in conservation and land 

management, and promote healthy futures for underserved populations.

Education

The BLM’s National Strategy for Education, Interpretation, and Youth Engagement envisions an 

education program that enhances public environmental and her itage literacy and i ts 

understanding of land management issues. The strategy focuses on identifying priority themes, 

working with partners to assist in the development and delivery of programs, and identifying and 

using relevant national and State education standards and best practices to further improve the 

education programs and products that the BLM produces. 

In 2016, the BLM will expand competency training for all staff, volunteers, and education 

partners who deliver educational programming and identify staff who should meet the 

established criteria. Program staff will continue to develop educational tools and r esources 

identified in the 2014 needs assessment and will initiate a process to evaluate the effectiveness 

of education products, programs, and partners according to relevant standards, using results to 

guide improvements. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 12 

 

The BLM offers a r ange of education programs for youth and adul ts, including the following 

signature programs:

• Hands on the Land: Through the national HOL network of outdoor classrooms, the 

BLM’s 73 H OL sites collaborate with local schools and c ommunities to educate more 

than 60,000 students on the public lands each year. Launched in 2013, the HOL 

Teachers on the Public Lands program, which engages classroom teachers as summer 

interns in BLM offices, will further ensure even stronger connections with schools and 

standards-based classroom curriculum. Field-based educational programming at HOL 

sites fosters connections to nature, exposes students to issues confronting 21st-century 

land managers, and creates broad-based community support for the BLM to address the 

Department’s STEM Education and Employment Pathways Strategic Plan and ot her 

Interior Department and national youth initiatives. In order to achieve the BLM’s goal of 

108 HOL sites by 2017, the BLM will in 2016 continue to expand the number of sites 

involved in the HOL program, as well as the number of Teachers on the Public Lands.

• Project Archaeology: Project Archaeology, the BLM’s primary heritage education 

program, serves approximately 1,000 educators each year (totaling more than 12,000 

since the inception of the program) through professional development for classroom 

teachers and informal educators, and through high-quality curricular materials. These 

educators reach an estimated 250,000 learners per year with high-quality cultural 

resource materials and programs. In addition to hosting professional development 

workshops for teachers, BLM field offices incorporate Project Archaeology materials into 

programs such as HOL and i nto materials and programs for local schools and t he 

general public.

• Take It Outside! Opportunities for young people and families to get outdoors and 

informally learn about the public lands are offered through Take It Outside! activities and 

partnerships with over 300 organizations annually, including the Boy Scouts of America 

and Girl Scouts of the USA. Annually, Take It Outside! reaches over 70,000 youth and 

families through more than 200 di fferent types of activities on B LM lands, including 

overnight and day camps; National Public Lands Day projects; and recreational outings 

such as fishing, hiking, and paleontology explorations. 

• Stewardship: For over 20 years, the BLM has partnered with the Leave No Trace 

Center for Outdoor Ethics and Tread Lightly!, Inc., to teach BLM staff and visitors how to 

behave responsibly on public lands through outdoor ethics education. Outdoor ethics 

education, training, and materials help the public learn to take care of the lands they visit 

and foster a sense of stewardship for public lands. BLM visitors also learn outdoor ethics 

through Take It Outside! activities, educational signs, printed materials, and informal 

training. 

• Public Education Opportunities: Field trips, classroom visits by resource 

professionals, and service learning opportunities not only educate but also foster 

conservation and stewardship ethics. Additionally, BLM lands provide a rich opportunity 

for collegiate-level research, professional development opportunities for teachers and 

continuing education for seniors.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 13 

 

The BLM’s increased use of technology helps the agency reach a broad array of audiences to 

enhance public understanding, achieve management goals, foster stewardship, and build public 

support. BLM offices also use social media, web, and mobile technologies to provide 

educational programs, information, and materials to an ever-expanding virtual audience.

Interpretation

Serving audiences with diverse backgrounds, viewpoints, and needs , BLM interpretive 

programs and services connect public land visitors to BLM’s natural and cultural resources, 

enhance understanding of resource management issues, add to the quality of visitor 

experiences, and build public interest in conserving and protecting America’s public lands. 

In 2016, the Interpretation Program as outlined in the BLM Education, Interpretation and Youth 

Engagement National Strategy will focus on interpretive partnerships to help contribute to a 

skilled workforce. The program will identify local, regional, and national level partner resources 

that provide interpretive training for staff, interns, and v olunteers. The program will develop 

training, tools, and how-to guidance to establish working relationships with diverse 

constituencies to assist BLM sites in developing and delivering interpretive programming. The 

program will develop and distribute resources for self-assessment and continuous improvement 

of interpretive programs and products, ensuring that the public receives a quality product.

Junior Explorers: The BLM’s Junior Explorer program was formally launched in 2013 with the 

goal of encouraging awareness of the BLM and public land stewardship, and i nformally 

educating children about the natural and s ocial sciences. The BLM Junior Explorer program 

provides an avenue for BLM district and field offices to develop and pr ovide engaging, highquality educational materials and activities to elementary-age children, as well as their parents 

and teachers. 

Artist in Residence: The BLM's Artist in Residence (AIR) program began in 2011. AIR 

participants are encouraged to use their skills to depict the variety of cultural and nat ural 

resources on B LM lands, including historic structures, artifacts, cultural landscapes, geologic 

features, and plant and animal life. These artists "translate" the resources--the heart of BLM's 

mission--into images, objects, and pe rformances that bring others enjoyment and a deepe r 

understanding of the public lands. 

Volunteers

The BLM Volunteer Program engages thousands of citizens nationwide each year and provides 

a return of over 26:1 on agency funds invested in program management, which includes 

volunteer recruitment, training, and recognition, as well as staff training and fulfillment of legal 

requirements, such as volunteer background checks. 

 

Volunteer contributions to the BLM are highly valued and vitally important to achieving agency 

goals. In 2014, volunteers contributed over 1.8 million hours to BLM lands and r esources, 

including national monuments and national conservation areas, recreation areas and trails, wild 

and scenic rivers, rangelands, cultural resources, and wild horses and bur ros. Among the 

programs and projects completed were: 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 14 

 

• National Public Lands Day: National Public Lands Day (NPLD) is the Nation’s largest 

volunteer workday on behalf of the public lands and a contributor to the America’s Great 

Outdoors, Let’s Move, and Take It Outside! initiatives. I n 2014 alone, the 

21st celebration of this annual service day, the BLM coordinated 247 projects at 133 BLM 

sites hosted by 88 field offices in 16 States; and 8,500-9,000 volunteers participated in a 

variety of enhancement and r estoration activities. Those volunteers produced public 

lands enhancements valued at more than $1 million, representing an annual return on 

investment of 5:1 or greater.

In 2016, the BLM will focus on scaling up citizen science initiatives, rolling out new national 

policy to guide the agency's volunteer programming, and expanding the slate of available 

volunteer administration training programs in order to both strengthen the skill sets of agency 

volunteer coordinators and staff working with volunteers and increase the capacity of long-term, 

highly-skilled volunteers.

Partnerships

In 2016, the BLM will further bolster its capacity to support partnerships to continually improve

the management, stewardship, and public enjoyment of the Nation’s public lands. To achieve 

these objectives, the BLM will continue implementing its national partnerships strategy, which 

provides a framework to support and coordinate the use of partnerships across the BLM. Areas 

of focus include staffing and training, guidance and tools, practitioner networks, and data 

collection and reporting. The strategy and implementation plan build on the BLM’s successful 

partnership history and will help advance and strengthen partnerships across BLM programs. 

Successful and diverse partnerships across the BLM address agency and Department priorities. 

Some recent examples include:

• The Phoenix District Youth Initiative (Arizona) is a model youth engagement 

partnership that encourages urban and Native American youth involvement in natural 

resource careers. The partnership delivers hands-on certification, environmental 

education, and employment programs on public lands; natural resource course and 

degree offerings; and tribal internships. Youth gain valuable work experience monitoring 

riparian habitats, removing invasive plants, performing stewardship and conservation 

projects, and participating in field-based science programs. Their work fosters 

sustainable youth engagement in the stewardship of America’s natural and cultural 

heritage. 

• The Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative (Wyoming) initiative was launched 

by a coalition of State of Wyoming and Federal agencies as a long-term, science-based 

effort to assess, monitor, and enhance aquatic and terrestrial habitats on a landscapescale in southwestern Wyoming. The partnership leverages the resources of multiple 

partners to build a shared vision for this 19 million-acre area, balancing open spaces, 

abundant wildlife, traditional agriculture, and production of energy, non-energy, and 

other resources. The initiative also facilitates responsible development through local 

collaboration and partnerships. 

• The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension-Bootstraps Program (Nevada) 

engages, trains, and employs young, at-risk adults in priority conservation work on 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 15 

 

central Nevada’s public lands. Training is focused on developing a variety of life skills, 

including peer relations, problem solving, and natural resource topics such as rangeland 

ecology, wildlife biology, plant identification, and the concepts of multiple-use and 

sustainability. More than 100 Native American and other underserved youth hired under 

the program have applied their training to enhance habitat for greater sage grouse and 

other important wildlife by controlling more than 12,000 acres of encroaching pinyonjuniper.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 16 

 

In 2016, the BLM will move forward with the implementation of a num ber of major Executive and 

Secretarial orders including: 

• Secretarial Order 3289: Addressing the Impacts of Climate Change (September 2009) which 

establishes DOI’s Energy and Climate Change Task Force and Climate Change Working Group.

• Executive Order 13514: Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic

Performance (October 2009) which directs agencies to reduce GHG emissions and support the 

development of renewable energy.

• Executive Order 13604: Improving Performance of Federal Permitting and Review of 

Infrastructure Projects (March 2012) which directs agencies to significantly reduce the aggregate 

time required to make decisions in the permitting and review of infrastructure projects and 

improve environmental and community outcomes.

• The President’s Climate Action Plan (June 2013) which outlines executive actions to cut carbon 

pollution in America; prepare the United States for the impacts of climate change, and lead 

international efforts to combat global climate change and prepare for its impacts. 

• Executive Order 13653: Preparing the United States for the Impacts of Climate Change 

(November 2013) which directs Federal agencies to help improve climate preparedness and 

resilience through deliberate preparation, close cooperation, and coordinated planning. 

• Secretarial Order No. 3330: Improving Mitigation Policies and Practices of the Department of the 

Interior (October 2013) which promotes a landscape-scale approach to identify and facilitate 

investments in key regional conservation priorities. 

• The President’s Priority Agenda for Enhancing the Climate Resilience of America’s Natural 

Resources (October 2014) which identifies strategies to: foster climate-resilient lands and waters; 

manage and enh ance US carbon sinks; enhance community preparedness and r esilience by 

utilizing and sustaining natural resources; and modernize Federal programs, investment, and 

delivery of services to build resilience and enhance sequestration of biological carbon.

 

Landscape Approach to Managing the Public Lands

The 2016 budget request includes efforts to enhance the BLM’s capacity to effectively use 

regional information to manage the public lands across large landscapes, and achieve 

conservation and dev elopment priorities in the face of compounding stressors such as 

prolonged drought, catastrophic wildland fire, invasive species and urban growth. 

Over the last ten years, the BLM has developed a number of tools to help manage the public 

lands on a landscape basis. These tools include creating the capacity to systematically 

synthesize large amounts of geospatial information to help the BLM and its partners develop a 

shared understanding of regional trends and regional conservation and dev elopment 

opportunities; working with public land users to institutionalize the “mitigation hierarchy” to help 

achieve conservation and dev elopment goals; developing regional partnerships to coordinate 

and focus multiple funding streams to help achieve regional conservation goals; and identifying 

core indicators, standard methods and multi-scale sampling frameworks to monitor changes in 

terrestrial and aquatic condition across a region.

The BLM is incorporating these tools into a number of major initiatives including the California 

Desert Renewable Energy Conservation Plan (DRECP), the Greater Sage-Grouse planning 

initiative, implementation of the Western Solar Energy Plan, and the implementation of the plan 

for the National Petroleum Reserve – Alaska (NPRA). 

In 2016, the BLM will build on these successes by moving forward with a landscape approach to 

planning and development of corporate geospatial data solutions. 

The Landscape Approach:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 17 

 

Working with Federal, State, tribal and 

non-governmental partners, the BLM

will use broad ecological assessments 

to better understand resource 

conditions and t rends and to identify 

opportunities for resource conservation 

and development. As shown on t he 

diagram to the right, the landscape 

approach to managing the Nation’s 

public lands consists of several 

interconnected actions, including 

regional assessments, regional 

conservation and development 

strategies, land use plans, projects and 

permits, monitoring for adaptive 

management, science integration, and 

geospatial services. Tak en together, 

these components will enable the BLM 

and its partners to more effectively evaluate and address conservation and development needs 

across programmatic, organizational and administrative boundaries. 

The landscape approach to public land management is a multi-year investment. The BLM 

anticipates that it will take several years to implement this multi-scale approach to management

in each ecoregion. The first two to three years focuses on c onducting REAs. In these 

assessments, the BLM and i ts partners: identify management questions; develop conceptual 

models; evaluate significant ecological values such as native fish, wildlife, and plants; evaluate 

terrestrial condition and aquatic condition; and identify four potential change agents (climate 

change, fire, invasive plants and animals, and urban and industrial development). In the third 

and fourth year, efforts to develop Regional Conservation and D evelopment strategies are 

kicked-off. To provide a solid understanding of the components of REAs and the data, scientific 

approaches, modeling tools, and r esults for each ecoregion, the BLM is offering hands-on 

workshops and on -line content delivery, such as YouTube videos, to staff, partners, and t he 

public that will increase our ability to utilize the vast amount of data and information in the REAs 

to enhance decision making. The next three to ten years are devoted to implementing planned 

actions, effectiveness monitoring, and data analysis and review for adaptive management. 

Regional Assessments: The BLM released seven Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs) in 

2013-2014 and is planning to release seven additional REAs in 2015, and one in 2016. Taken 

together, these 15 REAs cover over 700 million acres of public and non-public lands. The REAs 

are peer-reviewed science products that synthesize existing information (including a significant 

amount of non-BLM data) about resource conditions and trends. They highlight and map areas 

of high ecological value; gauge potential risks from stressors including climate change; and 

establish landscape-scale baseline ecological data to gauge the effect and e ffectiveness of 

future management actions. T he REAs provide the BLM with a large amount of information 

about current and pr ojected resource condition, which the Bureau can then use along with 

similar information from other large-scale assessments to help identify potential development 

and conservation priorities; prepare land use plans and plan amendments; conduct cumulative 

impact analyses; develop best management practices; and au thorize public land uses. The 

REAs and other sources for regional information, such as the Western Governors Association’s 

Crucial Habitat Assessment Tool, are foundational to the landscape management approach. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 18 

 

To help address the President’s priority to manage and enhance US carbon sinks, the BLM will 

work with the USGS and the other natural resource management agencies to develop a U.S. 

government approach to managing land carbon. This will include completing baseline 

assessments of ecosystem carbon sequestration and gr eenhouse gas fluxes and c onducting 

studies to better understand how land management practices affect carbon stocks. 

Additionally, the BLM will continue work with partners to understand the interaction of changes 

in climate with the major habitat types that sustain the ecological and economic health of our 

Nation. The spatial analysis will identify spatial and temporal trends of climate change that has 

already occurred across the western U.S. landscapes. 

Regional Conservation and Development Strategies are critical bridges between ecoregional 

assessments and land use planning and other decision making processes. The BLM is working 

Map of Rapid Ecoregional Assessments and Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

The BLM initiated seven REAs in 2010, two assessments in 2011, and six more in 2012. The BLM published 

seven completed REAs in 2013-2014 and is planning to publish seven more REAs in 2015 and one in 2016. The 

BLM is coordinating with other agencies and partners to keep the REAs updated and fresh. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 19 

 

with partners to inventory and compile existing assessments and cross-walk the priority areas 

identified in each assessment. 

In 2014 and 2015, the BLM began work with a num ber of Landscape Conservation 

Cooperatives (LCCs) and other regional partnerships to develop synthesis reports covering all 

or significant portions of six ecoregions: the Northwestern Plains, the Central Basin and Range, 

the Mojave Basin and R ange, the Sonoran Desert, the Madrean Archipelago, and the 

Chihuahuan Desert. These synthesis reports will help develop a shared understanding of the 

conservation and dev elopment opportunities highlighted by the REAs and other large-scale 

assessments; identify what the BLM and i ts partners are already doing to address regional 

challenges and opportunities; and outline additional actions that could be undertaken over the 

next five to ten years to help achieve regional goals. These regional strategies will significantly 

help the BLM implement the recent Secretarial Order on I mproving Mitigation Policies and 

Practices. Because the REA information will be applied to many different types of management 

concerns, it is likely that more than one ec oregional strategy will be developed in each 

ecoregion. In 2016, the BLM will continue work with the LCCs as well as the Climate Science 

Centers and ot her regional partnerships, to complete ongoing regional strategies and beg in 

others for REAs completed in 2015. 

In 2015, the BLM will identify regional priority focal areas for 2016-2020 project funding. This 

will set the stage for better alignment of restoration investments. The identification of these 

focal areas also will strengthen the BLM’s landscape approach to stewardship activities and will 

directly benefit project level implementation.

Land Use Plans: While these regional strategies are being developed, BLM field offices will 

incorporate assessment information into ongoing planning and ot her resource management 

activities. For example, data from completed REAs is being used to inform the multi-State 

Greater Sage-Grouse planning initiative, to develop a regional mitigation plan for the Dry Lake 

Solar Energy Zone in Nevada, and to identify where National Conservation Lands units are 

important for resource protection and c onservation within a br oader landscape context. The 

BLM Division of Decision Support, Planning, and NEPA has provided guidance on the use of 

REAs and other large-scale assessments for planning purposes, and is developing an efficient 

and adaptive approach to landscape level land use planning in which plans are more responsive 

to changing ecological systems over political and jurisdictional boundaries. This effort, referred 

to as Planning 2.0, facilitates the ability to effectively conduct land use planning across 

landscapes. Planning 2.0 will focus the planning process on collaborative work with partners at 

different scales to produce highly useful decisions that readily address the rapidly changing 

environment and conditions posed by the changing climate, rapid growth and development and 

other ecological stressors. 

Projects and Permits: Field implementation puts the management strategies into practice 

through existing BLM programs, including the public participation and i ntergovernmental 

coordination opportunities associated with implementation planning and environmental impact 

assessment procedures. Examples of field implementation include authorizing land use, 

constructing facilities, and implementing on-the-ground treatments and projects. As a matter of 

policy, the BLM is committed to using the “mitigation hierarchy” to help site and des ign new 

developmental projects and focus off-site mitigation in areas with high value and high probability 

of success. 

Healthy Landscapes (HL) is a critical effort to integrate and focus on-the-ground restoration 

projects. The HL effort helps target project dollars from multiple BLM programs, partners 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 20 

 

contributions, and c ompensatory mitigation to fund conservation and r estoration work in 

identified, cross-jurisdictional, priority areas. For example, HL funds may be c ombined or 

coordinated with other funds to complete a po rtfolio of projects in one focus area, such as 

vegetation treatments, travel management planning, Land and Water Conservation Fund 

acquisitions, and applied regional mitigation funds, when each project contributes to the 

objective of conserving intact habitat or defragmenting habitat. C oordinating and focusing 

integrated resource stewardship investments can help to generate added value, over and above 

what individual programs or mitigation funds could accomplish. Since its inception in 2007, HL 

has supported more than 1.7 million acres of treatments in New Mexico through the Restore 

New Mexico program; more than 1 million acres of treatments in Utah in partnership with the 

Utah Watershed Initiative; and hundreds of thousands of acres of restoration projects through 

such partnerships as the Wyoming Landscape Conservation Initiative, the Great Basin 

Restoration Initiative and many lesser known projects coordinated at District Office levels. 

Although exact rates vary project to project, the BLM’s HL funds are typically leveraged by at 

least a 3:1 ratio. The BLM has developed a proposal to address the reforestation/afforestation 

backlog on the public lands. When implemented, it will enhance carbon sequestration on 

western BLM lands.

Monitoring for Adaptive Management: Informed decision making and adaptive management 

require current data about the status and t rend of terrestrial and aq uatic systems, about the 

location and ex tent of natural and hum an-caused disturbances, and about the location and 

effectiveness of land treatments. The BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) 

Strategy is the framework for this data collection, and t he 2016 P resident’s budget request 

includes an increase of $5.0 million for this work within the Resource Management Planning, 

Assessment and M onitoring subactivity. This strategy outlines a pr ocess for using core 

indicators, standardized field methods, remote sensing, and a statistically valid study design to 

provide nationally consistent and scientifically defensible information to determine the status of 

and track changes to natural resources on the public lands over time. The AIM Strategy is 

currently being implemented through five sets of interrelated projects. The first three are 

designed to implement West-wide monitoring that is coordinated, and where possible, 

integrated with the monitoring activities of other Federal, State and non-governmental partners. 

The West-wide projects include the BLM Rangeland Assessment, the BLM Western Rivers and 

Streams Assessment, and the BLM Grass-Shrub Fractional Mapping Project. Some of the 

Federal partners’ included in these efforts are National Resource Conservation Service, 

Environmental Protection Agency, United States Geological Service, and United States Forest 

Service. The two remaining projects are designed to help support immediate multi-State and 

field office priorities. These projects include efforts to monitor the effectiveness of BLM land use 

plans and to determine the effectiveness of BLM treatments and actions. In 2016, these five 

interrelated monitoring efforts will be i mplemented to inform the regional mitigation and 

monitoring strategies for the Solar Programmatic EIS and for the Greater Sage-Grouse Planning 

Initiative. 

Climate Resilience: Among the most significant challenges of the changing climate is a 

projected increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events - including severe 

storms, wildfire and dr ought. I n 2016, the Department proposes investments to increase the 

resilience of both coastal and i nland communities to the impacts of these events. These 

investments will focus on areas at high risk to climate challenges to address vulnerabilities to 

extreme events in these geographies in partnership with State, local, and t ribal governments 

and other stakeholders. Given this challenge, the 2016 request for BLM proposes the following 

investments in support of this effort: 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 21 

 

• The BLM will coordinate with the USFS and the USGS to conduct assessments to help 

understand the impact of management practices on c arbon sequestration on t he public 

lands. Soil carbon storage is an important function of terrestrial ecosystems. Understanding 

what maintains the soil carbon pool is important to quantify, as well as to determine how it 

will respond to environmental change. 

• The BLM will continue support for the seed and plant materials program to acquire, develop, 

and distribute genetically appropriate and locally adapted materials for restoration, including 

post fire stabilization and rehabilitation.

• The BLM will work with USGS, USFS, FWS, NPS, Bureau Indian Affairs, and numerous 

non-federal partners, including academic institutions, to reduce the impacts of drought, 

range land fire and invasive species on the productivity and resiliency of the public lands. 

The BLM will work to better understand how to establish big sagebrush, and ultimately sagegrouse habitat across the range. 

The 2016 budget for BLM includes an increase of $10.0 million in the Challenge Cost Share 

program for leveraged partnership projects to address community resiliency. The Challenge 

Cost Share program is a 50:50 non-Federal partner matching program which supports mutually 

beneficial public and p artner projects. The funding would support work with non-Federal 

partners on projects that increase the resilience of landscapes to extreme weather events with a 

focus on the inland challenges of wildfire, flooding and drought.

Projects funded through the Challenge Cost Share program will improve community resilience 

at the project site and provide new and needed data to communities around the Nation on what 

natural infrastructure designs and solutions contribute to resilience.

To accomplish this effectively, the Department will draw on s cientific expertise to identify 

ecosystem restoration and enhancement strategies likely to successfully build resilience to fire, 

flooding and drought. Efforts might also identify focal areas where these strategies are likely to 

have a significant return on investment by protecting communities and at-risk infrastructure as 

well as improving landscape resilience in areas of strategic importance to the Department. As 

part of this initiative, the Department will develop project criteria and evaluation metrics relevant 

to these new project types. Modeled on the Department's approach to implementing Hurricane 

Sandy resilience investments, the Department would request proposals and conduct a 

coordinated evaluation of projects.

General guidance about BLM’s Landscape Approach to Managing the Public Lands can be 

found in the following locations: 

• Climate Change: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/climatechange.html

• Landscape Approach: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/LandscapeApproach.html

• Rapid Ecoregional Assessments (REAs):

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/Landscape_Approach/reas.html

• Monitoring for Adaptive Management: 

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/Landscape_Approach/Monitoring_for_Adaptive_Manage

ment.html
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IV – Crosscutting Programs Page IV - 22 

 

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Budget at a Glance

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 1

 

Fixed 

Costs 

Changes

Internal 

Transfers

Program 

Changes

 Requested 

Amount 

Appropriation: Management of Lands and Resources

Soil, Water & Air Management 42,939 43,239 +359 -863 +4,020 46,755 

Enhance Core Capability +1,520

Youth in the Great Outdoors +2,500

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands +0

Rangeland Management 79,000 79,000 +1,021 -601 -2,976 76,444 

Shift to Fees -2,976

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -601

Grazing Administration Management (Offset by Fees) - - +0 +0 +16,500 16,500 

Grazing Administration Fee +16,500

Grazing Administration Management Offset - +0 +0 -16,500 (16,500) 

Public Domain Forest Mgmt 9,838 9,838 +180 -38 +0 9,980

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands

Riparian Management 21,321 21,321 +324 -201 +1,340 22,784 

Enhance Core Capability +1,340

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -201

Cultural Resources Mgmt 15,131 15,131 +274 -199 +2,000 17,206 

Safeguarding Our Irreplacable Heritage +2,000

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -199

Wild Horse & Burro Mgmt 77,245 77,245 +327 -10 +2,993 80,555 

Applied Science - Implementation of NAS Recommendations +2,993

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -10

Activity Total, Land Resources 245,474 245,774 +2,485 -1,912 +7,377 253,724 

Budget at a Glance

(dollars in thousands)

 2014 

Actual 

 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 2

 

Fixed 

Costs 

Changes

Internal 

Transfers

Program 

Changes

 Requested 

Amount 

Appropriation: Management of Lands and Resources (Continued)

Wildlife Management 52,338 52,338 +409 -366 +37,000 89,381 

Implementation of Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Plans +37,000

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands +0

Fisheries Management 12,530 12,530 +190 -35 +0 12,685

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -35

Activity Total, Wildlife & Fisheries Management 64,868 64,868 +599 -401 +37,000 102,066 

Threatened & Endangered Species 21,458 21,458 +305 -196 +0 21,567

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -196

Wilderness Management 18,264 18,264 +295 +0 +0 18,559

Recreation Resources Management 48,697 48,697 +654 -1,615 +9,115 56,851 

National Recreation Strategy +6,615

Youth in the Great Outdoors +2,500

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -1,615

Subtotal, Recreation Resource Management 66,961 66,961 +949 -1,615 +9,115 75,410 

(continued)

Budget at a Glance

(dollars in thousands)

 2014 

Actual 

 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 3

 

Fixed 

Costs 

Changes

Internal 

Transfers

Program 

Changes

 Requested 

Amount 

Appropriation: Management of Lands and Resources (Continued)

Oil & Gas Management 80,877 53,183 +867 -11 +5,632 59,671 

Encourage Smart Development through MLPs +5,757 

Enhance Capability of Pilot/Project Offices +3,000 

AFMSS Modernization +4,000 

Shift base funding for Permitting - per 15% of APD fee subject to appropriation +0 -7,125 

Oil & Gas Permit Processing 32,500 32,500 +0 +0 -25,375 7,125 

Oil & Gas Inspection Activities (Discretionary) [38,000] 41,126 +6,874 48,000 

Offsetting Fees (Permit Processing & Inspection) (32,500) (32,500) -15,500 (48,000)

Coal Management 9,595 9,595 +173 +0 +1,100 10,868 

Mineral Tracking System +1,100 

Other Mineral Resources 10,586 10,586 +193 +0 +1,100 11,879 

Mineral Tracking System +1,100 

Renewable Energy 29,061 29,061 +295 +0 29,356 

Subtotal, Energy and Minerals Management 130,119 143,551 +1,528 -11 -26,169 118,899 

Alaska Conveyance 22,000 22,000 +220 +0 +0 22,220

Cadastral Survey 11,276 - +0 +0 +0 -

Lands and Realty Mgmt 34,382 - +0 +0 +0 -

Cadastral, Lands & Realty Mgmt [45,658] 45,658 +652 -58 +5,000 51,252 

Transmission +5,000

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -58

Communication Site Management 2,000 2,000 +0 +0 +0 2,000

Comm Site Offset (2,000) -2,000 +0 +0 (2,000)

Activity Total, Realty & Ownership Management 69,658 69,658 +872 -58 +5,000 75,472 

Budget at a Glance

(dollars in thousands)

 2014 

Actual 

 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget

(continued)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 4

 

Fixed 

Costs 

Changes

Internal 

Transfers

Program 

Changes

 Requested 

Amount 

Appropriation: Management of Lands and Resources (Continued)

Resource Mgmt Planning, Assessment, & Monitoring 37,125 38,125 +416 +0 +20,800 59,341 

Applied Science - Enterprise Geospatial System +7,800

Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring +5,000

Monitoring Greater Sage-Grouse Plans +8,000

Abandoned Mine Lands 16,687 16,987 +159 +0 +2,800 19,946 

Red Devil Mine Remediation +2,800

Law Enforcement 25,325 25,325 +270 -100 +0 25,495

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands

Hazardous Materials Management 15,612 15,612 +204 -30 +0 15,786

Activity Total, Resource Prot. & Maint. 94,749 96,049 +1,049 -130 +23,600 120,568 

Annual Maint. & Ops 38,637 38,637 +491 -686 +500 38,942 

Enhance Core Capability +500

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -686

Def. Maint. & Cap. Improvements 26,995 26,995 +152 +0 +4,240 31,387 

High-Priority Projects +4,240

Activity Total, Trans. & Fac. Maintenance 65,632 65,632 +643 -686 +4,740 70,329 

(continued)

Budget at a Glance

(dollars in thousands)

 2014 

Actual 

 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 5

 

Fixed 

Costs 

Changes

Internal 

Transfers

Program 

Changes

 Requested 

Amount 

Appropriation: Management of Lands and Resources (Continued)

Challenge Cost Share 2,413 2,413 +3 +0 +10,000 12,416 

Climate Resilient Landscapes +10,000

National Conservation Lands 31,819 31,819 +461 +5,009 +11,181 48,470 

Secretary's Conservation Vision for Excellence +11,181

Internal Transfer from other MLR subactivities +5,009

Administrative Support 47,127 47,127 +540 +0 +3,275 50,942 

Enhance Core Capability - +1,000

Health Benefits for Seasonal Employees +2,275

Bureauwide Fixed Costs 92,901 91,010 +2,635 +0 +0 93,645

IT Management 25,696 25,696 +262 +0 +0 25,958

Activity Total, Workforce & Organizational Support 165,724 163,833 +12,331 +0 +3,275 170,545 

Mining Law Administration 39,696 39,696 +0 +0 +0 39,696

Mining Law Offset (39,696) (39,696) +0 +0 +0 (39,696)

Total, Management of Lands & Resources 956,875 970,016 +12,331 +0 +85,119 1,067,466 

2016 President's Budget

 2014 

Actual 

 2015 

Enacted 

Budget at a Glance

(dollars in thousands)

(continued)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 6

 

Fixed 

Costs 

Changes

Internal 

Transfers

Program 

Changes

 Requested 

Amount 

Appropriation: Land Acquisition

Land Acquisitions 15,949 16,226 +0 +0 +18,158 34,384 

Emergency & Hardships 1,616 1,616 +0 +0 +0 1,616

Acquisition Management 1,898 1,904 +96 +0 +0 2,000

Total, Land Acquisition 19,463 19,746 +96 +0 +18,158 38,000 

Appropriation: Oregon and California Grant Lands

Deferred Maintenance -

Annual Maintenance & Operations 10,063 9,517 +85 +0 +0 9,602

Construction & Acquisition 310 312 +12 +0 +0 324

Activity Total, Trans. & Facilities Maint. 10,373 9,829 +97 +0 +0 9,926

Forest Management 33,447 33,447 +305 +0 +0 33,752

Reforestation & Forest Development 23,851 23,851 +172 +0 +0 24,023

Other Forest Resource Mgmt 36,985 36,985 +263 +0 -3,753 33,495 

Reduce Core Capability -3,753

Resource Mgmt Planning, Assessment, & Monitoring 7,140 7,140 +20 +0 -3,175 3,985 

Plan Completetion -3,175

Activity Total, Resources Management 101,423 101,423 +760 +0 -6,928 95,255 

Info. & Resource Data Systems 1,923 1,772 +14 +0 +0 1,786

NMs & NCAs 748 753 +14 +0 +0 767

Total, Oregon & California Grant Lands 114,467 113,777 +885 +0 -6,928 107,734 

Budget at a Glance

(dollars in thousands)

 2014 

Actual 

 2015 

Enacted 

2016 President's Budget

(continued)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 7

 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter V – Budget at a Glance Page V - 8

 

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Collections 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VI – Collections Page VI - 1 

Collections

BLM Collections, 2013 - 2016 ($000)

Collection Source 2013

Actual

2014

Actual

2015

Estimated

2016

Estimated

Sale of Public Lands 26,331 76,580 115,499 144,638

Miscellaneous Filing Fees 35 122 60 60

Mineral Leasing National Grasslands 1,802 1,897 2,050 2,050

Grazing Fees & Land Utilization Project Lands 12,171 12,117 11,755 8,704

Timber Sales & Vegetative Material 27,924 43,708 32,745 29,495

Recreational Use Fees 17,856 17,673 19,653 19,183

Earnings on Investments 997 369 1,100 5,900

Sale of Helium 203,002 242,111 132,575 148,751

Mining Claim & Holding Fees 65,787 58,486 57,154 57,952

Service Charges, Deposits and Forfeitures 27,802 29,998 32,465 31,050

Application for Permit to Drill Fees 30,946 35,413 32,500 47,500

Grazing Administrative Processing Fees 0 0 0 16,500

Onshore Oil and Gas Lease Inspection Fees 0 0 0 48,000

Other Collections 91,253 94,220 100,470 121,870

Total 505,906 613,666 536,873 681,470

2016 Collections

In 2016, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will collect an estimated total of $681.5 million 

in revenue. R evenue is collected by the BLM from sources such as the sale of land and 

materials, grazing fees, timber sales, recreation use fees, and various filing fees. These 

collections assist State and local governments, support all programs funded from the General 

Fund of the U.S. Treasury, and offset charges for program operations where certain fees 

collected can be retained by the BLM. 

In addition, the Office of the Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) will collect an estimated $3.9

billion in receipts from BLM’s onshore mineral leasing activities (bonuses, rents, and royalties). 

Because ONRR collects them, these mineral leasing receipts are reflected in the ONRR budget

materials (within the Office of the Secretary Budget Justification). 

The amount of revenue expected to come from some sources varies for the reasons described 

below. 

Sales of Public Land – This category includes receipts from the sale of public land, including 

land sales in Clark County, Nevada. E xcluded from this collection source are the sales of 

timber and v egetative materials from the public domain land, sale of land and t imber and 

vegetative materials from the Oregon & California Grant Lands and C oos Bay Wagon Road 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VI – Collections Page VI - 2 

Lands, sale of land from Land U tilization project lands, sale of land and m aterials from 

reclaimed lands (reserved or withdrawn), and sale of town sites and reclamation projects. 

The main sources of collections in the Sale of Public Land category are described below. The 

collection amounts described here represent 100 percent of the funds collected. In many cases, 

portions of the funds collected are distributed to State governments, to the U.S. Treasury, or 

other entities, before the remaining portion is distributed to the BLM. The Management of 

Lands and Resources, Permanent Operating Funds, Miscellaneous Permanent Payments, and 

Miscellaneous Trust Funds chapters describe the portions allocated to the BLM and how the 

BLM uses the funds. 

• Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) Sales Proceeds –SNPLMA, 

as amended, provides a pr ocess for orderly sale of certain public lands in Clark County, 

Nevada, near the city of Las Vegas. Approximately 50,000 acres of public land are within 

the disposal boundary area. The BLM has conducted land sales for 15 years under the 

authority of this statute. Collections in 2013 and 2014 were $12,963,000 and $61,430,000 

respectively. Sales in 2015 are projected to produce $97,058,000. The increase is due to 

an increase in estimates of acres sold offsetting a l ower price per acre. E stimated 

collections for 2016 are expected to be $125,347,000 mainly coming from final payments 

received from 2015 sales and a planned fall auction of 600 acres. Collections are reported 

when payments are received regardless of when sales are held and the estimates make 

allowance for the normal lag of 180 day s between sales and c ollections. For more 

information see SNPLMA, P.L. 105-263, as amended by P.L. 107-282.

• Southern Nevada Public Land Management and Lincoln County – Earnings on 

Investments – SNPLMA authorizes the Secretary to manage the collections account for the 

purposes set out above, and is also authorized to use interest generated from the abovementioned funds. The BLM is authorized to invest the unspent balance of collections from 

SNPLMA and L incoln County Lands Act land sale receipts. Earnings on investments for 

2013 and 2014 were $997,000 and $369,000 respectively. Interest estimated to be earned 

in 2015 and 2016 is $1,110,000 and $5,900,000 respectively. Projected investment 

earnings take into account revenue from land sales, earnings on i nvestments, and 

projected interest rates and outlays. 

• Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) – No receipts were collected from the

sale of land under FLTFA, Title II of P.L. 106-248 in 2013 or 2014 because the authority 

expired in July 2011; the unobligated balance was transferred to the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund as required by law. The 2016 Budget includes a proposal to reauthorize 

FLTFA and allow lands identified as suitable for disposal in current land use plans to be sold 

using the FLTFA authority. FLTFA sales revenues would continue to be used to fund the 

acquisition of environmentally-sensitive lands and the administrative costs associated with 

conducting sales. E stimated collections for 2016 are $5,000,000. The Permanent 

Operating Funds section provides more information on the proposal. Four percent of FLTFA 

collections are paid to the State in which the land is sold. 

• Lincoln County Land Sales – Revenue in the amount of $1,014,000 was collected in 2014 

from land sales under the Lincoln County Land Sales Act, P.L. 106-298, as amended. 

Receipts, mainly from Coyote Springs sales, are estimated to be $2,968,000 and $560,000 

in 2015 and 2016, of which five percent and ten percent will be pai d to the State and 

County. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VI – Collections Page VI - 3 

• Owyhee Land Acquisition Account – Revenue collected prior to the enactment of the

Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 in the amount of $2,451,000 was deposited 

to this account in 2010. No revenue was collected in the account since then, and none is 

estimated to be c ollected in 2015; but sales in 2016 are estimated to produce $800,000. 

Four percent of those amounts are paid to the State. 

• Washington County, Utah Land Acquisition Account – No revenue was or is estimated 

to be collected in 2014 or 2015 from the sale land under the Washington County, Utah 

Acquisition Account, P.L. 111-11, (Section 1978). Estimated collections in 2016 are 

$823,000. 

• Silver Saddle Endowment Account – No revenue was collected or is estimated to be 

collected in 2014 and in 2015 from the sale land under the Silver Saddle Endowment 

Account, P.L. 111-11, (Section 2601). E stimated collections in 2016 are $55,000. Fou r 

percent of collections will be paid to the State. 

• Carson City Special Account – No revenue was collected from 2012 through 2014 from 

the sale of land under the Carson City Special Account, P.L. 111-11, (Section 2601). None

is estimated to be collected in 2015 and 2016. 

Miscellaneous Filing Fees – Collections in this category are primarily from fees received for 

filing or recording documents; charges for registration of individuals, firms, or products; and 

requests for approval of transfer of leases or permits under statutory authorities that do not 

permit the BLM to retain and spend those collections. 

Mineral Leasing-National Grasslands – The Office of Natural Resources Revenue, formerly a 

component of the Minerals Management Service, is responsible for the collection and 

distribution of most mineral leasing receipts; however, the BLM administers and collects rentals 

from oil and gas pipeline rights-of-way associated with lands leased under the Mineral Leasing 

Act and the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands. Also, the BLM pays 25 percent of mineral 

leasing collections on acquired lands to counties where the collections were generated. The 

BLM continues to collect first-year rentals and initial bonuses from mineral leasing but transfers

these receipts to ONRR accounts. 

Grazing Fees from Public Lands and Land Utilization Project Lands – This category 

includes all grazing fees collected from public lands and Land U tilization Project lands 

administered by the BLM. It also includes mineral leasing and other receipts from Land 

Utilization Project lands. Grazing fees are collected under the authority of the Taylor Grazing 

Act, Federal Land Policy and Management Act, and the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 

1978. For more information on the use of these fees see the Range Improvements section.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VI – Collections Page VI - 4 

Timber and Vegetative Material Sales – 

• Receipts from the Oregon and C alifornia (O&C) and Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant 

(CBWR) Lands – In 2014, the BLM collected $42,497,000, mostly from timber receipts 

from Oregon and California and Coos Bay Wagon Road lands. 

• Authority for Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act payments 

has expired. (Payments were made in part from O&C and CBWR receipts and in part 

from the General Fund.) The 2016 Budget proposes a five-year reauthorization of the 

Secure Rural Schools Act with funding through mandatory U.S. Forest Service (USFS) 

appropriations. The USFS will make the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments to 

western Oregon counties. This SRS proposal revises the allocation split between the 

three portions of the program from the current authority emphasizing enhancement of 

forest ecosystems, restoration and improvement of land health and water quality and the 

increase of economic activity. (Please refer to the Miscellaneous Permanent Payments 

section for more information about the SRS and the USFS budget for more information 

on the reauthorization proposal.) 

• Timber Receipts from the Public Domain Forest Lands – In 2016, the BLM expects 

to offer for sale 25 million board feet of timber products from public domain lands, and 

estimates collections of $1,325,000 in timber sales receipts from public domain lands. 

Collections in 2013 and 2014 were $3,147,000 and $1,920,000 respectively, and the 

estimates for 2015 and 2016 are $2,025,000 and $1,325,000. Collections from salvage 

timber sale on public domain lands were $1,794,000 in 2013 and $1,270,000 in 2014. 

Estimates are $1,500,000 in 2014 and $1,000,000 in 2015. 

• Stewardship Contracting Fund – With stewardship contracting, the BLM may apply the 

value of timber or other forest products removed as an offset against the cost of services 

received, and monies from a contract under subsection (a) may be retained by the USFS 

and the BLM. These monies are available for expenditure without further appropriation 

at the project site from which the monies are collected or at another project site. In 2013 

and 2014, the BLM deposited $46,000 and $175,000 to this fund. The authority expired 

on September 30, 2013, but was extended by the Agriculture Act of 2014, Public Law 

No: 113-79. The BLM estimates deposits will be $20,000 in 2015 and 2016. 

Recreation Use Fees – Recreation use fees are derived from collecting fees on public lands at 

recreation sites, issuing recreation use permits, and selling Federal recreation passports such 

as the Golden Eagle and Golden Age passes. These funds are used to improve recreation 

facility conditions and user services at recreation sites where the fees were generated. In 2013, 

and 2014 recreation fee collections were $17,856,000 and $17,673,000. The BLM anticipates 

collecting $19,653,000 in 2015 and $19,183,000 in 2016 under its recreation fee collection 

authorities. The use of recreation fee collections is described in the Permanent Operating 

Funds section. Under current law, authority for these collections expires in December, 2015. 

The 2016 Budget proposes to permanently extend the authority to collect and spend these fees. 

Naval Oil Shale Reserve – On August 7, 2008, the Secretaries of the Interior and Energy 

certified that sufficient funds have been collected to cover the cost of the cleanup and of 

equipment installed on the oil shale reserve. Because of the certification, no more deposits will 

be made to the Naval Oil Shale Reserve Fund. Instead, revenue from the site will be distributed 

under the Mineral Leasing Act. The unappropriated account balance is $76,665,506 which will 

not change unless new legislation is enacted. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VI – Collections Page VI - 5 

Sales of Helium – The Helium Privatization Act of 1996 required the Secretary to offer for sale 

a portion of the Conservation Helium stored underground at the Cliffside Field north of Amarillo, 

Texas. Revenue from sales in 2013 was $203,002,000. That amount was sufficient to pay the 

remaining debt owed to the Treasury, and the authority for the Helium Revolving Fund expired 

after that payment was made. Authority for the helium program was reauthorized by the Helium 

Stewardship Act of 2013, P.L. 113-40. Collections from annual sales were $242,111,000 in 

2014 and are projected to be $132,575,000 and $148,751,000 in 2016. Revenues in excess of 

the cost of operating the helium program will be deposited to the General Fund. Additional 

information is available in the helium program section.

Mining Claim-Related Fees – Authority to collect these fees was initially enacted in the

Department of the Interior and R elated Agencies Appropriations Act for 1989 which provided 

that fees established by the Secretary of the Interior for processing actions relating to the 

administration of the General Mining Laws shall be immediately available to BLM for Mining Law 

Administration program operations. 

The Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, P.L. 103-66, (Section 10101) provided for the 

annual $100 per claim maintenance fee for unpatented mining claims and sites to continue 

through 1998. The authority has been modified and extended by Interior appropriations acts. 

The law allows a waiver from the fee for those claimants who hold 10 or fewer claims. The 

authority also established a $25.00 per claim location fee for new claims, to be paid at the time 

of recordation. The law requires that the fee be adjusted for inflation. The maintenance fee is 

currently $155.00 per claim and the location fee is currently $37.00 per claim. Collections in 

2013 and 2014 were $65,787,000 and $57,437,000. They are estimated to be $57,154,000 in 

2015 and $57,952,000 in 2016. Additional information is included in the Activity: Mining Law 

Administration section. 

A $20.00 processing fee is required for new mining claim locations in addition to the initial 

maintenance fee and location fee. BLM collects this fee under its cost recovery regulations (see 

43 CFR 3000.12). These fees are accounted for separately from the maintenance and location 

fees and therefore are not included in the above total. Additional information is included in the 

Activity: Mining Law Administration section. 

Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures – These receipts include revenue from providing 

special program services, such as rights-of-way application processing fees; wild horse and 

burro adoption fees; fees charged to timber sale purchasers when the BLM performs work 

required by the contract; reimbursement to the government for damage to lands and resources; 

collections for processing disclaimers of interest applications; and phot ocopying fees. T he 

collection and retention of each of these receipts are authorized through legislation. Collections 

in 2014 were $29,998,000 and are estimated to be $32,465,000 in 2015 and $31,050,000 in 

2016. A dditional information is included in the Service Charges, Deposits and Fo rfeitures 

section. 

Application for Permit to Drill Fees – For several years, the annual Interior, Environment, and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act authorized the BLM to collect a fee when an application for 

a permit to drill for oil and natural gas is submitted. The current fee is $6,500 per application. In 

2014 and 2015 up to $32,500,000 from those collections are to be credited to the Management 

of Lands and Resources appropriation. Collections in excess of that amount are deposited to 

the General Fund. Collections were $30,946,000 in 2013 and $3 5,413,000 in 2014. The 

National Defense Authorization Act, P.L. 113-291 requires in 2016 and beyond that the fee per 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VI – Collections Page VI - 6 

application be increased to $9,500 and be adjusted for inflation. It also requires that the fees be 

deposited to the Permit Processing Improvement Fund. Estimated APD fees are $47,500,000 

in 2016. For more information please refer to the discussion in the Oil and Gas Management 

Program and the Permanent Operating Funds Chapter. 

Onshore Oil and Gas Lease Inspection Fees – The 2016 Budget includes a new inspection 

fee for onshore oil and gas leases. The fee would support Federal efforts to provide services to

ensure the proper reporting of oil and gas production, protect human safety and the 

environment, and conserve energy resources. These fees will be credited to the Management 

of Lands and Resources appropriation. The estimate for 2016 is $48,000,000. 

Grazing Administrative Processing Fees – The Budget includes appropriations language for 

a three-year pilot project to allow the BLM to recover some of the costs of issuing grazing 

permits/leases on BLM lands. The BLM would charge a fee of $2.50 per Animal Unit Month, 

which would be collected along with current grazing fees. The fee will assist the BLM in 

processing pending applications for grazing permit renewals. During the period of the pilot, the 

BLM would work through the process of promulgating regulations for the continuation of the 

grazing administrative fee as a c ost recovery fee after the pilot expires. The fees will be 

credited to the Management of Lands and Resources appropriation. The estimate for 2016 is 

$16,500,000. 

Other Collections – Other receipts collected by the BLM are from land rentals for authorized 

commercial, industrial, and residential purposes; annual rentals from rights-of-way permits 

(except those issued under the authority of the Mineral Leasing Act); and from contributions. 

These consist of funds contributed to the BLM from non-Federal sources for projects or work 

authorized by the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, Taylor Grazing Act, Sikes Act, and 

other laws. Additional information on other collections is included in the Miscellaneous 

Permanent Payments, Permanent Operating Funds, and Miscellaneous Trust Fund sections. In 

2014, the BLM collected $10,600,000 from wind and s olar renewable energy rights-of-way 

rents. Estimates for 2015 and 2016 are of $17,500,000 and $21,900,000 respectively. 

Amounts Not Included in Collections – Payments to western Oregon counties under the

Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000, as amended, were made 

partially from receipts produced in those counties in the preceding year. Over half of the 

amounts paid, however, are derived from an appropriation from the General Fund. Of the total 

of estimated payments of $39,630,000 to the western Oregon counties for 2013 in 2014, 

$21,952,000 million were appropriated from the General Fund. That payment is the final 

payment authorized under the current law. 

SRS payments were enacted by P.L. 106-393 for Fiscal Years 2002 through 2006. They were 

extended for one year (FY 2007) by Public Law 110-28, extended for Fiscal Years 2008 through 

2011 by Public Law 110-343; and were extended in one year increments for 2012 and 2013 by 

Public Laws 112-141 and 113-40. (Payments are made in the year following the year for which 

the payments are authorized.) The 2016 Budget reflects a five-year reauthorization of funding

through mandatory USFS appropriations
Management of Lands 

and Resources

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 1 

MANAGEMENT OF

LANDS AND RESOURCES

Appropriations Language 

For necessary expenses for protection, use, improvement, development, disposal, cadastral 

surveying, classification, acquisition of easements and other interests in lands, and performance 

of other functions, including maintenance of facilities, as authorized by law, in the management 

of lands and their resources under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, including 

the general administration of the Bureau, and assessment of mineral potential of public lands 

pursuant to section 1010(a) of Public Law 96–487 (16 U.S.C. 3150(a)), 

[$970,016,000]$1,067,466,000, to remain available until expended, including all such amounts 

as are collected from permit processing fees, as authorized but made subject to future 

appropriation by section 35(d)(3)(A)(i) of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191), as amended, 

except that amounts from permit processing fees may be used for any bureau-related expenses

associated with the processing of oil and gas applications for permits to drill and related use 

authorizations; of which $3,000,000 shall be available in fiscal year [2015]2016 subject to a 

match by at least an equal amount by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for cost-shared 

projects supporting conservation of Bureau lands; and such funds shall be advanced to the 

Foundation as a lump-sum grant without regard to when expenses are incurred.

[In addition, $32,500,000 is for the processing of applications for permit to drill and related use 

authorizations, to remain available until expended, to be reduced by amounts collected by the 

Bureau and credited to this appropriation that shall be derived from a fee of $6,500 per new 

application for permit to drill that the Bureau shall collect upon submission of each new 

application, and, in addition,] In addition: (1) $48,000,000, to remain available until expended, is 

for conducting oil and gas inspection activities, to be reduced by amounts collected by the 

Bureau and credited to this appropriation that shall be derived from onshore oil and gas 

inspection fees that the Bureau shall collect, as provided for in this Act, except that, for fiscal 

year 2016, inspection fees collected by the Bureau of Land Management may be used to fund 

personnel and mission-related costs to expand capacity and expedite orderly energy 

development subject to environmental safeguards, on Federal land, pursuant to the Federal 

Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), including the review of 

applications for permits to drill; (2) $16,500,000, to remain available until expended, is for the 

processing of grazing permits and leases, to be reduced by the amounts collected by the 

Bureau and credited to this appropriation, which shall be derived from a $2.50 per animal unit 

month administrative fee, as provided for in this Act; and (3) $39,696,000 is for Mining Law 

Administration program operations, including the cost of administering the mining claim fee 

program, to remain available until expended, to be reduced by amounts collected by the Bureau 

and credited to this appropriation from mining claim maintenance fees and location fees that are 

hereby authorized for fiscal year [2015]2016, so as to result in a final appropriation estimated at 

not more than [$970,016,000]$1,067,466,000, and $2,000,000, to remain available until 

expended, from communication site rental fees established by the Bureau for the cost of 

administering communication site activities. (Department of the Interior, Environment, and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015.)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 2 

Appropriation Language Citation 

1. For necessary expenses for protection, use, improvement, development, disposal, 

cadastral surveying, classification, acquisition of easements and other interests in 

lands, and performance of other functions, including maintenance of facilities, as 

authorized by law, in the management of lands and their resources under the 

jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management, including the general administration 

of the Bureau

Appropriates funds to implement the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as 

amended (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) for management of the public lands on a multiple-use and 

sustained yield basis and such laws applicable to the management of the public lands. 

2. and assessment of mineral potential of public lands pursuant to section 1010(a) of 

Public Law 96–487 (16 U.S.C. 3150(a))

The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, Public Law 96-487 (16 U.S.C. 3150(a)) 

established the Alaska mineral resource assessment program to assess the oil, gas, and other 

mineral potential on all public lands in the State of Alaska in order to expand the data base with 

respect to the mineral potential of such lands. The appropriations language provision allows the 

funds appropriated under this section to also be us ed for the Alaska mineral resource 

assessment program to assess the oil, gas, and other mineral potential on all public lands in the 

State of Alaska in order to expand the data base with respect to the mineral potential of such 

lands.

3. $1,067,466,000 to remain available until expended

The language makes the appropriations to the account available on a no-year basis. This type 

of account allows BLM a valuable degree of flexibility needed to support multi-year contracts, 

maintenance, construction, operations, and rehabilitation of public lands.

4. including all such amounts as are collected from permit processing fees, as 

authorized but made subject to future appropriation by section 35(d)(3)(A)(i) of the 

Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 191), as amended, except that amounts from permit 

processing fees may be used for any bureau-related expenses associated with the 

processing of oil and gas applications for permits to drill and related use 

authorizations,

Included within the appropriated amount is 15 percent of the fees from applications for permits

to drill (APD) not permanently appropriated by the National Defense Authorization Act for 

Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L. 113-291), Section 3021(b), BLM Oil and Gas Permit Processing Fee, 

which amended the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize a f ee of $9,500 per APD (in 2016) on 

lands under the management of the BLM. The NDAA authorizes the fee for fiscal years 2016 

through 2026. For years 2016 through 2019, the NDAA permanently appropriates 85 percent 

of the fees collected, and makes the remaining 15 percent of fee revenues subject to 

appropriation. For years 2020 through 2026, 100 percent of the fee revenues are permanently 

appropriated.

5. of which $3,000,000 shall be available in fiscal year 2016 subject to a match by at 

least an equal amount by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for cost-shared 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 3 

projects supporting conservation of Bureau lands and such funds shall be advanced 

to the Foundation as a lump-sum grant without regard to when expenses are 

incurred.

Provides authority for the BLM to transfer $3.0 million to the National Fish and Wildlife 

Foundation (NFWF) for the purposes described and that the grant is advanced to NFWF as a 

lump sum in advance of them incurring or planning the expenses associated with the projects, 

provided NFWF matches the grant on a dollar for dollar basis from other funds.

6. $48,000,000, to remain available until expended, is for conducting oil and gas 

inspection activities, to be reduced by amounts collected by the Bureau and credited 

to this appropriation that shall be derived from onshore oil and gas inspection fees 

that the Bureau shall collect, as provided for in this Act, 

This new provision appropriates the BLM an am ount to be offset by revenues generated by 

new fees to be as sessed for oil and g as inspection activities. The appropriations language 

authorizes the BLM to spend the estimated $48.0 million in fee collections on i nspection 

activities, and this $48.0 million appropriation is then reduced by the amount of inspection fees 

actually collected. The fee schedule is located in Section 114 of the General Provisions, and is 

also shown in the Summary of Program Changes and Le gislative Proposals chapter of the 

BLM Budget Justification.

7. except that, for fiscal year 2016, inspection fees collected by the Bureau of Land 

Management may be used to fund personnel and mission-related costs to expand 

capacity and expedite orderly energy development subject to environmental 

safeguards, on Federal land, pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management 

Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), including the review of applications for permits 

to drill;

This language provides BLM a valuable degree of flexibility by permitting the $48 million for oil 

and gas inspection activities to also be used to support orderly, rational development of oil and 

gas on publ ic lands. B eginning in 2016, BLM’s Oil and G as Management program will be 

increasingly dependent on permanent appropriations, in the form of lease rental revenues and 

APD fees deposited into the Permit Processing Improvement Fund, which are not provided at 

the beginning of the year, but instead only become available as they are collected over the 

course of the fiscal year. The appropriations language will assist BLM in executing all of its oil 

and gas management responsibilities effectively throughout the year.

8. $16,500,000, to remain available until expended, is for the processing of grazing 

permits and leases, to be reduced by the amounts collected by the Bureau and 

credited to this appropriation, which shall be derived from a $2.50 per animal unit 

month administrative fee, as provided for in this Act;

This new provision appropriates the BLM an amount to be offset by revenues generated by an 

administrative processing fee to offset the increased cost of administering the livestock grazing 

program on public lands managed by the BLM. BLM would charge a fee of $2.50 per Animal 

Unit Month, which would be collected along with current grazing fees. The fee will assist the 

BLM in processing pending applications for grazing permit renewals. The proposed fee 
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 4 

authority is located in Section 416 of the General Provisions and is also shown in the Summary 

of Program Changes and Legislative Proposals chapter of the BLM Budget Justification.

9. $39,696,000 is for Mining Law Administration program operations including the cost 

of administering the mining claim fee program, to remain available until expended, 

to be reduced by amounts collected by the Bureau and credited to this appropriation 

from mining claim maintenance fees and location fees that are hereby authorized for 

fiscal year 2016, 

This continued provision appropriates the BLM an amount to be offset by revenues generated 

by an mining claim fees (maintenance fees and location fees) to offset the cost of providing 

access to mineral resources in an environmentally responsible manner on public lands 

managed by the BLM.

10. so as to result in a final appropriation estimated at not more than $1,067,466,000,

This is the final budget authority, net of offsetting collections for oil and gas inspection and 

enforcement, mining law administration, and grazing permit administration.

 

11. $2,000,000, to remain available until expended, from communication site rental fees 

established by the Bureau for the cost of administering communication site 

activities. 

This continued provision authorizes the BLM to spend revenues (actual collections, but not to 

exceed $2.0 million) generated by a fee on rights-of-way authorizations under Title V of the 

Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.). 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 5 

Authorizations

General Authorizing Legislation - The following authorize the general activities of the Bureau of Land 

Management or govern the manner in which BLM’s activities are conducted.

Reorganization Plan No. 3 

of 1946, §403

Establishes the BLM.

Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, 

as amended (43 U.S.C. 

1701 et seq.)

Outlines functions of the BLM, provides for administration of public 

lands through the BLM, provides for management of the public lands on 

a multiple-use basis, and requires land-use planning including public 

involvement and a c ontinuing inventory of resources. The Act 

establishes as public policy that, in general, the public lands will remain 

in Federal ownership, and also authorizes: 

• Acquisition of land or interests in lands consistent with the mission 

of the Department and land use plans; 

• Permanent appropriation of road use fees collected from 

commercial road users, to be used for road maintenance;

• Collection of service charges, damages, and contributions and the 

use of funds for specified purposes;

• Protection of resource values;

• Preservation of certain lands in their natural condition;

• Compliance with pollution control laws;

• Delineation of boundaries in which the Federal government has 

right, title, or interest;

• Review of land classifications in land use planning; and 

modification or termination of land classifications when consistent 

with land use plans;

• Sale of lands if the sale meets certain disposal criteria;

• Issuance, modification, or revocation of withdrawals;

• Review of certain withdrawals by October 1991;

• Exchange or conveyance of public lands if in the public interest;

• Outdoor recreation and human occupancy and use;

• Management of the use, occupancy, and development of the public 

lands through leases and permits; 

• Designation of Federal personnel to carry out law enforcement 

responsibilities;

• Determination of the suitability of public lands for rights-of-way 

purposes (other than oil and gas pipelines) and specification of the 

boundaries of each right-of-way;

• Recordation of mining claims and reception of evidence of annual 

assessment work.

Omnibus Public Land 

Management Act, 2009 

(P.L. 111-11):

• Codifies the 26 million acre National Landscape Conservation 

System as a permanent program in the BLM.

• Established one new National Monument in New Mexico.

• Established four new National Conversation Areas: two in Utah, 

one in Colorado, and one in New Mexico.

• Added approximately 2 m illion acres to the National Wilderness 

Preservation System.

• Added approximately 1,000 miles to the National Wild and Scenic 

River System.

• Directed eight conveyances of public land out of Federal 

ownership.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 6 

National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (42 

U.S.C. 4321 et seq.)

Requires the preparation of environmental impact statements for 

Federal projects which may have a s ignificant effect on t he 

environment. I t requires systematic, interdisciplinary planning to 

ensure the integrated use of the natural and social sciences and the 

environmental design arts in making decisions about major Federal 

actions that may have a significant effect on the environment.

The Endangered Species 

Act of 1973, as amended 

(16 U.S.C. 1531 et seq.)

Directs Federal agencies to ensure that their actions do not jeopardize 

threatened and endangered species and that through their authority 

they help bring about the recovery of these species.

Energy Policy Act of 2005 

(P.L. 109-58)

Directs Federal agencies to undertake efforts to ensure energy 

efficiency, and t he production of secure, affordable, and reliable 

domestic energy.

An Act to Amend the 

Reclamation Recreation 

Management Act of 1992 

(P.L. 107-69)

Provides for the security of dams, facilities and resources under the 

jurisdiction of the Bureau of Reclamation. Authorizes the Secretary of 

the Interior to authorize law enforcement personnel from the 

Department of the Interior to enforce Federal laws and r egulations 

within a Reclamation Project or on Reclamation lands.

The Civil Service Reform 

Act of 1978 (5 U. S. C. 

1701)

Requires each executive agency to conduct a c ontinuing program to 

eliminate the under-representation of minorities and w omen in 

professional, administrative, technical, clerical, and other blue collar 

employment categories within the Federal services.

The Civil Rights Act of 

1964, as amended (42 

U.S.C. 2000)

Requires development and maintenance of affirmative action programs 

to ensure non-discrimination in any employment activity.

The Paperwork Reduction 

Act of 1980 (44 U.S.C. 

3501-3520)

Provides national Federal information policy, and requires that 

automatic data processing and t elecommunication technologies be 

acquired and used to improve services, delivery, and productivity, and 

to reduce the information processing burden for the Federal 

government and the general public.

The Electronic FOIA Act of 

1996 (P.L. 104-231)

Requires that government offices make more information available in 

electronic format to the public.

The Information 

Technology Management 

Reform Act of 1996 (P.L. 

104-106 §5001)

Requires agencies to more effectively use Information Technology to 

improve mission performance and service to the public, and 

strengthen the quality of decisions about technology and mission 

needs through integrated planning, budgeting, and evaluation.

The Chief Financial 

Officers Act of 1990 

(U.S.C. 501)

Requires that a Chief Financial Officer be appointed by the Director of 

OMB and that this CFO will provide for the production of complete, 

reliable, timely and consistent financial information for use by the 

executive branch of the Government and t he Congress in the 

financing, management, and evaluation of Federal programs.

The Government 

Performance and Results 

Act of 1993 (P.L. 103-62)

Requires 10 f ederal agencies to launch a 3 -year pilot project 

beginning in 1994, to develop annual performance plans that specify 

measurable goals, and produce annual reports showing how they are 

achieving those goals.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 7 

P.L. 101-512, November 5, 

1990

Authorizes BLM to negotiate and enter into cooperative 

arrangements with public and private agencies, organizations, 

institutions, and individuals to implement challenge cost share 

programs.

Notification and Federal 

Employee Antidiscrimination and 

Retaliation Act of 2001 

(P.L. 107-174)

Requires Federal agencies be accountable for violations of 

antidiscrimination and whistleblower protection laws, and for other 

purposes.

Safe Drinking Water Act 

Amendments of 1977 (42 

U.S.C. 201) 

Requires compliance with all Federal, State, or local statutes for 

safe drinking water.

E-Government Act of 2002

(P.L. 107-374)

Requires the use of internet-based information technology to 

improve public access to information and to promote electronic 

services and processes.

Specific Authorizing Legislation - In addition to the above laws that provide general authorization and 

parameters, a number of laws authorize specific program activities, or activities in specific or designated 

areas.

 Soil, Water and Air Management

Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2005 

(P.L. 108-447) – including 

the authorizations:

• Watershed Restoration Projects (P.L. 106-291,Section 331, as 

amended by P.L. 108-447, Division E, Section 336) - permits the 

Colorado State Forest Service to perform watershed restoration 

and protection services on BLM lands in the State of Colorado 

when similar and complementary work is being performed on 

adjacent state lands.

• Snake River Water Rights Act of 2004(P.L. 108-447, Division J, 

Title X) – Directs BLM to transfer, at the selection of the Nez 

Perce Tribe, certain land managed by the BLM in northern Idaho 

to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to be hel d in trust for the Tribe. 

Existing rights and uses on the selected lands remain in effect 

until the date of expiration of the lease or permit. The fair market 

value of the parcels of land selected by the Tribe is not to exceed 

$7 million.

Burnt, Malheur, Owyhee, 

and Powder River Basin 

Water Optimization 

Feasibility Study Act of 

2001 (P.L. 107-237)

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to conduct feasibility studies 

on water optimization in the Burnt River, Malheur River, Owyhee 

River, and Powder River Basins.

Colorado River Basin 

Salinity Control Act 

Amendment of 1984 (43 

U.S.C. 1593)

Directs the Department to undertake research and develop 

demonstration projects to identify methods to improve the water 

quality of the Colorado River. T he amendment requires BLM to 

develop a comprehensive salinity control program, and to undertake 

advanced planning on the Sinbad Valley Unit.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 8 

Soil and Water Resources 

Conservation Act of 1977 

(16 U.S.C. 2001)

Provides for conservation, protection and enhancement of soil, 

water, and related resources.

The Clean Air Act of 1990, 

as amended (42 U.S.C. 

7401, 7642)

Requires BLM to protect air quality, maintain Federal and State 

designated air quality standards, and abide by the requirements of 

the State implementation plans.

The Clean Water Act of 

1987, as amended (33 

U.S.C. 1251)

Establishes objectives to restore and maintain the chemical, 

physical and biological integrity of the nation’s water.

P.L. 107-30 Provides further protections for the watershed of the Little Sandy 

River as part of the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit, Oregon, 

and adds responsibilities for the Secretary of the Interior and the 

Bureau of Land Management.

 Range Management

Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 

(43 U.S.C. 315), as 

amended by the Act of 

August 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 

1181d)

Authorizes the establishment of grazing districts, regulation and 

administration of grazing on the public lands, and improvement of 

the public rangelands. I t also authorizes the Secretary to accept 

contributions for the administration, protection, and improvement of 

grazing lands, and establishment of a trust fund to be used for these 

purposes.

Public Rangelands 

Improvement Act of 1978 

(43 U.S.C. 1901-1908)

Provides for the improvement of range conditions to assure that 

rangelands become as productive as feasible for watershed 

protection, livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and other rangeland 

values. The act also authorizes: 

• Research on wild horse and burro population dynamics, and 

facilitates the humane adoption or disposal of excess wild free 

roaming horses and burros, and 

• Appropriation of $10 m illion or 50 percent of all moneys 

received as grazing fees, whichever is greater, notwithstanding 

the amount of fees collected.

Bankhead Jones Farm 

Tenant Act of 1937 (7 

U.S.C. 1010 et seq.)

Authorizes management of acquired farm tenant lands, and 

construction and maintenance of range improvements. It directs the 

Secretary of Agriculture to develop a program of land conservation 

and utilization to adjust land use to help control soil erosion, conduct 

reforestation, preserve natural resources, develop and pr otect 

recreational facilities, protect watersheds, and protect public health 

and safety.

Carl Levin and Howard P. 

“Buck” McKeon National 

Defense Authorization Act 

for Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L. 

113-291)

Provides authority to continue the terms and conditions of a grazing 

permit or leases that has expired until any environmental analysis 

and documentation has been completed. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 9 

 Forest Management

Healthy Forests 

Restoration Act of 2003 

(P.L. 108-148) – 16 U.S.C. 

6501 et seq.

Authorized the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service to conduct 

hazardous fuels reduction projects on federal land in wildland-urban 

interface areas and on c ertain other federal lands using expedited 

procedures.

Forest Ecosystem Health 

& Recovery Fund (P.L. 

102-381)

The initial purpose of this fund was to allow quick response to fire 

and reforestation of forests damaged by insects, disease, and fire. 

Expanded authorization in the 1998 Interior and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act allows activities designed to reduce the risk of 

catastrophic damage to forests in addition to responding to damage 

events. Funds in this account are derived from the Federal share 

(defined as the portion of receipts not paid to the counties under 43 

U.S.C. 1181f and 43 U.S.C. 1181-1 et seq., and P.L. 106-393) of 

receipts from all BLM timber salvage sales and all BLM forest health 

restoration treatments funded by this account. T he authority to 

make deposits and t o spend from this fund was provided in the 

2010 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-88, 123 STAT. 2906) and 

expires at the end of fiscal year 2015. 

Sec. 347 of Public Law 

105-277, as amended by 

Public Law 108-7 and 

Public Law 113-79

Permanently authorizes the Bureau of Land Ma nagement, via 

agreement or contract as appropriate, to enter into stewardship 

contracting projects with private persons or other public or private 

entities to perform services to achieve land management goals for 

the national forests and the public lands that meet local and rural 

community needs. 

 Riparian Management

The Federal Noxious 

Weed Act of 1974, as 

amended (7 U.S.C. 2814)

Provides for the designation of a lead office and a person trained in 

the management of undesirable plants; establishment and f unding 

of an undes irable plant management program; completion and 

implementation of cooperative agreements with State agencies; and 

establishment of integrated management systems to control 

undesirable plant species.

Noxious Weed Control Act 

of 2004 (P.L. 108-412)

Establishes a program to provide assistance through States to 

eligible weed management entities to control or eradicate harmful, 

nonnative weeds on public and private lands.

Carlson-Foley Act of 1968 

(42 U.S.C. 1241-1243)

Authorizes BLM to reimburse States for expenditures associated 

with coordinated control of noxious plants.

 Cultural Resources Management

P.L. 107-346 To convey certain property to the City of St. George, Utah, in order 

to provide for the protection and preservation of certain rare 

paleontological resources on that property, and for other purposes.

The Federal Cave 

Resource Protection Act 

of 1988 (16 U.S.C. 4301)

Provides for the protection of caves on lands under the jurisdiction 

of the Secretary, and the Secretary of Agriculture. E stablishes 

terms and conditions for use permits, and penalties for violations. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 10

The Historic Sites Act (16 

U.S.C. 461)

Declares national policy to identify and preserve historic sites, 

buildings, objects, and antiquities of national significance, providing 

a foundation for the National Register of Historic Places.

The National Historic 

Preservation Act of 1966, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 

470)

Expands protection of historic and ar chaeological properties to 

include those of national, State and local significance. It also directs 

Federal agencies to consider the effects of proposed actions on 

properties eligible for or included in the National Register of Historic 

Places.

The Archaeological 

Resources Protection Act 

of 1979, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 470a, 470cc and 

470ee)

Requires permits for the excavation or removal of Federally 

administered archaeological resources, encourages increased 

cooperation among Federal agencies and private individuals, 

provides stringent criminal and c ivil penalties for violations, and 

requires Federal agencies to identify important resources vulnerable 

to looting and to develop a tracking system for violations.

The Chacoan Culture 

Preservation Act of 1980 

(16 U.S.C. 410; ii)

Provides for preservation, protection, research, and interpretation of 

the Chacoan system, including 33 archaeological protection sites, 

located throughout the San Juan Basin on public, State, Indian and 

private lands.

The Native American 

Graves Protection and 

Repatriation Act of 1990 

(25 U.S.C. 3001)

Requires agencies to inventory archaeological and ethnological 

collections in their possession or control (which includes non-federal 

museums) for human remains, associated funerary objects, sacred 

objects, and objects of cultural patrimony; identify them 

geographically and culturally; and notify appropriate tribes within 5 

years.

Galisteo Basin (New 

Mexico) Archaeological 

Sites Protection Act (P.L. 

108-208)

Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to administer the designated 

sites under this Act and other laws to protect, preserve, provide for 

research on, and maintain these archaeological resources.

 Wild Horse and Burro Management

Wild Free-Roaming Horse 

and Burro Act of 1971 

(P.L. 92-195), as amended

The Secretary is authorized and directed to protect and m anage 

wild free-roaming horses and bur ros as components of the public 

lands, and he may designate and maintain specific ranges on public 

lands as sanctuaries for their protection and preservation, where the 

Secretary after consultation with the wildlife agency of the State 

wherein any such range is proposed and with the Advisory Board 

established in section 7 of this Act deems such action desirable. 

The Secretary shall manage wild free-roaming horses and burros in 

a manner that is designed to achieve and maintain a thriving natural 

ecological balance on the public lands.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 11

Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, 

as amended (43 U.S.C. 

1701 et seq.)

For the purpose of furthering knowledge of wild horse and burro 

population dynamics and their interrelationship with wildlife, forage 

and water resources, and assisting the Secretary in making his 

determination as to what constitutes excess animals, the Secretary 

shall contract for a research study of such animals with such 

individuals independent of Federal and State government as may 

be recommended by the National Academy of Sciences for having 

scientific expertise and special knowledge of wild horse and burro 

protection, wildlife management and animal husbandry as related to 

rangeland management.

Public Rangelands 

Improvement Act of 1978 

(43 U.S.C. 1901-1908)

Based on the information available to him at the time, if the 

Secretary determines that overpopulation of wild free-roaming 

horses and burros exists on a given area of the public lands and 

that action is necessary to remove excess animals, he s hall 

immediately remove excess animals from the range so as to 

achieve appropriate management levels. Such action shall be 

taken until all excess animals have been removed so as to restore a 

thriving natural ecological balance to the range, and protect the 

range from the deterioration associated with overpopulation.

The Secretary shall cause such number of additional excess wild 

free-roaming horses and burros to be humanely captured and 

removed for private maintenance and care for which he determines 

an adoption demand exists by qualified individuals, and for which he 

determines he c an assure humane treatment and c are (including 

proper transportation, feeding, and handling).

 Wildlife Management

National Fish and Wildlife 

Foundation Establishment 

Act, as amended, (16 

U.S.C. 3701)

Established the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation as a nonprofit 

corporation to encourage, accept and administer private gifts of 

property, and to undertake activities to further the conservation and 

management of fish, wildlife, and plant resources of the U.S.

The Migratory Bird 

Conservation Act of 1929, 

as amended (16 U.S.C. 

715) and treaties 

pertaining thereto

Provides for habitat protection and enhancement of protected 

migratory birds.

The Sikes Act of 1974, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 670 et 

seq.)

Provides for the conservation, restoration, and management of 

species and their habitats in cooperation with State wildlife 

agencies.

Wilderness Management

Defense Department FY 

2006 Authorization Bill 

(P.L. 109-63)

Provides for the designation and management of Cedar Mountain 

Wilderness in Utah.

Tax Relief and Health Care 

Act of 2006

Designates wilderness in White Pine County, Nevada.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 12

Otay Mountain Wilderness 

Act of 1999

Establishes the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area in California, to be 

managed by the Secretary, acting through the Director of the 

Bureau of Land Management.

Clark County 

Conservation of Public 

Land and Natural 

Resources Act of 2002 

(P.L. 107-282) (16 USC 

460qqq)

Establishes Wilderness Areas, including Sloan Canyon National 

Conservation Area, and to promote conservation, improve public 

land, and provide for high quality development in Clark County, 

Nevada, and for other purposes.

Ojito Wilderness Act (P.L. 

109-94)

Designates New Mexico’s Ojito Wilderness Study Area as 

wilderness, to take certain land into trust for the Pueblo of Zia, and 

for other purposes.

P.L. 107-361 Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain public 

lands within the Sand Mountain Wilderness Study Area in Idaho to 

resolve an occupancy encroachment dating back to 1971.

Northern California 

Coastal Wild Heritage 

Wilderness Act (P.L. 106-

362)

Provides for the designation and management of Wilderness Areas 

in California.

Big Sur Wilderness and 

Conservation Act of 2002 

(P.L. 107-370)

Designates certain lands in the State of California as components of 

the National Wilderness Preservation System, and for other 

purposes.

Utah West Desert Land 

Exchange Act of 2000 

(P.L. 106-301)

Authorizes exchange of public lands for certain lands owned by the 

State of Utah within existing and proposed Wilderness Study Areas 

in the West Desert Region of Utah.

The Land Use Planning 

Act (P. L. 94-579), as 

amended by the California 

Desert Protection Act of 

1994 (P.L. 103-433) (43 

USC 1781)

Establishes boundaries and management responsibilities for areas 

in the California Desert, and establishes 69 new Wilderness Areas.

The Wilderness Act of 

1964 (16 U.S.C. 1131 et 

seq.)

Provides for the designation and preservation of Wilderness Areas.

Carl Levin and Howard P. 

“Buck” McKeon National 

Defense Authorization Act 

for Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L. 

113-291)

Establishes the Rocky Mountain Front Conservation Management 

Area in Montana including 13,087 acres of BLM land; withdraws 

certain lands in the North Fork Federal Lands Withdraw Area from 

all forms of location, entry, and patent under mining laws, and 

disposition under all laws relating to mineral leasing and geothermal 

leasing; and designates 26,000 acres of land as wilderness. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 13

 Recreation Resources Management

Federal Lands Recreation 

Enhancement Act (P.L. 

104-134)

Provides authority to the Bureau of Land Management for collection 

of recreation fees to maintain and improve the quality of visitor 

amenities and services.

The Land and Water 

Conservation Fund Act of 

1965, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 460 et seq.)

Provides for the establishment of the Land and Water Conservation 

Fund, special BLM accounts in the Treasury, the collection and 

disposition of recreation fees, the authorization for appropriation of 

recreation fee receipts, and other purposes. Authorizes planning, 

acquisition, and development of needed land and water areas and 

facilities.

 Oil & Gas Management

The Act of March 3, 1909, 

as amended, and the Act 

of May 11, 1938 (25 U.S.C. 

396, 396(a))

Provides the basic mandate under which BLM supervises minerals 

operations on Indian Lands. Provides that lands allotted to Indians, 

and unallotted tribal Indian lands, may be leased for mining 

purposes, as deemed advisable by the Secretary.

The Federal Oil and Gas 

Royalty Management Act 

of 1982 (30 U.S.C. 1701) 

(FOGRMA)

Comprehensive law dealing with royalty management on F ederal 

and Indian leases. In addition to revenue accountability, it includes 

provisions pertaining to onshore field operations, inspections, and 

cooperation with State and Indian tribes; duties of lessees and other 

lease interest owners, transporters, and purchasers of oil and gas; 

reinstatement of onshore leases terminated by operation of law; and 

a requirement that the Secretary study whether royalties are 

adequate for coal, uranium, and non-energy leasable minerals.

Energy Policy and 

Conservation Act 

Amendments of 2000 (P.L. 

106-469, Section 604) – 

Directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the 

Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy, to conduct an inventory of all 

onshore Federal lands to determine reserve estimates of oil and gas 

resources underlying the lands and the extent and nature of any 

impediments to development of the oil and gas resources.

The Federal Onshore Oil 

and Gas Leasing Reform 

Act of 1987 (30 U.S.C. 226, 

et seq.)

Establishes a new oil and gas leasing system, and changes certain 

operational procedures for onshore Federal lands.

The Combined 

Hydrocarbon Leasing Act 

of 1981 (30 U.S.C. 181, 

351)

Permits the owners of oil and gas leases issued after November 16, 

1981, to explore, develop, and produce tar sands. Authorizes the 

issuance of combined hydrocarbon leases in specified areas 

designated by the Department of the Interior on November 20, 

1980.

Reorganization Plan No. 3 

of 1946, §402 (60 Stat. 

1099)

Transferred mineral leasing functions to the Secretary, from the 

Secretary of Agriculture, for certain acquired lands.

The Interior and Related 

Agencies Appropriations 

Act for 1981 (42 U.S.C. 

6508)

Provides for competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National 

Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
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The Geothermal Steam 

Act of 1970 (30 U.S.C. 

1001)

Authorizes the Secretary to issue leases for the development of 

geothermal resources.

The Geothermal Steam 

Act Amendments of 1988

Lists significant thermal features within the National Park System 

requiring protection, provides for lease extensions and continuation 

of leases beyond their primary terms, and requires periodic review 

of cooperative or unit plans of development.

The Mining and Minerals 

Policy Act of 1970 (30 

U.S.C. 21a)

Establishes policy of fostering development of economically stable 

mining and minerals industries, their orderly and economic 

development, and studying methods for disposal of waste and 

reclamation.

The Act of March 3, 1879, 

as amended (43 U.S.C. 

31(a))

Provides for the inventory and classification of the public lands, and 

examination of the geologic structure, mineral resources, and 

products of the national domain.

Consolidated and Further 

Continuing Appropriations 

Act, 2015 (P.L. 113-235)

Provides authority for an Internet-based oil and gas leasing 

program.

Carl Levin and Howard P. 

“Buck” McKeon National 

Defense Authorization Act 

for Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L. 

113-291)

Authorizes processing fee for applications for permit to drill (APD) 

for 2016 t hrough 2026, with collections deposited into and 

permanently appropriated from the BLM Permit Processing Fund 

(PPIF),except in years 2016 through 2019 when only 85 percent of 

APD fee revenues are permanently appropriated. The NDAA also 

permanently extends BLM access to the mineral lease rent 

revenues deposited in the PPIF. Prior to enactment of the NDAA, 

BLM access to the PPIF would have expired at the end of 2015, in 

accordance with Section 365 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, 

which created the PPIF. Amends the Mineral Leasing Act to 

provide authority for establish and implement internet leasing for onshore oil and gas leases.

 Coal Management

The Surface Mining 

Control and Reclamation 

Act of 1977 (30 U.S.C. 

1201 et seq.)

Provides that lands may be declared unsuitable for surface coal 

mining where significant adverse impacts could result to certain 

wildlife species.

The Federal Coal Leasing 

Amendments Act of 1976 

(30 U.S.C. 201, et seq.)

Requires competitive leasing of coal on public lands, and mandates 

a broad spectrum of coal operations requirements for lease 

management.

The Mining and Minerals 

Policy Act of 1970 (30 

U.S.C. 21a)

Establishes policy of fostering development of economically stable 

mining and minerals industries, their orderly and economic 

development, and studying methods for disposal of waste and 

reclamation.

The Act of March 3, 1879, 

as amended (43 U.S.C. 

31(a))

Provides for the inventory and classification of the public lands, and 

examination of the geologic structure, mineral resources, and 

products of the national domain.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 15

Other Mineral Resources

Mineral Materials Act of 

1947 (30 U.S.C. 601)

Authorizes the BLM to sell sand, gravel, crushed stone, clay and 

pumice at fair market value and to grant free-use permits to 

Government agencies and nonprofit organizations, so long as public 

land resources, the environment and the public are protected.

The Multiple Surface Use 

Act (30 U.S.C. 611) 

Specified that sand, gravel, and certain other minerals were no 

longer locatable under the General Mining Law of 1872 bu t were 

subject to disposal by sale under the Materials Act of 1947.

 Alaska Conveyance

The Alaska Native Claims 

Settlement Act of 1971 

(ANCSA) (43 U.S.C. 1612)

Requires the survey of Alaska Native lands for conveyance to 

Native corporations and individuals.

The Alaska Statehood Act, 

as amended (48 U.S.C. 

Chap. 2 note)

Requires the survey of lands for conveyance to the State.

The Alaska National 

Interest Lands 

Conservation Act of 1980 

(16 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.)

Provides for the designation and conservation of certain public 

lands in Alaska. BLM responsibilities include six Wild and S cenic 

Rivers, nine study rivers, one National Conservation Area, one 

National Recreation Area, and one National Scenic Highway.

Alaska Native Allotment 

Subdivision Act (P.L. 108-

337)

Allows Native Alaskans to subdivide their restricted allotment lands 

with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

Alaska Land Acceleration 

Act of 2003 (P.L. 108-452)

Reduces the delays that exist in the adjudication and conveyance of 

Alaska Native Allotments, State and other land entitlements that are 

authorized under the Alaska Native Allotment Act of 1906, the 

Alaska Native Claims Act, and the Alaska Statehood Act.

43 U.S.C. 2 Provides that the Secretary shall perform all executive duties 

pertaining to the surveying and sale of public lands, private claims 

of public lands, and the issuing of patents for all grants of land 

under the authority of the Government.

43 U.S.C. 52 Provides that the Secretary shall cause all public lands to be 

surveyed and monumented, that all private land claims shall be 

surveyed after they have been confirmed, and that the Secretary 

shall transmit plats of all lands surveyed to such officers as he may 

designate.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 16

 Cadastral Survey

Executive Order 12906 The executive branch is developing, in cooperation with State, local, 

and tribal governments, and t he private sector, a coordinated 

National Spatial Data Infrastructure to support public and pr ivate 

sector applications of geospatial data. BLM is charged with 

developing data standards, ensuring the capability to share 

cadastral data from the Public Land Survey System of the U.S. with 

partners.

 Lands & Realty

Native American Technical 

Corrections Act of 2004 

(P.L. 108-204, Title II)

Placed in trust for the Pueblo of Santa Clara in New Mexico 

approximately 2,484 acres of BLM-managed land. Placed in trust 

for the Pueblo of San Ildefonso in New Mexico approximately 2,000 

acres of BLM-managed land.

P.L. 107-374 Direct the Secretary of the Interior to grant to Deschutes and Crook 

Counties, Oregon, a right-of-way to West Butte Road.

P. L. 109-46 Directs the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land to Lander 

County, Nevada, and the Secretary of Interior to convey certain land 

to Eureka County, Nevada, for continued use of cemeteries.

P. L. 109-69 Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land in 

Washoe County, Nevada, to the Board of Regents of the University 

and Community College System of Nevada.

P. L. 109-130 Directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey a parcel of real 

property to Beaver County, Utah.

Southern Nevada Public 

Land Management Act of 

1998 (P.L. 105-263)

Authorizes the disposal through sale of 27,000 acres in Clark 

County, Nevada, the proceeds of which are distributed as follows: 

(a) 5 percent for use in the general education program of the State 

of Nevada; (b) 10 percent for use by Southern Nevada Water 

Authority for water treatment and transmission facility infrastructure 

in Clark County, Nevada; and (c) the remaining 85 percent to be 

used to acquire environmentally sensitive lands in Nevada; to make 

capital improvements to areas administered by NPS, FWS and BLM 

in Clark County, Nevada; to develop a multi-species habitat plan in 

Clark County, Nevada; to develop parks, trails, and natural areas in 

Clark County, Nevada; and to provide reimbursements for BLM 

costs incurred in arranging sales and exchanges under this Act.

Clark County 

Conservation of Public 

Land and Natural 

Resources Act of 2002 

(P.L. 107-282) as amended 

by P.L. 108-447

Enlarges the area in which the BLM can sell lands under the 

Southern Nevada Public Land M anagement Act; approves a l and 

exchange in the Red Rock Canyon Area; designates wilderness; 

designates certain BLM lands for a new airport for Las Vegas; and 

gives land to the State and City for certain purposes.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 17

Lincoln County Lands Act 

of 2000 (P.L. 106-298)

Authorizes disposal of certain Federal lands through public sale in 

Lincoln County, Nevada, and provides for use of the receipts: 5 

percent to the State of Nevada, 10 p ercent to the County, and 85 

percent to an interest bearing account that is available for 

expenditure without further appropriation.

Lincoln County 

Conservation, Recreation 

and Development Act (PL 

108-424)

Addresses a wide-range of public lands issues in Lincoln County, 

Nevada, designates as wilderness 768,294 acres of BLM-managed 

lands and r eleases from wilderness study area (WSA) status 

251,965 acres of public land. The bill also directs the BLM to 

dispose of up to 90,000 acres of public land and divides the 

proceeds 85 percent to a federal fund and 15 percent to state and 

county entities, establishes utility corridors, transfers public lands for 

state and county parks, creates a 260-mile OHV trail and resolves 

other public lands issues.

Consolidated 

Appropriations Act, 2005 

(P.L. 108-447) – including 

the authorizations:

• Foundation for Nevada’s Veteran’s Land Transfer Act of 2004 

(P.L. 108-447, Division E, Section 144) – authorizes the transfer 

of public lands from the BLM to the Veteran’s Administration for 

the construction and operation of medical and related facilities.

• To Resolve a Minor Boundary Encroachment on Lands of the 

Union Pacific Railroad Company in Tipton, CA (P.L. 108-447, 

Division E, Section 139) – relinquishes the Federal government’s 

reversionary interest in an abandoned railroad right-of-way in 

order to clear the cloud on the title of a s mall parcel of private 

land.

• Federal Land Recreation Enhancement Act (P.L. 108-447, 

Division J, Title VIII) – Gives the BLM authority to collect entrance 

fees at certain recreation areas for ten years beginning in 2005.

P.L. 107-324 A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey certain land to 

the City of Haines, Oregon.

T’uf Shur Bien 

Preservation Trust Area 

Act (P.L. 108-7, Division F, 

Title IV)

Amended FLPMA, Section 316, to require that any corrections to 

land conveyance documents which affect the boundaries of land 

administered by a federal agency other than the BLM be made only 

after consultation with, and the approval of, the head of such other 

agency.

P.L. 107-371 Directs the Secretary of the Interior to disclaim any Federal interest 

in lands adjacent to Spirit Lake and T win Lakes in Idaho resulting 

from possible omission of lands from an 1880 survey.

P.L. 107-350 Provides for the conveyance of certain public land in Clark County, 

Nevada, for use as a shooting range.

P.L. 107-138 Require the valuation of non-tribal interest ownership of subsurface 

rights within the boundaries of the Acoma Indian Reservation, and 

for other purposes.

P.L. 106-206 Revised authority for commercial filming and s till photography 

activities. In doing so, it clarifies authority on the requirements for 

commercial filming and s till photography permits and es tablishes 

limitations on filming activities for the protection of resources.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 18

Ivanpah Valley Airport 

Public Land Transfer Act 

(P.L. 106-145)

Authorizes sale at fair market value of certain lands in Clark County, 

Nevada to Clark County, for use as an ai rport. P rovides that the 

funds be deposited in the special account for the Southern Nevada 

Public Lands Act, to be used for acquisition of private in-holdings in 

the Mojave National Preserve and protection of petroglyph 

resources in Clark County, Nevada.

The Burton-Santini Act 

(P.L. 96-586)

Authorizes the Secretary to sell not more than 700 acres of public 

lands per calendar year in and ar ound Las Vegas, Nevada. T he 

proceeds are to be used to acquire environmentally sensitive lands 

in the Lake Tahoe Basin of California and Nevada.

The Federal Power Act of 

1920, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 818)

Allows other uses of Federal waterpower withdrawals with Federal 

Energy Regulatory Commission approval.

The Act of May 24, 1928, 

as amended (49 U.S.C. 

App. 211-213)

Authorizes the Secretary to lease contiguous unappropriated public 

lands (not to exceed 2,560 acres) for a public airport.

The Airport and Airway 

Improvement Act of 1982 

(49 U.S.C. 2215)

Authorizes conveyance of lands to public agencies for use as 

airports and airways.

The Engle Act of February 

28, 1958 (43 U.S.C. 156)

Provides that withdrawals for the Department of Defense for more 

than 5,000 acres shall be made by Congress.

The Recreation and Public 

Purposes Act of 1926, as 

amended (43 U.S.C. 869)

Authorizes the Secretary to classify public lands for lease or sale for 

recreation or public purposes.

The R&PP Amendment 

Act of 1988

Provides that suitable public lands may be made available for use 

as solid waste disposal sites, in a manner that will protect the U.S. 

against unforeseen liability.

The Desert Land Act of 

1877 (43 U.S.C. 321-323)

Provides authority to reclaim arid and semi-arid public lands of the 

western States through individual effort and private capital.

The Act of August 30, 

1949, as amended (43 

U.S.C. 687(b))

Authorizes the Secretary to dispose of public lands, and c ertain 

withdrawn Federal lands in Alaska, that are classified as suitable for 

housing and industrial or commercial purposes.

The Utah School Lands 

Act (P.L. 103-93)

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into land exchanges for certain 

purposes.

Federal Land Exchange 

Facilitation Act of 1988 (43 

U.S.C. 1716)

Amends FLPMA to provide for the streamlining of Federal land 

exchange procedures.

The Arkansas-Idaho Land 

Exchange Act of 1992 

(P.L. 102-584)

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into land exchanges for certain 

purposes.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 19

Carl Levin and Howard P. 

“Buck” McKeon National 

Defense Authorization Act 

for Fiscal Year 2015 (P.L. 

113-291)

Authorizes the Secretary to enter into land exchanges and to 

convey land for certain purposes.

 Hazard Management and Resource Restoration

The Clean Water Act of 

1987, as amended (33 

U.S.C. 1251)

Establishes objectives to restore and maintain the chemical, 

physical and biological integrity of the nation’s water.

The Resource 

Conservation and 

Recovery Act as amended 

by Federal Facility 

Compliance Act of 1992 

(42 U.S.C. 6901-6992)

Authorizes EPA to manage, by regulation, hazardous wastes on 

active disposal operations. Waives sovereign immunity for Federal 

agencies with respect to all Federal, State, and local solid and 

hazardous waste laws and regulations. Makes Federal agencies 

subject to civil and administrative penalties for violations, and to 

cost assessments for the administration of the enforcement.

The Comprehensive 

Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and 

Liability Act of 1980 as 

amended by the 

Superfund Amendments 

and Reauthorization Act of 

1986 (42 U.S.C. 9601-9673)

Provides for liability, risk assessment, compensation, emergency 

response, and cleanup (including the cleanup of inactive sites) for 

hazardous substances. R equires Federal agencies to report sites 

where hazardous wastes are or have been stored, treated, or 

disposed, and requires responsible parties, including Federal 

agencies, to clean-up releases of hazardous substances.

Community Environmental 

Response Facilitations 

Act of 1992 (42 U.S.C. 

9620(h))

Amendment to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and L iability Act of 1980, as amended, which 

expands on the risk assessment requirements for land transfers and 

disposal.

The Emergency Planning 

and Community 

Right-To-Know Act of 

1986 (42 U.S.C. 

11001-11050)

Requires the private sector to inventory chemicals and c hemical 

products, to report those in excess of threshold planning quantities, 

to inventory emergency response equipment, to provide annual 

reports and s upport to local and State emergency response 

organizations, and to maintain a l iaison with the local and s tate 

emergency response organizations and the public.

The Pollution Prevention 

Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 

13101-13109)

Requires and encourages prevention and reduction of waste 

streams and other pollution through minimization, process change, 

and recycling. E ncourages and requires development of new 

technology and markets to meet the objectives.

 Annual Maintenance

National Dam Inspection 

Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. 467)

Requires the Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of 

Engineers, to carry out a dam inspection program to protect human 

life and property. 
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 20

 National Conservation Lands

The King Range National 

Conservation Area Act of 

1970, as amended (P.L. 91-

476) (16 U.S.C. 460y)

Provides for management and development of the King Range 

National Conservation Area for recreational and other multiple-use 

purposes. It authorizes the Secretary to enter into land exchanges 

and to acquire lands or interests in lands within the national 

conservation area.

Alaska National Interest 

Lands Conservation Act 

(P.L. 96-487) (16 USC 

460mm)

Established the Steese National Conservation Area to be managed 

by the BLM.

National Parks and 

Recreation Act of 1978 

Amendment (P.L. 101-628)

Establishes the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area in the 

State of Oregon in order to protect the unique scenic, scientific, 

educational, and recreational values of such lands. Requires the 

Secretary of the Interior to develop a m anagement plan for such 

Area. T he Secretary of the Interior shall manage the monument 

through the Bureau of Land Management.

Arizona Desert Wilderness 

Act of 1990 – Title II – 

Designation of the Gila 

Box Riparian National 

Conservation Area (P.L. 

101-628) (16 USC 460ddd)

Establishes the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area. The 

Secretary of the Interior shall manage the monument through the 

Bureau of Land Management.

The Snake River Birds of 

Prey National 

Conservation Area Act of 

1993 (P.L. 103-64) (16 USC 

460iii)

Establishes the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation 

Area, Idaho, to provide for the conservation, protection, and 

enhancement of raptor populations, habitats, and associated natural 

resources and of the scientific, cultural, and educational resources 

of the public lands. Requires the Secretary of the Interior to finalize 

a new comprehensive management plan for the Area. Authorizes 

the Secretary, acting through the Bureau of Land Management, to 

establish a visitor’s center to interpret the history and geological, 

ecological, natural, cultural and other resources of the Area and 

biology of the raptors and their relationships to humans.

An Act to Establish the 

Red Rock Canyon 

National Conservation 

Area in Nevada (P.L. 101-

621) as amended by 107-

282 (16 U.S.C. 460ccc)

Provides for the conservation, protection, and en hancement of 

cultural and natural resources values by the BLM within the Red 

Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

An Act to Establish the El 

Malpais National 

Monument and the El 

Malpais National 

Conservation Area in New 

Mexico, P.L. 100-225 (16 

U.S.C. 460uu 21)

Provides for the protection and management of natural and cultural 

resource values within the El Malpais National Conservation Area 

by the BLM.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 21

An Act to Provide for the 

Designation and 

Conservation of Certain 

Lands in Arizona and 

Idaho(P.L. 100-696) (16 

U.S.C. 460xx)

Establishes the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area in 

Arizona and provides for management and development for 

recreation and other multiple-use purposes.

Black Canyon of the 

Gunnison National Park 

and Gunnison Gorge 

National Conservation 

Area Act of 1999 (6 USC 

410fff), as amended (PL 

106-76 & 108-128)

Establishes the Gunnison Gorge National Conservation Area to be 

managed by the Secretary, acting through the Director of the 

Bureau of Land Ma nagement. P L 108-128 amended the 

boundaries or the National Conservation Area.

Black Rock Desert/High 

Rock Canyon Emigrant 

Trails National 

Conservation Area Act of 

2000, as amended, (P.L. 

106-554 & P.L. 107-63). (16 

U.S.C. 460ppp) 

Establishes the Black Rock Desert/High Rock Canyon Emigrant 

Trails National Conservation Area in Nevada, to be managed by the 

Secretary, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Land 

Management.

Colorado Canyons 

National Conservation 

Area and Black Ridge 

Canyon Wilderness Act of 

2000 (16 U.S.C. 460mmm, 

P.L. 106-353 ), as amended 

by P.L. 108-400 (43 USC 

460mmm)

Establishes the McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area 

(formerly Colorado Canyons National Conservation Area) and Black 

Ridge Canyon Wilderness Area in Colorado, to be managed by the 

BLM.

Las Cienegas National 

Conservation Area Act 

(P.L. 106-538) (16 U.S.C. 

460ooo) 

Establishes the Las Cienegas National Conservation Area in 

Arizona, to be managed by the Secretary, acting through the 

Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Santa Rosa and San 

Jacinto Mountains 

National Monument Act of 

2000 (P.L. 106-351) (16 

U.S.C. 431)

Establishes the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National 

Monument in California, to be m anaged by the Secretary, acting 

through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Steens Mountain 

Cooperative Management 

and Protection Act of 2000 

(P.L. 106-399) (16 U.S.C. 

460nnn)

Establishes the Steens Mountain Cooperative Management and 

Protection Area in Oregon, to be managed by the Secretary, acting 

through the Director of the Bureau of Land Management.

Presidential Proclamation 

6920 of 1996

Established the Grand Staircase - Escalante National Monument, to 

be managed by the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the 

Director of the Bureau of Land Management. 
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 22

Presidential Proclamation 

7265 of 2000

Established the Grand Canyon - Parashant National Monument. 

The Secretary of the Interior shall manage the monument through 

the Bureau of Land M anagement and t he National Park Service. 

The Bureau of Land Management shall have primary management 

authority for those portions of the Monument outside of the Lake 

Mead National Recreation Area. 

Presidential Proclamation 

7264 of 2000

Presidential Proclamation 

7263 of 2000

Established the California Coastal National Monument. T he 

Secretary of the Interior shall manage the monument through the 

Bureau of Land Management.

Established the Agua Fria National Monument. T he Secretary of 

the Interior shall manage the monument through the Bureau of Land 

Management.

P.L. 107-213 Re-designate certain lands within the Craters of the Moon National 

Monument, and for other purposes.

The Wild and Scenic 

Rivers Act of 1968, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1271 

et seq.)

Provided for the development and management of certain rivers. 

Authorized the Secretary to exchange or dispose of suitable 

Federally-owned property for non-Federal property within the 

authorized boundaries of any Federally-administered component of 

the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

The National Trails 

System Act of 1968, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 1241-

1249)

Established a national trails system and requires that Federal rights 

in abandoned railroads be retained for trail or recreation purposes, 

or sold with the receipts to be deposited in the LWCF.

The National Parks and 

Recreation Act of 1978 (16 

U.S.C. 1242-1243)

Established a number of national historic trails which cross public 

lands.

Old Spanish Trail 

Recognition Act of 2002 

(P.L. 107-325)

A bill to amend the National Trails System Act to designate the Old

Spanish Trail as a National Historic Trail.

Presidential Proclamation 

8803 of 2012 

Established the Fort Ord National Monument. 

Presidential Proclamation 

8946 of 2013

Established the Rio del Norte National Monument. 

Presidential Proclamation 

8947

Established the San Juan Islands National Monument.

Presidential Proclamation 

9131

Established the Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National 

Monument.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 23

Mining Law Administration

The Omnibus Budget 

Reconciliation Act of 1993 

(P.L. 103-66)

Establishes an annual $100 per claim maintenance fee for 

unpatented mining claims and sites through 1998 and requires that 

the fee be adjusted for inflation. The law allows a waiver from the 

fee for those claimants who hold 10 or fewer claims. It also 

establishes a $25 per claim location fee for new claims, to be paid 

when they are recorded with BLM. The Act also broadened the 

BLM’s authority to collect recreation use fees.

The General Mining Law of 

1872, as amended (30 

U.S.C. 22, et seq.), as 

amended by P.L. 108-447, 

Division E, Section 120, 

(30 U.S.C. 23 et seq.)

Provides for locating and patenting mining claims where a discovery 

has been made for locatable minerals on public lands in specified 

States, mostly in the western U.S.

The Act of March 3, 1879, 

as amended, (43 U.S.C. 

31(a))

Provides for the inventory and classification of the public lands, and 

examination of the mineral resources and products of the national 

domain.

The Mining and Minerals 

Policy Act of 1970, (30 

U.S.C. 21a) (30 U.S.C. 

1601, et seq.)

Sets out the policy of fostering development of economically stable 

mining and mineral industries, and studying methods for waste 

disposal and reclamation.

The Department of the 

Interior and Related 

Agencies Appropriations 

Act for 1989 (43 U.S.C. 

1474)

Provides that receipts for 1989 and thereafter from administrative 

fees (service charges) established by the Secretary for processing 

actions relating to the administration of the General Mining Laws 

shall be immediately available to BLM for mining law administration 

program operations.

The 1994 Interior and 

Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act (P.L. 

103-138)

Provides that funds shall be av ailable to BLM for mining law 

administration program operations, to be reduced by amounts 

collected from annual mining claim fees. 

The 1999 Interior and 

Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act 

( P.L. 105-277)

Reauthorizes the collection of annual mining claim maintenance 

fees through 2001. Extends the recreation fee demonstration 

program through fiscal year 2001, with collected funds remaining 

available through fiscal year 2004.

The 2002 Interior and 

Related Agencies

Appropriations Act ( P.L. 

107-63)

Reauthorizes the collection of annual mining claim maintenance 

fees through 2003. E xtends the recreation fee demonstration 

program through fiscal year 2004, with collected funds remaining 

available through fiscal year 2007.

 Other Authorizations

The Food Security Act of 

1985 (7 U.S.C. 148f)

Provides for the transfer of funds to the Secretary of Agriculture for 

Mormon cricket and grasshopper control.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources P age VII - 24

Indian Self Determination 

And Education Assistance 

Act (P.L. 93-638)

Provides for non-competitive contracts, grants, or cooperative 

agreements entered into between a tribal organization and the 

Federal government for the planning, conduct, and administration of 

programs which enhance Indian educational achievement or 

provide other Federal services more responsive to the needs and 

desires of those communities.

Oregon Land Exchange 

Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-257)

Authorizes exchange of specified parcels of public and national 

forest lands in Oregon for specified parcels of private lands.

P.L. 109-127 Revokes a P ublic Land Order with respect to certain lands 

erroneously included in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, 

California.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII - 25

 FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Land Resources

Soil, Water & Air Management 221 42,939 221 43,239 +359 - -863 - +4,020 221 46,755 - +3,516 

Rangeland Management 633 79,000 633 79,000 +1,021 - -601 -25 -2,976 608 76,444 -25 -2,556 

Grazing Administration Management - - - - +0 - +0 +85 +16,500 85 16,500 +85 +16,500 

Grazing Administration Management Offset - - +0 - +0 -16,500 -16,500 -16,500 

Public Domain Forest Mgmt 72 9,838 72 9,838 +180 - -38 - +0 72 9,980 - +142 

Riparian Management 159 21,321 159 21,321 +324 - -201 +2 +1,340 161 22,784 +2 +1,463 

Cultural Resources Mgmt 116 15,131 116 15,131 +274 - -199 - +2,000 116 17,206 - +2,075 

Wild Horse & Burro Mgmt 172 77,245 172 77,245 +327 - -10 - +2,993 172 80,555 - +3,310 

Total, Land Resources 1,373 245,474 1,373 245,774 +2,485 - -1,912 +62 +7,377 1,435 253,724 +62 +7,950 

Wildlife & Fisheries

Wildlife Management 250 52,338 250 52,338 +409 - -366 +20 +37,000 270 89,381 +20 +37,043 

Fisheries Management 85 12,530 85 12,530 +190 - -35 - - 85 12,685 - +155 

Total, Wildlife & Fisheries 335 64,868 335 64,868 +599 - -401 +20 +37,000 355 102,066 +20 +37,198 

Threatened & Endangered Species 152 21,458 152 21,458 +305 - -196 - +0 152 21,567 +0 +109 

Recreation Management

Wilderness Management 146 18,264 146 18,264 +295 - - - - 146 18,559 - +295 

Recreation Resources Management 372 48,697 372 48,697 +654 - -1,615 +5 +9,115 377 56,851 +5 +8,154 

Total, Recreation Management 518 66,961 518 66,961 +949 - -1,615 +5 +9,115 523 75,410 +5 +8,449 

Energy & Minerals Management

Oil & Gas Management 595 80,877 347 53,183 +867 - -11 -16 +5,632 331 59,671 -16 +6,488 

Oil & Gas Permit Processing from Fee Collection 275 32,500 275 32,500 - - - -234 -25,375 41 7,125 -234 -25,375 

Oil & Gas Inspection Activities [265] [38,000] 270 41,126 - - - +15 +6,874 285 48,000 +15 +6,874 

Less: Offsetting Fees (Permit Processing and Inspection) -32,500 -32,500 - - - -15,500 -48,000 -15,500 

Coal Management 66 9,595 66 9,595 +173 - - - +1,100 66 10,868 - +1,273 

Other Mineral Resources 82 10,586 82 10,586 +193 - - - +1,100 82 11,879 - +1,293 

Renewable Energy 144 29,061 144 29,061 +295 - - - - 144 29,356 - +295 

Total, Energy & Minerals Management 1,162 130,119 1,184 143,551 +1,528 - -11 -235 -26,169 949 118,899 -235 -24,652 

Summary of Requirements

(dollars in thousands)

2014 Actual 2015 Enacted

2016 President's Budget

 Change from 2015 

Enacted 

Fixed Cost

 Transfers Program Changes Requested Amount 

(continued)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII - 26

 FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Realty & Ownership Management

Alaska Conveyance 111 22,000 111 22,000 +220 - - - - 111 22,220 - +220 

Cadastral Survey 87 11,276 - - - - - - - - - 

Land & Realty Management 271 34,382 - - - - - - - - - 

Cadastral, Lands & Realty Mgmt [358] [45,658] 358 45,658 +652 - -58 - +5,000 358 51,252 - +5,594 

Total, Realty & Ownership Management 469 67,658 469 67,658 +872 - -58 - +5,000 469 73,472 - +5,814 

Communication Site Management 15 2,000 15 2,000 - - - - - 15 2,000 - - 

Offsetting Collections - -2,000 -2,000 - - - - - -2,000 - - 

Resource Protection & Maintenance

Resource Mgmt Planning, Assessment, & Monitoring 214 37,125 214 38,125 +416 - - +3 +20,800 217 59,341 - +21,216 

Abandoned Mine Lands 63 16,687 63 16,987 +159 - - - +2,800 63 19,946 - +2,959 

Law Enforcement 131 25,325 131 25,325 +270 - -100 - - 131 25,495 - +170 

Hazardous Materials Management 94 15,612 94 15,612 +204 - -30 - - 94 15,786 - +174 

Total, Resource Protection & Maintenance 502 94,749 502 96,049 +1,049 - -130 +3 +23,600 505 120,568 - +24,519 

Transportation & Facilities Maintenance

Annual Maint. & Ops 248 38,637 248 38,637 +491 - -686 - +500 248 38,942 - +305 

Def. Maint. & Cap. Improvements 43 26,995 43 26,995 +152 - +0 - +4,240 43 31,387 - +4,392 

Total, Trans & Facilities Maint. 291 65,632 291 65,632 +643 - -686 - +4,740 291 70,329 - +4,697 

Mining Law Administration 319 39,696 319 39,696 - - - - - 319 39,696 - - 

Offsetting Collections -39,696 -39,696 - - - - - -39,696 - 

Workforce & Organizational Support

Administrative Support 287 47,127 287 47,127 +540 - - - +3,275 287 50,942 - +3,815 

Bureauwide Fixed Costs 92,901 91,010 +2,635 - - - - - 93,645 - +2,635 

IT Management 97 25,696 97 25,696 +262 - - - - 97 25,958 - +262 

Total, Workforce & Organizational Support 384 165,724 384 163,833 +3,437 - - - +3,275 384 170,545 - +6,712 

Challenge Cost Share 5 2,413 5 2,413 +3 - - - +10,000 5 12,416 - +10,003 

National Monuments and National Conservation Areas 241 31,819 241 31,819 +461 - +5,009 +20 +11,181 261 48,470 - +16,651 

Total, Management of Lands & Resources 5,766 956,875 5,788 970,016 +12,331 - - -125 +85,119 5,663 1,067,466 (148) +97,450 

 Requested Amount 

Summary of Requirements (continued)

(dollars in thousands)

2014 Actual 2015 Enacted

2016 President's Budget

Fixed Cost

 Transfers Program Changes 

 Change from 2015 

Enacted 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 27

Fixed Cost Changes and Projections 2015 Total 

or Change

2015 to 2016 

Change

Change in Number of Paid Days +0 +2,079

Pay Raise +5,317 +6,582

Seasonal Federal Health Benefit Increase +0 +29

 Employer Contribution to FERS 38,957 +204

Departmental Working Capital Fund 24,024 777

Departmental Working Capital Fund ITT 717 -116

Worker's Compensation Payments 8,405 -252

Unemployment Compensation Payments 6,858 123

Rental Payments 63,393 2,905

O&M Increases from Moves out of GSA-Space into Bureau Space - - 

Justification of Fixed Costs and Internal Realignments

Management of Lands and Resources

(Dollars In Thousands)

This column reflects changes in pay associated w ith the change in the number of paid days betw een 2015 and 2016. Total paid days for 

FY 2016 is 262 w hich is one day (+1) increase from FY2015 paid days of 261. FTE hours for FY2016 is 2096

The change reflects the salary impact of a programmed pay raise increases. This estimate relects one quarter (October-December) of the 

programmed pay raise for 2015. This estimate reflects three quarter (January - September) of the programmed pay raise for 2016.

The change reflects changes in the fixed cost portion of the Seasonal Health Benefits Model. Remaining costs associated w ith offering 

Health Benefits to seasonal employees are reflected as program changes in the Administrative Support subactivity.

In accordance w ith space maximization efforts across the Federal Government, this adjustment captures the associated increase to 

baseline operations and maintenance requirements resulting from movement out of GSA or direct-leased (commercial) space and into 

Bureau-ow ned space. While the GSA portion of fixed costs w ill go dow n as a result of these moves, Bureaus often encounter an 

increase to baseline O&M costs not otherw ise captured in fixed costs. This category of funding properly adjusts the baseline fixed cost 

amount to maintain steady-state funding for these requirements.

 The change reflects the directed increase of 0.5% in employer's contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement System. This estimate 

captures an increase of 0.5% to FY2016 employer contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement Service (FERS). The FY2015 FERS 

contribution assumption w as 13.2%. The FY2016 level is 13.7%. The baseline for these estimates is the FY2014 pay actuals.

The change reflects expected changes in the charges for centrally billed Department services and other services through the Working 

Capital Fund. These charges are detailed in the Budget Justification for Department Management.

The change reflects expected changes in the charges for centrally billed Department services through the Working Capital Fund. 

The adjustment is for changes in the costs of compensating injured employees and dependents of employees w ho suffer accidental 

deaths w hile on duty. Costs for 2016 w ill reimburse the Department of Labor, Federal Employees Compensation Fund, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 

8147(b) as amended by Public Law 94-273.

The adjustment is for projected changes in the costs of unemployment compensation claims to be paid to the Department of Labor, Federal 

Employees Compensation Account, in the Unemployment Trust Fund, pursuant to Public Law 96-499.

The adjustment is for changes in the costs payable to General Services Administration (GSA) and others resulting from changes in rates 

for office and non-office space as estimated by GSA, as w ell as the rental costs of other currently occupied space. These costs include 

building security; in the case of GSA space, these are paid to Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Costs of mandatory office 

relocations, i.e. relocations in cases w here due to external events there is no alternative but to vacate the currently occupied space, are 

also included.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 28

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Land Resources

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 29

Activity: Land Resources

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Soil, Water & 

Air 

Management

$000 42,939 43,239 +359 -863 +4,020 46,755 +3,516 

FTE 221 221 +0 +0 221 +0

Rangeland 

Management

$000 79,000 79,000 +1,021 -601 -2,976 76,444 -2,556 

FTE 633 633 +0 -25 608 -25

Grazing 

Administration 

Management

$000 0 0 +0 +0 +16,500 16,500 +16,500 

Offset 0 0 +0 +0 -16,500 -16,500 -16,500 

FTE 0 0 +0 +85 85 +85

Public Domain 

Forest Mgmt

$000 9,838 9,838 +180 -38 +0 9,980 +142 

FTE 72 72 +0 +0 72 +0

Riparian 

Management

$000 21,321 21,321 +324 -201 +1,340 22,784 +1,463 

FTE 159 159 +0 +2 161 +2

Cultural 

Resources 

Mgmt

$000 15,131 15,131 +274 -199 +2,000 17,206 +2,075 

FTE 116 116 +0 +0 116 +0

Wild Horse & 

Burro Mgmt

$000 77,245 77,245 +327 -10 +2,993 80,555 +3,310 

FTE 172 172 +0 +0 172 +0

Total, Land 

Resources

$000 245,474 245,774 +2,485 -1,912 +7,377 253,724 +24,450 

FTE 1,373 1,373 +0 +62 1,435 +62 

Justification of the 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Land Resources activity is $253,724,000 and 1,435 FTE. This 

reflects net program changes totaling +$7,377,000 and +62 FTE and internal transfers totaling -

$1,912,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

 

Activity Description

This activity provides for integrated management of public land renewable and c ultural 

resources. The BLM manages these resources on a landscape basis, with each program 

contributing to the overall health of the land. Conserving, restoring, and sustaining land health is 

the foundation for the BLM’s renewable resources management and is key to the agency’s longterm strategic vision. Livestock grazing, timber harvesting and o ther resource uses can be 

sustained over time only if the land is managed to restore or sustain a healthy condition.

The programs in this activity, in concert with other BLM programs, work together to support the 

BLM mission by providing renewable resources, commercial and r ecreational uses and 

aesthetic benefits through healthy forests, healthy rangeland ecosystems, functioning 

watersheds and properly functioning riparian habitat. The BLM provides forage for livestock, 

protects cultural values, and maintains thriving wild horse and bur ro herds.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 30

Activity: Land Resources

Subactivity: Soil, Water & Air Management

 2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Soil, Water & Air 

Management

$000 42,939 43,239 +359 -863 +4,020 46,755 +3,516

FTE 221 221 +0 +0 221 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Soil, Water & Air Management: ($000) FTE

Enhance Core Capability +1,520 +0 

Youth in the Great Outdoors +2,500 +0 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -863 +0 

Total +3,157 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Soil, Water & Air Management activity is $46,755,000, and 221 

FTE. It reflects program changes of +$4,020,000 and 0 FTE and an internal transfer of

-$863,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Enhance Core Capabilities (+$1,520,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes a 

program increase of $1.5 million. The additional funds will better enable the BLM to meet its 

highest priority needs to meet federal and s tate regulatory requirements and c ompliance 

reporting, as well as enhance soil information necessary for project specific planning and 

emergency stabilization. The funds will be used to increase regional air resource monitoring 

and modeling efforts, specifically designed to share data across Federal agencies and support 

regional conventional and r enewable energy development; enhance the development of 

Ecological Site Descriptions on r ange lands and within pilot areas for forestry, riparian and 

wetlands; increase water quantity compliance monitoring and reporting necessary to meet 

regulatory requirements as well as protect Federal reserve water rights; and support watershed 

assessment projects that promote an i ntegrated implementation approach across BLM 

programs. 

Youth in the Great Outdoors (+$2,500,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes a $2.5 

million increase for the Secretary’s Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative. T he increased 

funding will allow the BLM to expand efforts to provide opportunities for the next generation to 

play, learn, serve, and work on publ ic lands. Special consideration will be g iven to those 

programs that provide youth from diverse backgrounds with hands-on learning in Science, 

Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), and prepare them for careers in STEM 

fields. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$863,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $863,000 will be t ransferred from Soil, Water and A ir 

Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer 

will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and 

operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 31

represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview

The Soil, Water & Air Management Program supports a significant number of BLM activities and 

use authorizations, including energy development, endangered species recovery, grazing, 

recreation, and fire rehabilitation, that rely on the management of soil, water and air resources. 

The Soil, Water & Air Management Program collects and anal yzes the soil, water, and ai r 

resource data needed to manage natural resources effectively, and applies expertise to assess, 

sustain, protect, and improve the productivity and resiliency of public lands. This data is a key 

component of sustainable BLM land management decisions. The program relies heavily on 

collaborative public-private partnerships to improve and enhance watershed, landscape, and 

air-shed conditions. 

The Soil, Water & Air Management Program is responsible for:

• Compliance with anti-pollution laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act;

• Conducting soil surveys to understand soil distribution, properties and responses to 

various uses, as well as to understand important climate change processes such as 

terrestrial carbon sequestration;

• Developing ecological site descriptions to understand the processes that influence the 

type, amount, and distribution of vegetation within defined landscapes as well as provide 

key information to land managers for climate adaptation strategies;

• Monitoring and m anaging soils to support current land-health standards, sustain plant 

and animal productivity, maintain associated water and air quality, as well as reduce 

threats to human health and safety;

• Monitoring water resource conditions and trends, protecting Federal water rights and, 

where appropriate, acquiring water rights to ensure adequate quantities of water for 

public land management purposes;

• Monitoring water quality as well as identifying, promoting and implementing bestmanagement practices to maintain and improve functioning aquatic ecosystems;

• Reducing salt and s ediment discharge to waters in order to ensure usable water 

supplies for millions of downstream users;

• Assessing and analyzing impacts to air quality, visibility, noise, and climate; and

• Reporting greenhouse gas emissions as required under Executive Order 13514. 

 

Means and Strategies

• The Soil Water & Air Management Program will continue to promote watershed function 

and soil stability as the primary means to achieve BLM performance goals. Priority will 

be placed on providing land managers with access to the expertise needed to identify, 

monitor and as sess the environmental effects of actions, use authorizations and t heir 

associated decisions.

• A five-year water resource strategy is under development and will set the priorities for 

the Water Program through 2020. Drought conditions continue to affect the western 

U.S. and are exacerbating soil erosion, air quality issues and water shortages. The Soil, 

Water & Air Program is developing a water strategy with these threats at the forefront, 

and is working with other BLM programs, as well as collaborative partners, to develop
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 32

• approaches that assist in managing valuable fundamental resources under persistent 

drought conditions. 

• The BLM has drafted manual sections for water quality and groundwater and plans to 

finalize both manuals in 2015, as well as draft a handbook for watershed assessments. 

• An air resource handbook has been drafted and will be completed in 2015.

• A five-year soil resource strategy is under development and will set the priorities for the 

Soil Program through in 2020. The strategy will help identify ecosystem services 

provided by soils within a landscape or watershed, as well as identify ways to improve 

collaboration between other programs and partners.

 

Critical Factors and Demands 

The BLM addresses a number of critical factors and de mands in its Soil, Water and A ir 

Program. These include the following:

• A changing climate and its potential to alter landscapes; the quantity, quality and 

distribution of water resources; soil quality; air quality; vegetative conditions and wildlife 

habitat; as well as associated socioeconomic values; 

• Uncertainties regarding groundwater flows, soil properties and air resource impacts that, 

in many areas, influence decision-making; 

• The establishment of extensive renewable energy development opportunities on public 

lands is a B LM priority. Hydrologists, soil scientists and ai r resource specialists are 

needed to assess and manage the resource impacts associated with this development. 

• Greater water demands for economic development and requirements for ecosystem 

function are increasing the need to perfect and protect Federal water right interests. 

• Stricter air quality standards, existing non-attainment areas, and visibility regulations are 

increasing the workload and technical demands associated with ensuring that activities 

that emit dust, ozone, smoke and other pollutants comply with the Clean Air Act.

• Increases in landscape disturbances magnify the challenges associated with meeting 

applicable water quality standards.

2016 Program Performance

The Soil, Water & Air Management Program will continue to make progress towards key 

performance goals in 2016. Primary focus areas will include: 

Water Quality - Improving or maintaining water quality on public lands remains an important 

objective. E fforts will continue to focus on implementing and refining best management 

practices for new and existing land use authorizations and activities, changing current 

management practices where appropriate, and restoring degraded watershed function. 

Increasing core capabilities will allow the program to support integrated watershed assessment 

and implementation pilot projects. 

Ecological Site Descriptions (ESD) - ESDs are considered the best analytical approach for 

predicting how vegetation will respond to changes in management or climate conditions at the 

local and l andscape scales. The Soil, Water & Air Management Program will fund multiple 

projects to aid in the development of ESDs needed for sage-grouse habitat management and 

energy development planning. I n 2015, the BLM began collaborating with the Natural 

Resources Conservation Service and t he U.S. Forest Service through an Interagency 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 33

Workgroup to address ESD development and uses as they relate to soils, as well asinteragency 

training opportunities. The Interagency Workgroup will remain active in 2016. Increasing core 

capabilities will allow BLM’s full participation in the implementation of ESDs across the 

landscape at all levels of the Bureau and provide funding for completion of ESDs in critical 

planning areas as well as in support of climate change priorities. 

Water Rights – Demands for processing reserved and appropriative water rights actions with 

related litigation activities are expected to remain high. A typical workload ranges between 

3,000 and 5,000 actions per year nationwide. 

Colorado River Salinity Control - Efforts to reduce the transport of salts and sediment into the 

Colorado River will continue. The BLM annual performance goal associated with the Colorado 

River Salinity Control Program aims to reduce the transport of salts and sediment from public 

lands into the Colorado River system as well as aid in the improvement of land health within the 

basin. 

Air Resources – The BLM expects to increase monitoring and assessment work in 2016 by 

approximately 20 percent above the 2015 levels, with the focus on regional projects. 

Groundwater Resources - Efforts to understand the impacts of hydraulic fracturing and energy 

developments on groundwater will continue in 2016.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 34

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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 35

Activity: Land Resources

Subactivity: Rangeland Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 2015 

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Rangeland Management $000 79,000 79,000 +1,021 -601 -2,976 76,444 -2,556

FTE 633 633 +0 -25 608 -25

Grazing Administration 

Management

$000 0 0 +0 +0 +16,500 16,500 +16,500

Offset 0 0 +0 +0 -16,500 -16,500 -16,500

FTE 0 0 +0 +85 85 +85

Notes: "The Range Improvements current mandatory appropriation is a collaborative activity of the Rangeland Management 

program. The 2015 enacted amount (post-sequester) for Range Improvements is $9.28 million. The 2016 President's budget 

request for Range Improvements is $10 million.

- The Resource Development Protection & Management permanent mandatory appropriation is a collaborative activity of the 

Rangeland Management program. The 2014 budget authority amount (post-sequester) for Resource Development 

Protection & Management was $1.059 million. The 2015 estimated new budget authority amount for Resource Development 

Protection & Management is $1.141 million.

 

- More information on these collaborative activities is found at the end of this section in a table titled Other Resources 

Supporting Rangeland Management and in the Range Improvements and Miscellaneous Trust Funds chapters, respectively.

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Rangeland Management: ($000) FTE

Shift to Fees -2,976 -25 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -601 +0 

Total -3,577 -25 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Rangeland Management Program is $76,444,000 and 608 

FTE. This reflects a program change of $-2,976,000 and -25 FTE and an internal transfer of 

-$601,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Grazing Permit Issuance/Shift Cost to Fees (-$2,976,000/-25 FTE) – The budget proposes to 

shift a portion of the costs of issuing and managing grazing permits from appropriated funds to 

fees. The reduction of $3.0 million in the request for appropriations combined with the estimated 

$16.5 million in fee collections from a new grazing administration fee will result in a net increase 

of $13.5 million in funding resources available to address the grazing permit backlog. 

(Reference the Legislative Changes section below for a det ailed description of the proposed 

administrative fee).

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$601,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $601,000 will be t ransferred from Rangeland 

Managment. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had t he financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer will 

create consistency, clarity and a common approach to funding recurring labor and operational 

costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount represents the
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 36

amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National Conservation Lands in 

recent years.

Legislative Changes

Permit Administrative Processing Fee - The 2016 budget includes appropriations language 

for a three-year pilot project to allow the BLM to recover some of the costs of issuing grazing 

permits/leases on BLM lands. The BLM would charge a permit administrative fee of $2.50 per 

Animal Unit Month, which would be c ollected along with current grazing fees. The budget 

estimates the permit administrative fee will generate $16.5 million in 2016 and that it will assist 

the BLM in processing pending applications for grazing permit renewals. During the period of 

the pilot, the BLM will promulgate regulations for the continuation of the administrative fee as a 

cost-recovery fee, to be in place once the pilot expires.

SEC. 417. Beginning on Mar ch 1, 2016, and only to the extent and in the amount 

provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of Agriculture shall collect an 

annual administrative fee for grazing domestic livestock on N ational Forests in the 16 

contiguous western States and on National Grasslands in the amount of $2.50 per head 

month for cattle and its equivalent for other livestock. The administrative fee shall be 

billed and collected using the process as provided in sections 222.50 through 222.52 of 

title 36, Code of Federal Regulations. Fees collected may be us ed, subject to 

appropriation, to offset the cost of administering the livestock grazing program. Nothing in 

this provision shall affect the calculation, collection, distribution, or use of the grazing fee 

under 43 U.S.C. 1751(b), title III of the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 

1010), and implementing regulations.

In fiscal year 2016, beginning on March 1, 2016, and only to the extent and in the amount 

provided in advance in appropriations Acts, the Secretary of the Interior shall collect an 

administrative fee to offset the increased cost of administering the livestock grazing 

program on public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management by charging $2.50 

per Animal Unit Month, which shall be billed, collected, and subject to the penalties using 

the same process as the annual grazing fee in 43 C.F.R. 4130.8–1. Penalties assessed 

shall be deposited in the General Fund of the Treasury. Nothing in this provision affects 

the calculation, collection, distribution, or use of the grazing fee under 43 U .S.C. 315–

315rr, 43 U .S.C. 1751(b), 43 U .S.C. 1905, Executive Order 12548, or administrative 

regulation.

Program Overview

Program Components

The Rangeland Management Program focuses on efforts to maintain or improve public land

health through monitoring and land health evaluations; administration of grazing use through 10-

year permit renewals; development of grazing systems and range improvements; grazing permit 

compliance inspections; management of permittee, allotment and resource data; and 

management of invasive species and noxious weeds. Priorities are placed on pr ocessing the 

most environmentally sensitive permits first, in order to best manage livestock use and improve 

or maintain healthy land conditions.

The BLM manages approximately 17,750 livestock grazing permits and leases on the public 

lands. Livestock grazing is an integral part of the BLM multiple use mission and is authorized by 

the Taylor Grazing Act (1934), the Federal Land Policy Management Act (1976) and the Publi
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 37

Rangeland Improvement Act (1978).

Livestock grazing serves as an i mportant tool that provides environmental benefits such as 

preservation of open space, managing fuel loads to reduce wildfire risks and enhances 

distribution of available water for wildlife. Ranchers often serve as the eyes and ears for public 

land managers and assist with public health and safety. They provide public lands information, 

report wildfires, assist in wildfire suppression when appropriate, restore land health, and assist 

in search and rescue operations.

Rangeland stewardship is recognized with an annual award presented by BLM. Success stories 

demonstrate to the public that good stewardship is improving rangelands. 

The BLM also leverages grazing receipts with funds from local permittees/lessees to construct 

range improvement projects (reference the Range Improvement Account section for additional 

information). As described in the 2013 D OI Economic Report, the BLM’s management of 

livestock grazing had a pos itive impact of $1.43 billion on the economy and supported 16,694

jobs nationwide.

Noxious weed and i nvasive species management is a c ritical component of the Rangeland 

Management Program. Cooperative Weed Management Area partnerships and other 

cooperative efforts leverage funding to assist with weed inventory, land treatments, monitoring, 

and project work to improve land health. The BLM is also striving to create Coordinated Invasive 

Species Management partnerships to leverage partnerships that will target invasive species on 

the public lands.

 

Critical Factors

Critical factors affecting the Rangeland Management Program include the following:

• A changing climatic regime, resulting in more frequent and s evere floods and ex tended 

droughts, requires aggressive pursuit of adaptive management strategies.

• Frequent and severe wildfires have reduced the diversity of the western rangelands and 

have accelerated the spread of invasive species and noxious weeds.

• Changing and competing public demands require continuous assessment and modification 

of grazing practices and have made environmental reviews more complex.

• Development of public lands as part of the Secretary’s Powering Our Future initiative for 

renewable and non-renewable energy and mineral resources may require mitigation efforts 

to offset loss of rangeland resources.

• Limited baseline data about soils, ecological sites, and factors associated with land health 

stressors, combined with limited monitoring data, have led to a large number of 

environmental lawsuits.

• Invasive and noxious weeds spreading over seventy-nine million acres of BLM-managed 

lands require greater efforts to control and manage.

• The complexity of permit processing has increased due to heightened National 

Environmental Policy Act complexity and legal challenges, mitigation and m onitoring 

requirements, severe weather patterns, drought, catastrophic fire and other multiple use 

public land challenges.

• Catastrophic outbreaks of grasshopper and Mormon cricket populations that impact 

vegetation require emergency responses by the BLM and ot her Federal agencies
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 38

Means and Strategies 

The Rangeland Management Program coordinates with other BLM programs and pa rtner 

organizations to achieve integrated vegetation management at the landscape level. In this 

coordinated effort, the Rangeland Management Program is addressing critical factors through 

multiple avenues, including:

• Using eco-regional assessments to identify conservation, development and restoration 

opportunities and strategies;

• Monitoring the effectiveness of grazing management in achieving land use plan and activity 

plan objectives, and in meeting land health standards;

• Collecting core indicator data in upland habitats and supporting landscape-level land health 

and condition monitoring;

• Conducting interdisciplinary land health evaluations on a watershed or landscape scale to 

help ensure a balanced approach to livestock grazing;

• Promoting adaptative management strategies;

• Ensuring that land health considerations and resource conflicts are the primary factors used

to prioritize allotments for processing livestock grazing permit renewals;

• Using the permit issuance process, the Allotment Management Plans, and the Coordinated 

Resource Management Plans (RMP) to ensure scientifically-based livestock grazing 

management;

• Tiering permit renewals to RMPs and larger-scale NEPA documents;

• Completing a business process review in consultation with the U.S. Forest Service to look 

for efficiencies in the permit renewal process;

• Coordinating with other programs to work towards a nat ional land treatment geospatial 

dataset that documents the location of treatments on t he landscape and t racks their 

effectiveness;

• Educating youth about the importance and complexity of rangeland resources;

• Leveraging program funds with other Federal, State, and l ocal agencies, permittees, and 

non-governmental organizations to implement on-the-ground Healthy Landscape and 

invasive species and noxious weed projects;

• Continuing research efforts in the use of livestock as a tool to decrease fuel loads, 

especially annual cheatgrass, to prevent catastrophic wildfire and restore desirable 

perennial grasses and forbs; and

• Collecting and s haring weed inventory data with Federal, State and county partners to 

identify weed infestation locations.

Grazing Permit Renewal

In 2016, the BLM will continue to focus on pr ocessing the most environmentally sensitive 

grazing permits, including those authorizing grazing in priority sage-grouse habitat. Focusing on 

the most environmentally sensitive allotments allows for increased land health assessment and 

quantitative data collection efforts; improve the usefulness of RMP/EIS and site-specific NEPA 

analyses; and result in grazing management decisions that guide land health solutions for the 

future. This strategy will assist in ensuring that the backlog of unprocessed permits consists of 

the least environmentally-sensitive allotments that are more custodial in nature or are already 

meeting land health standards
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 39

Chart 1

Chart 1 illustrates the status of processing grazing permits since 1999. Processing permits includes, at a minimum, 

NEPA and Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance. Unprocessed permits are those issued in accordance with 

General Provisional language in Appropriations Acts.

Chart 2

Chart 2 illustrates the cumulative number of permits processed since 1999. The number of permits processed per 

year is greater than the number of permits administered because some permits have expired more than once since 

1999.

Invasive Species and Weed Management 

Land areas that contain fire-adapted ecosystems and 

surface disturbance activities are most vulnerable to 

noxious weed and i nvasive species. The Noxious Weed 

and Invasive Species Management Program in the BLM 

Rangeland Management Program addresses these issues 

on BLM lands throughout the West. The BLM manages 

invasive species and weeds to improve habitat in the 

riparian areas that are critical to 60 per cent of the wildlife 

species in semi-arid environments and to improve the 

terrestrial habitat areas that are critical for the Greater 

Sage-Grouse. As part of the President’s Priority Agenda on “Enhancing the Climate Resilience 

of America’s Natural Resources”, the BLM will continue to prioritize its ongoing Early Detection

0

2000

4000

6000

Number of Permits

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Fiscal Year

BLM Annual Grazing Permit Renewal Status

Permits Expired Permits Fully Processed Permits in Unprocessed Status

0

10000

20000

30000

40000

1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Number of Permits

Fiscal Year

BLM Cumulative Grazing Permit Renewal Status

Permits Expired Permits Processed Permits in Unprocessed Status
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 40

and Rapid Response efforts and focus on ar eas where invasive species were previously 

unknown or limited in their expansion on public lands.

Internal and external partners are critical for the BLM to succeed in detecting, controlling and 

managing noxious weeds and i nvasive species. The Partners Against Weeds Action Plan, 

Pulling Together, National Strategy for Invasive Plant Management, and the National Invasive 

Species Management Plan assist in education, prevention, inventory, and m onitoring efforts 

while using an Integrated Pest Management approach to control and restore areas impacted by 

weeds and i nvasive species. The 2016 D epartment of Interior Invasive Species Strategy will 

provide Interior agencies further guidance for forming partnerships and leveraging resources 

across agencies.

Chart 3

BLM Inventory and Treatment of Weeds

Chart 3 illustrates the number of acres inventoried and treated for weeds since 2010.

0.00

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Millions

Weed Inventory Acres

Weed Treatments Acres

Weed Treatments Evaluated

Acres
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 41

Other Program Resources

Other Resources Supporting Rangeland Management:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

Resource Development Protection & 

Management

$000 1,057 1,713 1,713 +0

FTE 3 3 3 +0

Range Improvements $000 9,280 9,270 10,000 +730

FTE 36 36 36 +0

Notes: 

- Resource Development Protection & Management amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from non-federal sources (contributed funds); the 

Taylor Grazing Act of 1934, as amended (43 USC 315h, 315i) appropriates these funds on a permanent basis. More information on Resource Development 

Protection & Management is found in the Miscellaneous Trust Funds chapter

- Range Improvements amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from 50 percent of the grazing fees collected on BLM-managed lands, with any 

difference appropriated from the General Fund; the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act appropriates these funds on a current 

basis. More information on Range Improvements budget request is found in the Range Improvements chapter

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year, for Resource Development Protection & Management and Range Improvements are found in President's Budget 

Appendix under the BLM section

"Amounts in 2014 and 2015 are shown net of sequestration

2016 Program Performance

Permit Renewal: The BLM will continue to prioritize permit renewals based on environmental 

sensitivities and c ontinue to review and us e existing NEPA analyses as appropriate. When 

necessary, the BLM will supplement or tier to existing NEPA to address changes or analyze 

new information. When new NEPA is needed, BLM will analyze grazing use on an allotment or 

multiple allotment basis where appropriate. The BLM will continue to emphasize the collection 

of quantitative resource data for more defensible decisions, and will work closely with 

stakeholders, local governments, and the public during allotment plan development, evaluations 

and the NEPA process. 

The BLM will use authorities provided in Federal Land Policy and Management Act as amended 

by PL 113-291 to continue to process the most environmentally sensitive allotments in 

preparation for renewing grazing permits. The BLM also plans to use the $16.5 million collected 

under the proposed permit administrative fee to process existing 235 g razing permits and 

leases, monitor 200 allotments, assess 1.5 million acres of watersheds, and complete 185 land 

health evaluations. 

In addition, about one-half of the $16.5 million will be used to support new permit processing 

and monitoring of livestock use in sage-grouse habitat. The increase in monitoring effort is 

expected to occur in the allotments currently monitored. There will be an increased number of 

compliance visits to each allotment 3,000 to 4,000 other allotments within sage-grouse habitat. 

The grazing permit/lease processing work is included within DOI Strategic Measure ‘Percent of 

grazing permits and l eases processed as planned consistent with applicable resource 

management plans’. Barring a catastrophic fire season in 2016, BLM field offices would be able 

to utilize the monitoring and land health assessment data collected from the past few years to
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 42

complete NEPA and other work related to grazing permits renewals.

Noxious and Invasive Weeds and other invasive species: The BLM will continue to 

inventory invasive and noxious weeds and other invasive species infestation on BLM lands. The 

BLM will identify and treat high-priority areas and monitor treated areas to determine the 

effectiveness of treatments. These efforts contribute to the DOI Strategic Measure ‘Percent of 

baseline acres infested with invasive plant species that are controlled.’ 

Land Health Assessment and Monitoring: BLM-managed rangelands are assessed and 

monitored to direct management actions to areas not meeting desired conditions. Data collected 

during rangeland assessment and monitoring activities are used as one component in 

determining the DOI Strategic Measure ‘Percent of DOI acres that have achieved desired 

conditions where condition is known and as specified in management plans.’

Land Restoration: Land treatments and project completion data will be used to determine the 

DOI Strategic Measure ‘Number of DOI acres restored to the condition specified in management 

plans.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 43

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 2015 Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Public Domain Forest 

Management

$000 9,838 9,838 +180 -38 +0 9,980 +142

FTE 72 72 +0 +0 72 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Public Domain Forest 

Management: ($000) FTE

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -38 +0 

Total -38 +0 

Other Resources Supporting Public Domain Forest Mgmt:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

Forest Ecosystem Health & Recovery $000 4,524 3,601 6,396 +2,795

FTE 48 48 48 +0

USFS Forest Pest Control $000 310,000 606,000 500,000 -106,000

FTE 0 0 0 +0

Notes:

- Forest Ecosystem Health & Recovery amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from the federal share of receipts from all BLM timber salvage sales, 

and from BLM forest health restoration treatments funded by this account; 43 USC 1736a appropriates these funds on a permanent basis. Forest Ecosystem 

Health & Recovery is used on both Public Domain Forestry and Oregon and California Grant Lands. More information on Forest Ecosystem Health & Recovery is 

found in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter. 

- Amount in 2014 and 2015 for Forest Ecosystem Health & Recovery shown net of sequestration

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year for Forest Ecosystem Health & Recovery are found in President's Budget Appendix under the BLM section

- USFS Forest Pest Control amounts are shown as estimated transfers. More information on USFS Forest Pest Control is found in the U.S. Forest Service 

budget Justifications. USFS Forest Pest Control is used on both and Oregon and California Grant Lands

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 bud get request for the Public Domain (PD) Forestry Management Program is 

$9,980,000 and 72 FTE and reflects an internal transfer of -$38,000. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$38,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $38,000 will be t ransferred from Public Domain Forest 

Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer will 

create consistency, clarity and a common approach to funding recurring labor and operational 

costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount represents the 

amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National Conservation Lands in 

recent years.

Activity: Land Resources

Subactivity: Public Domain Forest Management
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 44

Program Overview

Program Components 

The PD Forest Management Program manages and conserves 58 million acres of forests in 12 

western States, including Alaska. The PD Forests have broad uses and serve the public, both 

directly and i ndirectly. Forests store and filter water for aquifers and r eservoirs; offer 

opportunities for recreation; provide habitat for thousands of species; support timber and other 

jobs; provide millions of board feet of lumber and thousands of tons of biomass for alternative 

energy. Maintaining resilient forests and woodlands also plays an i mportant role in carbon 

sequestration and pr oviding clean air. According to the Department of the Interior’s 2013 

Economic Impact Report, timber harvested from PD forests supported $156 million in economic 

activity, and biomass from BLM forests has become part of the feedstock that meets various 

State and Federal renewable energy portfolio standards.

In coordination with other vegetation management programs, the PD Forest Management 

Program seeks large landscape approaches to managing land resources. The program 

maintains and i mproves the resilience of forest and w oodland ecosystems. Density 

management through timber sales and stewardship contracts is essential to maintaining resilient 

forests. The program also administers various requirements of the Department of the Interior 

such as regulation, accounting and record keeping, volume estimation, appraisal, and permitting 

of vegetative materials under the Materials Act of 1947.

Healthy, resilient forests provide habitat for a variety of flora and fauna, including whitebark 

pine, an E ndangered Species Act (ESA) candidate currently classified as “warranted, but 

precluded.” Maintaining healthy and productive forests requires active management. A century 

of wildfire suppression has left forests choked with fuels that contribute to costly, catastrophic 

fires, while changing climate and drought reduces the resiliency of the forests and leaves the 

trees vulnerable to damage from insects and disease.

The BLM leverages Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery funding, USDA Forest Health 

Protection funding, and s tewardship authority to maximize program accomplishments. The 

program also coordinates with the Wildland Fire Management Program to leverage funds for 

hazardous fuels reduction projects.

Critical Factors

Critical factors affecting the Public Domain Forest Management program include:

• Approximately 14 million acres (or 24 percent) of PD forests are overstocked and at 

increased risk of insect and di sease attacks and catastrophic wildfire. Prime among 

these risks are the mountain pine beetle and the spruce budworm, which are currently 

killing intermountain pine and fir on B LM forestlands. In addition, an invasive fungus, 

white pine blister rust, has infiltrated the colder altitudes where whitebark pine thrives. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) judges that these factors, along with fire and 

warming climate, undermine species’ viability and may cause the whitebark pine to 

disappear within two to three generations. Other high elevation species such as limber 

pine and br istlecone pine are likely to face similar threats soon.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 45

• The capacity of BLM foresters to plan and implement treatments on the ground to take 

advantage of the increase in demand for wood products as economic conditions are 

improving, sawmills are reopening, and bioenergy facilities are coming online is critical to

increasing forest resilience. Since most forest health and r estoration treatments are 

accomplished through the sale of timber and by-products resulting from the treatments, 

purchasers of forest product raw materials decrease the BLM’s cost of conducting 

treatments and restoration on a per acre basis.

• Maintaining support and supply to local industry infrastructure is critical to accomplishing 

necessary forest management treatments over the long term.

• Energy prices and high unemployment rates increase the demand for firewood in rural 

areas, leading to significant increases in illegal taking of woodland resources. For 

example, in Cuba, New Mexico, thousands of local individuals, including many Native 

Americans, use pinyon-juniper forests for cooking and heating their homes, cutting trees 

with a legal permit. Demand for firewood recently increased, perhaps due to economic 

hardship and rising propane prices. As a result, illegal woodcutting occurred in areas 

popular for hiking and valued for scenic and resource values. BLM New Mexico foresters 

quickly moved to develop more legal firewood areas to meet local demand; inventory 

stolen trees for timber theft reports and citations; patrol both legal firewood areas as well 

as areas of illegal woodcutting; and c onduct community outreach and educ ational 

meetings. As a result, Farmington and Rio Puerco Field Office Law Enforcement 

Rangers have seen a decline in illegal woodcutting. 

• Collaborating with local communities and 

partners is critical to implementing successful 

forest conservation projects that support rural 

economies and provide outstanding customer 

service.

• Biomass from BLM forest and w oodland 

projects has become part of the feedstock 

that energy companies are relying on to meet 

various State and Feder al renewable energy 

portfolio standards. 

Means and Strategies

The BLM coordinates the strategies of PD Forest 

Management with other BLM programs and partner organizations to achieve integrated 

vegetation management at the landscape level using a c orporate approach to managing 

ecosystem functions and services by emphasizing shared on-the-ground vegetation goals 

across programs, processes, and scales.

The BLM integrated the national-level coordination of vegetative management, including 

forestry, rangeland management, riparian management, plant conservation, invasive weeds, 

and fire rehabilitation into a cohesive team that leverages resources to make policy 

development more collaborative at a landscape scale. In this coordinated effort, the BLM is 

addressing forest management critical factors through multiple activities, including using results 

from the BLM’s Rapid Ecoregional Assessment process to identify focal areas for forest 

management activities at the ecoregional scale. 

Drought, Wildfire, and Forests

Extreme drought and drought-fueled 

wildfires plagued much of the West over the 

past decade, impacting forest health and 

local economies. In 2014, fire impacted over 

123,000 acres of BLM forest. Over 1.7 

million acres of forest mortality exists due to 

bark beetles and insect attack. Many of these 

acres are salvageable for timber, which 

clears the way for reforestation.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 46

The PD Forest Management Program achieves land use goals by:

• Implementing science-based forest restoration projects to improve forest health and 

resilience, which increases resistance to wildfires, disease, drought, invasive pests, and 

climate change at the landscape scale;

• Sustainably harvesting and regenerating forests and woodlands to produce a continuous 

supply of wood products and renewable energy feedstocks;

• Salvaging dead and dy ing timber to promote forest health and reduce hazardous fuels, 

in balance with the need for wildlife habitat, watershed function, and soil stability, while 

supporting local economies;

• Providing the public with commercial and personal use opportunities to harvest products 

such as firewood, Christmas trees, boughs, greenery, medicinal plants, fence posts, and 

pinyon pine nuts from forests and woodlands. In 2014, over 20,000 firewood permits, 

with a market value of over $15 million, were sold that continue to provide a renewable 

energy source for heating thousands of households in rural communities;

• Inventorying 58 million acres of forest resources through a national database;

• Utilizing the Good Neighbor authority to achieve forest health treatments on a landscape 

level across BLM, State, and private lands to increase forest resiliency;

• Utilizing stewardship contracting authority, a v ital tool for forest and woodland 

conservation. From 2008 - 2014, Stewardship contracting offered approximately 85 

MMBF from Public Domain (PD) land, which is 25 percent of the total volume offered in 

the PD over that period. Stewardship contracting is also an effective tool for increasing 

biomass utilization. During the same period, the BLM offered 493,000 tons of biomass 

through Stewardship contracts. These volumes are essentially by-products of forest 

health treatments implemented through Stewardship contracts with acreage totaling over 

85,000 acres.

• Collaborating with conservation districts to implement forest restoration, support rural 

economies, and meet multiple use objectives. For example, in Weaverville, California the 

BLM and Trinity County Conservation District are expanding a community forest. 

Through a stewardship agreement, the BLM works with the community to manage the 

forest, including reducing hazardous fuels, providing timber to meet local industry needs, 

preserving the scenic view from downtown Weaverville, maintaining and bui lding 

recreational trails, using the forest as an outdoor classroom, and protecting cultural and 

historical resources.

• Engaging, employing, and educating youth, Native Americans, and veterans in forestry. 

In 2014, students, interns, and v olunteer youth completed over $2.0 million worth of 

forestry project work; foresters in Alaska and Montana conducted field camps for Native 

American youth, while in New Mexico, youth from the Ramah Navajo Chapter worked to 

thin forests and plant trees; and in Colorado and New Mexico, veterans crews completed 

pre-commercial thinning, hazard tree felling, and patrolling firewood cutting areas. 

• Implementing stewardship agreements which exchange harvested forest products for 

the forest health treatments and use matching funds to treat greater acreage;

• Expediting NEPA processes to accelerate the removal of beetle-killed timber to reduce 

the risk of catastrophic fire and minimize risks to the recreating public. In 2014, two field 

offices in Colorado launched a pi lot project to contract out the NEPA and c ultural 

surveys so that the work will be completed in 2015.

• Investing in new technology to improve efficiencies. In 2015, the forestry program is 

consolidating national forestry applications into one system and is developing a national 

forest inventory platform; using mobile data collectors to collect inventory, cruising, and 

scaling data and uploading it directly into databases, eliminating the need to manually
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 47

• enter data into spreadsheets; and c ombining accounting systems with timber sale 

systems to eliminate duplicate data entry.

• Supporting renewable energy goals by promoting the direct conversion and use of 

woody biomass for energy within BLM-owned facilities, as a par t of an interagency 

bioenergy facility initiative;

• Requiring that all measurable biomass by-products from forest treatments such as 

timber sales, stewardship contracts, and haz ardous fuels reduction are offered for 

utilization when ecologically appropriate and where biomass markets exist; and

• Implementing the Biomass Crop Assistance Program with the Farm Services Agency to 

allow for matching payments towards delivery of biomass to bioenergy facilities.

2016 Program Performance

The BLM will accomplish program performance through sales and s tewardship contracts to 

achieve desired future conditions on the 58 million acres of forests and woodlands in the public 

domain, offering economic benefits for the present and managing forest health for the future.

In 2016, the PD Forest Management program will address several DOI strategic and Bureau 

plan performance measures:

• Forest and woodland areas are assessed and monitored to direct management actions 

to areas not meeting desired conditions. Data collected during forest and woodland 

assessment and monitoring are used as one component in determining the Bureau plan 

measures “Percent of DOI acres that have achieved desired conditions where condition 

is known and as specified in management plans” and “Number of DOI acres restored to 

the condition specified in management plans.” Annual increases in forest and woodland 

acreages continue to contribute to achievement of these performance measures.

• The BLM will continue to use timber sales to achieve desired future conditions of forest 

stands to meet the Strategic Plan measure “Volume of Wood Products Offered.” 

Similarly, to the extent possible, the BLM will use forest product sales and permits to 

achieve desired future conditions of forest and woodland stands by offering wood 

products as biomass, a Bureau plan measure.

• BLM Montana is a par tner in the Nature Conservancy-organized Centennial Fire 

Learning Network in Montana. Its primary goal is to advance landscape-scale fire 

restoration in the western portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the High 

Divide region through focused multi-agency projects, sharing of lessons learned and the 

use of rigorous science to guide managers. The Dillon Field Office forestry and fuels 

programs worked together to successfully complete several large-scale forest restoration 

treatments targeting old-growth Douglas-fir savannahs and ar e working on s everal 

ongoing aspen enhancement projects, managing for healthy, resilient forests. Scientists 

from Federal and State land management agencies, Beaverhead County, University of 

Montana-Western, University of New Mexico, the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, 

Montana Logging Association and The Nature Conservancy toured BLM project sites 

and agreed that the projects are soundly based in science, and serve as a m odel for 

forest management in similar ecosystems.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 48

Pocatello, Idaho Team Salvages Wood from the State Fire and Restores Ecosystems 

When the smoke cleared in August of 2013, the State Fire had burned more than 30,000 

acres in both Utah and Idaho. The disturbance of such a large area has implications on a 

variety of resources from soil erosion, invasive weed spread to loss of wildlife habitat. An

interdisciplinary team of resource specialists worked quickly to design and implement a 

project in 2014 - 2015 to salvage 913 MBF of timber using existing roads; enhance soil 

stabilization; stimulate aspen regeneration for elk, deer, and grouse; create migratory bird 

and raptor habitat; increase economic opportunities for the local area; designate firewood 

harvesting areas for residents; plant trees and aerially seed sage brush. 

Pocatello Field Office’s Interdisciplinary team headed to the State fire to conduct an on the ground tour to 

discuss post fire management tactics. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 49

Activity: Land Resources

Subactivity: Riparian Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Riparian Management $000 21,321 21,321 +324 -201 +1,340 22,784 +1,463

FTE 159 159 +0 +2 161 +2

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Riparian Management: ($000) FTE

Enhance Core Capability +1,340 +2 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -201 +0 

Total +1,139 +2 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Riparian Management Program is $22,784,000 and 161 FTE, 

and reflects an internal transfer of -$201,000 and a program change of +$1,139,000 and +2 FTE 

from the 2015 enacted level. 

Enhance Core Capability (+$1,139,000/+2 FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes a $1.3 

million increase to strengthen BLM’s core capability to pursue a l andscape approach to 

managing BLM vegetation resources, including managing over 150,000 miles of riparian areas 

and nearly 13 m illion acres of wetlands. Increased funding will be us ed to treat acres not 

meeting land health standards in sage-grouse habitat and to identify and prioritize management 

and restoration efforts and to support BLM management decisions. Increased funding will also 

be used for monitoring and assessment of drought conditions with a goal of improving the 

quality and quantity of water for wildlife.

Transfer to National Monuments & National Conservation Areas (NM&NCAs) (-$201,000/0 

FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to transfer a t otal of $5.0 million from various MLR 

subactivities to the National Conservation Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $201,000 will be 

transferred from Riparian Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the 

financial resources to undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding 

structure. This transfer will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding 

recurring labor and operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The 

transfer amount represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the 

National Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview

Program Components

Riparian-wetland areas are important components in every landscape type. In the arid West, 

these moist, green areas are especially critical to sustaining ecosystem functions and services, 

providing terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat, reducing erosion, improving water quality, and 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 50

providing recreational opportunities. Although they are a small component of landscapes in the 

West, the diversity of uses and functions of riparian-wetland resources and their geographical 

position on the landscape make these areas indicators of overall ecosystem function. 

Healthy riparian areas play a prominent role in the Bureau’s ability to maintain working 

landscapes on publ ic lands while managing for sage-grouse populations by providing shelter 

from predators and supplying the critical foods necessary for the species’ survival. Highly 

functioning riparian areas can also help prevent the spread of wildfires. The BLM’s Riparian 

Management Program provides the framework for managing over 150,000 miles of riparian 

areas and nearly 13 million acres of wetlands. In coordination with the other BLM programs, the 

Riparian Management Program pursues a l andscape approach to managing BLM vegetation 

resources.

Critical Factors

A number of external factors impact the Riparian Management Program, including: 

• A changing climatic regime resulting in more frequent and severe floods and extended 

droughts, and requiring aggressive adaptive management strategies.

• Growing demands upon water resources and impacts from land-use changes, which 

increase monitoring workloads and necessitate adaptive management strategies. 

• Development of public lands as part of the Powering Our Future initiative, requiring 

mitigation efforts to offset water discharge, water pollution, and water loss.

• Spread of invasive terrestrial and aq uatic species, such as tamarisk and q uagga 

mussel, requiring additional monitoring and t reatment to prevent degradation of 

functioning ecosystems and native plant and animal communities.

• Increasing urgency to restore and protect habitats as the number of sensitive and 

special status species grows. Many of these species, including sage-grouse, southwest 

willow flycatcher, cutthroat trout, bullhead trout, and numerous plant species have a 

critical nexus with riparian resources.

• Urban growth and increasing public use of riparian-wetland areas, requiring additional 

monitoring to detect degradation from trails, transportation routes, and visitor use 

activities and to prioritize restoration activities.

• Catastrophic wildfires that negatively impact riparian resources, increasing the workload 

associated with stabilizing and rehabilitating burned areas and monitoring treatment 

success, land condition, and trends.

Means and Strategies

To better achieve program goals and provide improved management of public lands, the BLM 

has adopted a corporate approach to managing ecosystem functions and services by 

emphasizing shared on-the-ground vegetation goals across programs, processes, and scales. 

In this coordinated effort, the Riparian Management Program is addressing critical factors 

through multiple activities, including:

• Incorporating Rapid Ecoregional Assessment information, where appropriate, into 

riparian-wetland planning and management activities;

• Implementing riparian restoration in high-priority focal areas using step-down strategies 

developed from the BLM’s Landscape Approach for Managing Public Lands;
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 51

• Conducting qualitative Proper Functioning Condition Assessments and collecting 

quantitative core aquatic and terrestrial indicator data per the Assessment, Inventory and 

Monitoring (AIM) Strategy in coordination with land health assessments on a watershed 

or landscape-scale basis

• Supplementing AIM data with critical program data through multiple indicator monitoring 

to begin devising a q uantitative, statistically-robust methodology for landscape-scale 

riparian monitoring;

• Prioritizing riparian treatments in areas functionally at-risk (especially those with high 

resource values), in order to protect sage-grouse and ecologically important plant and 

animal communities;

• Coordinating with the Fisheries Management and S oil, Water & Air Management 

Programs to devise cross-cutting, watershed-scale strategies and policies that will 

address water resource impacts from drought, development, and other stressors;

• Completing on-the-ground restoration projects using funds provided by the Clean Water 

and Watershed Restoration Act;

• Educating youth about the importance and complexity of riparian-wetland resources;

• Capturing legacy and new assessment and A IM monitoring data into a nat ional 

geospatial dataset in order to more efficiently analyze and report on the conditions and 

trends of riparian resources;

• Coordinating with other BLM programs to build a land-treatments national geospatial 

dataset to document the location and effectiveness of treatments on the landscape;

• Using the interagency Creeks and Communities Strategy to cooperate with diverse 

stakeholders across jurisdictional boundaries and to provide training and coaching to the 

field; and

• Leveraging Riparian Management Program funds with funds from other Federal, State, 

and local agencies and NGOs to implement on-the-ground projects. 

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the Riparian Management Program will continue to improve land and water health 

through ongoing management of wetlands and riparian areas. Program activities will contribute 

to three DOI performance measures:

• Assessment and monitoring of riparian areas are crucial activities of the Program, 

directing management actions to those areas not meeting desired conditions as part of 

an adaptive management strategy. The DOI Strategic Plan measures the percentage of 

DOI riparian (stream/shoreline) miles that have achieved desired condition.

• Similar to riparian areas, wetland areas also are assessed and monitored in order to 

direct management actions to areas not meeting desired conditions. Data collected 

during wetland assessment and monitoring are used to measure the percentage of DOI 

acres that have achieved desired conditions where condition is known and as specified 

in management plans. 

• On-the-ground restoration and m anagement activities conducted by the program 

contribute directly to the improvement of degraded riparian areas. These actions are 

essential to meeting the Department’s performance measure concerning the number of 

DOI riparian (stream/shoreline) miles restored to the condition specified in management 

plans. In 2016, the Program will restore approximately 250 m iles of riparian area.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 52

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Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 53

Activity: Land Resources

Subactivity: Cultural Resources Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Cultural Resources 

Management

$000 15,131 15,131 +274 -199 +2,000 17,206 +2,075

FTE 116 116 +0 +0 116 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Cultural Resources Management: ($000) FTE

Safeguarding Our Irreplacable Heritage +2,000 +0 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -199 +0 

Total +1,801 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Cultural Resources Management Program is $17,206,000 and 

116 FTE. This reflects a program change of +$2,000,000 and 0 FTE and an internal transfer of 

-$199,000 and 0 FTE from the FY 2015 enacted level. 

Safeguarding Our Irreplaceable Heritage (+$2,000,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 bud get request 

includes a program increase of $2.0 million to enhance the BLM’s capacity to manage unique, 

irreplaceable heritage resources. The program will conduct up to 60 additional localized on-theground inventories of sensitive areas, and site protection and stabilization projects for priority 

sites vulnerable to the effects of c limate change (e.g. fire, erosion, water levels) and 

unauthorized activities. P rojects will also focus on updating regional overviews and further 

implementing predictive modeling and data analysis to enhance the bureau’s ability to address 

large-scale, cross-jurisdictional land-use. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (NM&NCAs) (-$199,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM 

proposes to transfer a total of $5.0 million from varous MLR subactivities to the National 

Conservation Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $199,000 will be t ransferred from Cultural 

Resources Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial 

resources to undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding 

structure. This transfer will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding 

recurring labor and operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. . The 

transfer amount represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the 

National Conservation Lands in recent years
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 54

Program Overview

The BLM is responsible for the largest, most diverse 

and scientifically important aggregation of cultural, 

historical, and paleontological resources on the public 

lands, as well as the museum collections and data 

associated with these heritage resources. These 

cultural resources represent all major periods, events, 

and communities in the broad sweep of human 

habitation in the West over a 10,000 year period. 

These heritage resources are managed to ensure the 

cultural, educational, aesthetic, inspirational, and 

scientific values are preserved, and the recreational and 

economic benefits are realized for today’s communities 

as well as future generations in compliance with Federal 

laws and regulations. 

The program also provides expertise and capabilities to facilitate compliance with Section 106 of 

the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) required for other BLM programs and land-use 

proponents to implement proposed actions on the public lands that will effect historic properties, 

such as energy development, recreation, grazing, and other planned activities. Up to 13,000 

land-use proposals are reviewed annually for potential effects to historic properties. 

Compliance costs are to be funded by the benefitting subactivity program or the proponent. The 

tools and processes developed by the Cultural Resources Management Program streamline the 

compliance process, providing significant cost-savings and efficiencies.

The program:

• Manages and protects archaeological sites and historic properties as directed by the 

Archaeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA) and NHPA, including inventorying the 

public lands for cultural resources, stabilizing and monitoring sites.

• Manages and protects paleontological localities and implements the Paleontological 

Resources Preservation subtitle of the Omnibus Public Lands Act of 2009 (PRPA), 

including inventorying the public lands for fossils, and s tabilizing and monitoring 

localities. 

• Curates the 10 million documented artifacts, 

specimens, and associated records in the 

BLM’s three museum facilities and i n 

coordination with the 155 State, tribal, and 

non-profit partner museums and universities.

• Facilitates Government-to-Government 

consultation with Indian Tribes and Alaska 

Native Governments concerning traditional 

tribal activities and places of special meaning 

on the public lands, such as sacred sites and 

places of religious significance.

The BLM’s heritage resources include:

• 366,232 recorded cultural properties

• 3,156 cultural properties protected

• 108 historic properties listed on the 

National Register, 2,167 contributing 

properties, and 49,734 properties 

eligible for listing

• 3,965 monitored archaeological sites

• 431 maintained historic structures

• 17,129 recorded paleontological 

localities

• 10 million documented artifacts and 

specimens in 158 museums and 

universities. 

Inventory and Protection Projects

Most heritage projects are accomplished in 

partnership with regional and local universities 

and community groups, enabling the agency 

to leverage funds with matching partner 

resources. Recent reductions in funding have 

made maintaining partnerships difficult or 

stalled ongoing projects, as well as resulted in

decreases in core performance metrics for 

inventory, monitoring, stabilization, and study 

of priority heritage resources, as well as 

collections management and repatriation 

responsibilities. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 55

NHPA Section 106 Casework

Section 106 of the NHPA requires the BLM to take into 

account the effects of its actions on historic properties 

and provide the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation 

(ACHP) with a reasonable opportunity to comment. 

Annually, the BLM reviews up to 13, 000 land use 

proposals for their potential effect on properties listed on, 

or eligible for listing on, the National Register of Historic 

Places. The BLM’s national Programmatic Agreement 

with the ACHP and National Conference of State Historic 

Preservation Officers is the primary mechanism for 

achieving cost efficiencies and flexibility in the NHPA 

Section 106 review process.

Regional Cultural Resource Overviews

The landscape approach and the large-scale projects 

planned on t he public lands necessitates that the BLM 

maintains high-level, comprehensive, regional overviews 

that synthesize available information and analysis at a 

broad scale. The BLM has the tools and processes for 

meeting this need and will complete or update overviews 

in key areas. These inventory overviews help identify 

cultural resources on t he ground, inform sampling 

strategies and predictive modeling, identify areas where 

cultural resource conflict may occur, and provide a 

framework for National Register evaluations. They are 

meant to significantly reduce the cost of subsequent 

projects or planning efforts.

• Complies with the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) 

to inventory and repatriate Native American human remains and cultural items held in 

collections and respond to new discoveries of such on the public lands.

• Develops and implements educational and interpretative opportunities for the public to 

engage with cultural and paleontological resources.

• Facilitates academic and scientific research on cultural and paleontological resources to 

enhance scientific understanding and support decision-making.

Critical Factors 

The program faces a broad range of challenges and critical factors, including: 

• Increased development of energy resources and t ransmission facilities, and 

opportunities for regional mitigation challenge the BLM to compile and synthesize data at 

a broad scale and provide efficient and effective NHPA Section 106 compliance.

• Theft, destruction, and vandalism of heritage resources as a r esult of increased 

accessibility of once-remote public lands, and urban and suburban encroachment.

• Enhanced protection of paleontological resources under the new statutory mandates for 

the management, preservation, and protection of fossils under PRPA. 

• Inventoring Native American cultural items held in museum collections and consulting 

with Indian Tribes to determine disposition leading toward repatriation as highlighted by 

a 2010 audit of NAGPRA compliance by the Government Accountability Office.

• Identifying and curating artifacts and specimens recovered from the public lands, 

upgrading preservation and 

documentation for accountability, 

ensuring access and use for research 

and public benefit, and enhancing 

partnerships with repositories that 

curate BLM collections.

Means and Strategies

The program prioritizes proactive management 

and achieves efficiencies for NHPA Section 

106 compliance by: 

• Creating efficiencies in NHPA Section 

106 compliance requirements by 

streamlining the review process for 

other BLM programs and l and-use 

proponents. 

• Enhancing tribal participation in 

decision-making processes through 

Government-to-Government 

consultation with Indian Tribes and 

Native Alaska villages and 

corporations, and drafting a new tribal 

consultation and coordination manual 

and handbook that addresses 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 56

government-to-government tribal consultation across all BLM programs.

• Incorporating the BLM’s landscape approach to public land management to address 

landscape-scale concerns associated with the inventory, assessment, mitigation and 

monitoring of heritage resources.

• Maintaining active working relations with State Historic Preservation Offices as part of 

the BLM’s Cultural Resources Data Sharing Partnership in order to share costs to 

automate and digitize site records, and to analyze this information for use in planning 

and expediting review of land use undertakings as part of NHPA Section 106 compliance 

at a significant cost savings for the bureau and proponents.

• Supporting Law Enforcement efforts to to curb criminal acts prohibited by ARPA, 

NAGPRA, PRPA and other Federal statutes protecting cultural and paleontological 

resources. 

• Partnering with universities, museums, and ot her scientific organiztions to leverage 

public/private investments.

• Creating volunteer and youth experiences for community-based conservation and 

educational activities, and ent ry-to-journeyman-level opportunities, as seasonal hires, 

utilizing students and recent graduates. 

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the primary performance program goals for the condition of Archaeological Sites, 

Historic Structures, and Museum Collections will be t o maintain minimum benchmarks for 

proactive management of heritage resources, focusing on the highest priority, most vulnerable 

resources. The program will also continue to support agreements and protocols that facilitate 

streamlined NHPA Section 106 casework in support of priority planned activities on BLMmanaged lands, and advising on fostering effective Government-to-Government relationships

with Indian Tribes. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 57

Activity: Land Resources

Subactivity: Wild Horse and Burro Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Wild Horse & Burro 

Management

$000 77,245 77,245 +327 -10 +2,993 80,555 +3,310

FTE 172 172 +0 +0 172 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Wild Horse & Burro Management: ($000) FTE

Applied Science - Implementation of NAS Recommendations +2,993 +0 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -10 +0 

Total +2,983 +0 

Other Resources Supporting Wild Horse & Burro Mgmt:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

USFS Wild Horses $000 1,185 1,200 1,200 +0

FTE 0 0 0 +0

Adopt-A-Horse Program $000 332 380 380 +0

FTE 0 0 0 +0

Notes: 

- USFS Wild Horses amounts are shown as estimated transfers reported by the U.S. Forest Service in its 2015 Budget Justification (March 2014); the annual 

Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act appropriates these funds in the U.S. Forest Service National Forest System appropriation; Public 

Law 113-76 authorizes the transfer of these funds in 2014

- Adopt-A-Horse Program amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from a minimum $125 per horse or burro fee under a competitive bidding process 

for adoption of animals gathered from the public lands, conducted under The Wild Free-Roaming Horse and Burro Act of 1971, as amended by the Public 

Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 (16 USC 1331-1340); the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act appropriates these funds 

on a current basis. More information on Adopt-A-Horse Program is found in the Service Charges, Deposits, & Forfeitures chapter

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year for Adopt-A-Horse Program are found in President's Budget Appendix under the BLM section

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Wild Horse and B urro (WHB) Management Program is 

$80,555,000 and 172 FTE. It reflects a program change of +$2,993,000 and 0 FTE and an 

internal transfer of - $10,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Implementation of National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Recommendations

(+$2,993,000/0 FTE) – The program increase will be us ed to continue ongoing multi-year 

research studies that focus on the development of more effective and longer lasting population 

growth suppression methods, including sterilization; conduct population inventories using 

recommended survey methods; continue the programmatic environmental impact statement 

initiated in 2015; engage in genetic diversity monitoring; continue development of a r obust 

population model; continue sentinel population studies; and apply the most effective, available
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 58

population growth suppression methods to on-range animals. The BLM will continue to develop 

a scientific foundation that will be the basis for an ecologically and financially sustainable Wild 

Horse and Burro Program. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$10,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $10,000 will be t ransferred from the WHB Management

Program. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to undertake a 

systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer will create 

consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and operational costs 

across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount represents the 

amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National Conservation Lands in 

recent years.

Program Overview

Program Components

The WHB Program is responsible for managing wild horses and burros in accordance with the 

Wild Free-Roaming Horses and B urros Act of 1971. The Act requires the protection, 

management, and c ontrol of wild free-roaming horses and bur ros in a m anner designed to 

achieve and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance in combination with other public land 

uses. The program components that support this effort include maintaining an accurate current 

population inventory; establishing and maintaining appropriate management levels (AML); 

determining whether AMLs should be achieved by removal, population growth suppression or 

other methods such as sterilization; training animals to increase adoptions, adoption and sales; 

and conducting research to develop sound science for the management of wild horses and 

burros.

 

The BLM manages more than 46,000 wild horses and bur ros on 26.9 million acres of public 

lands. The program is also responsible for monitoring herd and rangeland health and caring for 

approximately 50,000 animals in off-range holding facilities. 

Elements for Reforming and Managing the Wild Horse and Burro Program

The BLM remains committed to reforming the program and w ill continue population growth 

suppression research and the implementation of key recommendations of the June 2013 

National Academy of Science report. The following are key elements of this reform: 

• Reducing Holding Costs. The BLM will continue efforts to acquire additional, less 

expensive holding facilities and partnership eco-sanctuaries to reduce holding costs for 

wild horses removed from public rangelands. The bureau will also continue innovative

partnerships that increase the number of trained animals for placement in private care.

• Continuing Research (NAS Recommended). The BLM will continue laboratory, pen 

and field studies to develop more effective population growth suppression methods for 

contraception and permanent sterilization methods such as spay and neuter; continue to 

assess public knowledge, attitudes, preferences and v alues of wild horse and bur ro 

populations and management; and evaluate demand for wild horses and burros by 

adoptees and long-term sanctuary providers.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 59

• Continue Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The PEIS, a 

three-year project initiated in fiscal year 2015, is necessary to implement and evaluate 

new approaches to wild horse and burro management, population growth suppression 

and establish a nat ional framework for management and the implementation of a 

number of NAS recommendations. It will analyze aggressive use of new and traditional 

population growth suppression methods, including sterilization; management of herds as 

meta-populations; consider whether or not to maintain all HMAs; evaluate the 

establishment of non-reproducing or minimally reproducing herds; assess cumulative 

impacts; and am end land use plans to enhance BLM’s ability to effectively manage 

populations on the range. 

• Developing Herd Management Area (HMA) Sustainability Plans. The BLM will 

continue to develop herd management area sustainability plans in the highest priority 

areas. Each sustainability plan would define a management prescription for appropriate 

population growth suppression methods and the maintenance of AML.

• Conducting Population Surveys (NAS Recommended). The BLM will continue to 

conduct surveys utilizing the methods developed by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to 

acquire more accurate population estimates.

• Reducing Population Growth (NAS Recommended). The BLM will continue applying 

the most effective population growth suppression methods that are supported by sound 

science.

• Strengthening Humane Animal Care and Handling Practices. The BLM will continue 

appropriate policy administration and oversight to strengthen humane animal care and 

handling practices. The BLM will continue to refine a Comprehensive Animal Welfare 

Program that establishes program-wide standard operating procedures; creates 

universal training requirements; and institutes a Care and Welfare Assessment Tool. 

This auditing system will help the BLM identify areas of emphasis for future training and 

ensure humane treatment of wild horses and burros.

• Promoting Volunteerism in the Management of Wild Horses and Burros. The BLM 

is increasing public engagement by enhancing outreach, recruiting local volunteers and 

organizations to assist in range and herd monitoring and management, and encouraging 

partnerships to increase ecotourism. 

• Continuing Transparency and Openness. The BLM has a fundamental commitment 

to transparency in all facets of the WHB Program. This includes providing public viewing 

opportunities during gather operations and at holding facilities without compromising the 

safety of staff, members of the public, or the animals. The BLM is also committed to a 

proactive public information system that is both accurate and prompt.

Critical Factors

Critical factors affecting the efficiency of the WHB Program include:

• Increased fuel, hay, and pasture costs will continue to affect holding costs;

• Wild horses and burros have few natural predators and herds increase at a rate of 15-20 

percent each year and double in size every four years;

• Current wild horse and burro populations exceed AML in nearly all HMAs (~93 percent) ;

• Existing contraceptive vaccines are only effective for one year. Vaccine applications on 

Western herds have multiple logistical challenges due to varying terrain, wildness and 

the size of both herds and HMAs;

• Adoptions have steadily declined since 2004 which has increased the number of animals 

in high cost short-term holding; 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 60

• Lifetime (estimate of 25 years) care for un-adopted animals in short-term holding is 

approximately $46,000 per animal; and

• Public scrutiny of gather and r emoval methods has increased the visibility of the 

program. The BLM is experiencing increased litigation, correspondence, Freedom of 

Information Act requests and the need to provide additional personnel at gathers to host 

public and media visitation, all resulting in added expenses.

In response to these critical factors, the BLM will conduct removals at a substantially 

reduced level until holding costs can be reduced by maintaining fewer numbers in holding or 

less expensive capacity such as long-term pastures and partnership eco-sanctuaries are 

secured. Removals will primarily occur in response to public health and safety (i.e., animals 

on the highway, in agricultural fields); private land encroachment; and court orders.

Note: Future removal and holding numbers are estimated as of December 20, 2014. 

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM will remove the same number of wild horses and burros from the range as in 

2015 and will continue programmatic and site-specific planning and NEPA analysis to 

implement non-reproductive herds. The Bureau will also conduct population surveys, continue 

implementing the comprehensive animal welfare program, and continue partnerships to 

increase adoptions and reduce short-term holding costs by acquiring less expensive additional

long-term holding contracts and eco-sanctuaries

FY 2013

(ACTUAL)

FY 2014

(ACTUAL)

FY 2015

ENACTED

FY 2016

REQUEST

Enacted Funding ($ in thousands) $71,836 $77,245 $77,245 $80,555

Adoptions 2,671 2,118 2,000 2,000

Animals in Holding (Sep 30) 49,151 48,478 49,040 47,050

Total Removals 4,232 2,158 2,000 2,000

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

80,000

Wild Horse & Burro Funding, Removals, Holding and Adoptions 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 61

The BLM began partial implementation of the recommendations received from the NAS in 2014. 

The bureau will continue ongoing multi-year research studies focusing on the development of 

more effective and longer lasting fertility control agents, techniques for suppressing population 

growth, and det ermining their relative efficacy and ef fects. Population growth suppression 

research trials began in fiscal year 2015 in designated locations and should continue through 

2016. The BLM will continue developing a scientific foundation that will serve as the basis for an 

ecologically and financially sustainable Wild Horse and Burro Program.

Additional planned performance for 2016 includes:

• Reduce holding costs by transferring animals from short-term facilities to newly acquired, 

less expensive eco-sanctuaries and long-term holding contracts;

• Continue research to develop contraception and permanent sterilization methods such 

as spay and neut er, that may include studying the effects on her d genetics, animal 

behavior and rangeland use;

• Continue land use plan revision, herd management area plan development and NEPA 

analysis to develop HMA sustainability plans;

• Continue to conduct USGS recommended population surveys to obtain more accurate 

population estimates;

• Continue applying the most effective population growth suppression methods that are 

supported by sound science;

• Conduct removals, primarily limiting removals to those needed i n response to public 

health and safety issues (i.e., animals on the highway, in agricultural fields); private land 

encroachment; and court orders;

• Increase partnerships with non-governmental organizations and correctional institutions 

to increase the number of trained animals for placement in private care;

• Continue herd management/rangeland health monitoring to support AML evaluation;

• Continue compliance inspections of previously adopted animals;

• Continue to develop and conduct comprehensive animal welfare program training for 

transportation, short and long term holding and adoption events and audits for gathers; 

and

• Continue the maintenance of water developments on public lands.

Wildlife and Fisheries 

Management 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 62

Activity: Wildlife and Fisheries Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Wildlife Management $000 52,338 52,338 +409 -366 +37,000 89,381 +37,043 

FTE 250 250 +0 +20 270 20

Fisheries Management $000 12,530 12,530 +190 -35 +0 12,685 +155 

FTE 85 85 +0 +0 85 +0 

Total, Wildlife & Fisheries $000 64,868 64,868 +599 -401 +37,000 102,066 +37,198 

FTE 335 335 +0 +20 355 +20 

Notes: The Miscellaneous Trust Funds, Wildlife & Fish Conservation and Rehabilitation (Sikes Act) 

current mandatory appropriation is a collaborative activity of the Wildlife program. The 2014 

enacted amount (post-sequester) for Wildlife & Fish Conservation and Rehabilitation (Sikes Act) 

was $0.347 million and the 2015 post-sequester amount is$0.363 million. The 2016 President’s 

budget request for Wildlife & Fish Conservation and Rehabilitation (Sikes Act) is $0.323 million.

More information on these collaborative activities is found in the Miscellaneous Trust Funds 

chapter.

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Wildlife and Fisheries Management activity is $102,066,000 

and 355 FTE, and reflects internal transfers of -$401,000 and 0 FTE and a program change of 

+$37,000,000 and +20 FTE above the 2015 enacted level. 

Activity Description

The Wildlife and Fisheries Management activity maintains and restores fish, wildlife, and their 

habitats by conserving and m onitoring habitat conditions, conducting inventories of fish and 

wildlife resources, and developing cooperative management plans, while providing for 

environmentally responsible recreation and commercial uses. Funding for this program supports 

the staff that develops program policy and projects at all levels within the BLM. Management 

actions emphasize on-the-ground and in-the-water actions that measurably increase the health 

of fish and w ildlife populations to sustain recreational and c ommercial uses that enhance or 

maintain many local economies in the West. In addition, these actions reduce the need to 

Federally list species.

This activity supports Cooperative Landscape Conservation activities and the Healthy 

Landscapes Program by improving the health of watersheds and sustaining biological 

communities. The overall goal of Fisheries Management and Wildlife Management programs is 

to restore and maintain proper functioning conditions in aquatic, riparian, wetland and upland 

systems managed by the BLM, with the goal of providing suitable conditions for biological 

communities to flourish. 

The lands that the BLM manages include numerous wildlife habitat types across a l arge 

proportion of America’s western landscapes, including major portions of all American arid
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 63

ecosystems, including the sagebrush biome, and portions of the Colorado Plateau. The BLM is 

also responsible for managing 15 million acres of short and mid-grass prairies and nearly 55 

million acres of forest and woodland habitats. This habitat includes 43 million acres of elk 

habitat and 131 million acres of mule deer habitat. The BLM manages 23 m illion acres of 

bighorn sheep habitat which include most of the desert bighorn sheep habitat. In addition, the 

BLM's diverse land base includes over 117,000 miles of fishable streams and rivers, over three 

million acres of lakes and reservoirs, and an abundance of wetlands. Because of their isolation, 

BLM lands include many of America’s rarest habitats which support many rare plant and animal 

communities.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 64

Activity: Wildlife and Fisheries Management

Subactivity: Wildlife Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Wildlife Management $000 52,338 52,338 +409 -366 +37,000 89,381 +37,043

FTE 250 250 +0 +20 270 +20

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Wildlife Management: ($000) FTE

Implementation of Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation 

Plans +37,000 +20 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -366 +0 

Total +36,634 +20 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Wildlife Management Program is $89,381,000 and 270 FTE, a 

program change of +$37,000,000 and +20 FTE from the 2015 enacted level. 

Implement Sage-Grouse Conservation 

Plans (+$37,000,000/+20 FTE) – 

Conservation of the Greater sage-grouse 

(GSG), and the sage brush habitat which 

serves over 350 aasociated plant and animal 

species, is a high priority for the Administration 

and the most significant and highly visible 

example of the Department's efforts to 

implement the landscape mitigation strategy 

embodied in Secretarial Order 3303 -- the first 

Order issued by Secretary Jewell. This 

approach represents a new paradigm for 

landscape-level management by the 

Department and is critical to achieving the 

Secretary's goal of demonstrating BLM’s ability 

to achieve both conservation and development 

objectives more efficiently, at less cost, and 

with greater certainty for all interested stakeholders.

The BLM’s GSG conservation strategy requires unprecedented collaboration with other Federal 

land management agencies in order to address a convergence of multiple land use issues that 

will arise from the resource management planning process that is currently underway. The BLM 

is revising or amending 68 Resource Management Plans (RMP) for submission to the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service for their review as a part of the court-ordered timeline for determining if the 

GSG should be listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The 

BLM’s plan revisions and amendments affect 11 States and, when implemented, will require
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 65

significant changes in how the BLM manages public lands across the western United States and 

accelerate transition to landscape-scale management. 

For example, as part of the RMP revision/amendment process for the GSG, in order to minimize 

disturbance to priority habitat areas for the GSG, the BLM is assessing the need to redirect fluid 

minerals development to lands outside of priority conservation areas. The BLM may need to 

institute closures and require that new development be designed to limit or eliminate surface 

disturbance in priority conservation areas, requiring extensive work with current and future lease 

holders across millions of acres of priority GSG habitat. For existing and new development, 

compensatory mitigation measures would be required to ensure that no unmitigated habitat loss 

occurs as a result of development. New methods to monitor and evaluate the success of these 

measures will be necessary in order to ensure compliance for conservation of the GSG. 

For range management, new standards are being considered to meet GSG habitat needs 

during critical periods in the GSG lifecycle. Rearing and brooding areas and winter habitats will 

need to be maintained and restored to ensure greater GSG reproductive success and 

survival. To achieve these outcomes, the BLM will need to significantly improve monitoring of 

grazing allotments and enforcement of range management standards and initiate new 

rangeland habitat restoration efforts. 

 

Fire is widely recognized as the greatest threat to GSG survival in the Great Basin States. In 

keeping with the Department’s emphasis on preventing and suppressing fire on the range, as 

described in Secretarial Order 3336, the BLM has implemented new policies to prioritize fire 

suppression to stem GSG habitat loss. Extensive efforts will be required to work with the 

States, private landowners, and rural communities to develop the capacity to prevent fires 

through improved noxious weed control, establishing and maintaining fire breaks, training 

landowners in fire prevention and suppression techniques, and developing a network of rural fire 

assistance programs to train and equip local volunteers to aid in minimizing future GSG habitat 

loss due to fire across Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and other western States. Finally, more 

work is needed to assess and prioritize areas where post-fire habitat restoration is likely to be 

successful and to implement measures to restore millions of acres of habitat lost due to fire.

The RMP revisions/amendments underway describe habitat restoration needs for more than 27 

priority areas across the geographic range of the GSG to remediate damage to the native plant 

communities used by sage-grouse, thereby increasing their ability to support a healthy, 

sustainable population of this important bird species. 

Through the combination of the efforts at the requested funding level, a scale of habitat 

management achieved would accomplish large scale regional restoration and connectivity at the 

highest levels of both the Great Basin and the Rocky Mountain regions. At this requested 

funding level, the BLM will increase its highly skilled workforce that can respond to short and 

long term needs to manage sagebrush systems that support not only the GSG but many other 

species of concern including birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, and plants in the range 

of the GSG.

The BLM’s habitat restoration and management activities will be closely coordinated with those 

of Federal, State and local partners operating within each of the sage-grouse management 

zones established by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. This coordination 

is essential to the success of the Greater sage-grouse Comprehensive Conservation Strategy. 

Funding will support critical habitat restoration activities on BLM-managed lands including:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 66

Completing extensive land 

treatments, including the removal of 

encroaching conifers, eradication 

and control of invasive weeds, and 

augmenting post-wildfire emergency 

stabilization and rehabilitation efforts 

by reseeding and replanting with 

locally-sourced native plant materials 

on approximately 367,000 acres;

• Restoring and managing 

riparian areas across the 

entire GSG range;

• Conducting prescribed burns, 

fence markings and 

sagebrush thinning; 

• Conducting an inventory of an 

additional 247,000 acres for 

the presence of invasive 

plants and noxious weeds, 

providing information for 

restoration efforts that would 

restore or connect more than 

two million additional acres to 

quality GSG habitat;

• Completing travel 

management plans to facilitate the restoration of priority habitat.

Land treatments completed with this funding will allow for not only improved habitat on nearly 

400,000 acres, but also provide connectivity across more than 2 million acres of land with GSG 

habitat (both private and public domain). The proposed funding will also comprehensively 

address other tools and information gaps to support conservation actions. These include the 

following: radio telemetry studies, noise studies, predator research, and augmentation/relocation 

projects. Many of these will be conducted in partnership with other Federal agencies, State 

agencies and non-government partners.

In conjunction with other programmatic changes in rangeland management, oil and gas 

development, and wildfire management, the restoration of habitats on BLM-managed lands will 

play a major role in conserving the GSG for future generations. Preparation, training, and 

implementation for all these measures, and others, must be fully underway in fiscal year 2016 if 

the GSG Conservation Initiative is to be successful. Funding, as proposed, will provide 

additional certainty with the FWS that the BLM has the resources necessary to ensure that the 

required conservation measures for the GSG can and will be implemented. Should a listing 

occur, the BLM would be required to implement many of these same measures in conjunction 

with each development project within the remaining GSG range to ensure that the BLM’s 

continued management of the public lands will not further threaten the survival of the species.

Transfer to National Monuments & National Conservation Areas (NM&NCAs) (-$366,000/0 

FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to transfer a total of $5.0 million from a variety of MLR 

BLM Planning Units and Sage-Grouse 

Occurrence
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 67

subactivities to the National Conservation Lands. This $5.0 million transfer includes $366,000 

from Wildlife Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial 

resources for systematically incorporating newer units into its funding structure. This transfer 

will create consistency, clarity and a common approach to funding recurring labor and 

operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount 

represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Wildlife Management Program 

Program Components

The BLM is responsible for managing more wildlife habitat than any other Federal or State 

agency. The BLM conducts activities to support healthy and di verse populations of wildlife 

species on behal f of the American people. O ver 3,000 species of wildlife occur on B LMmanaged lands, including big game, upland game birds, and waterfowl, as well as amphibians, 

reptiles and other birds and mammals. Numerous species occur nowhere else in the country 

and, for these, the BLM has an important stewardship responsibility. 

The BLM Wildlife Management Program conserves and restores wildlife habitat as an integral 

part of the bureau’s multiple use and sustained yield mission. Priority program activities include: 

• Developing science-based strategies and c onducting essential conservation actions to 

maintain sustainable populations of sensitive wildlife species;

• Restoring habitats to enhance populations of native wildlife and plants;

• Collecting data to provide a solid foundation for land management planning; and

• Implementing on-the-ground conservation in priority areas which are identified as part of 

a larger, landscape scale strategy in partnership with others.

The BLM manages over half of the remaining sagebrush habitat essential to the survival of the 

Greater sage-grouse. Conserving and r estoring high quality habitat for this iconic Western 

species is key to precluding the need to list the bird under the Federal Endangered Species Act. 

In partnership with the States and other Federal agencies, the BLM has developed the Greater 

sage-grouse Conservation Strategy to address the challenges posed by wildfires, nonnative 

plant encroachment and the conversion of sagebrush habitats to other uses.

The Wildlife Management Program supports the development and application of science-based 

management to reduce the adverse effects of climate change on wildlife and habitats. Working 

with DOI’s network of 22 Landscape Conservation Cooperatives (LCCs) and s ix Climate 

Science Centers, the BLM will engage with other Federal and State agencies, tribal authorities, 

and nonprofit conservation organizations to:

• identify and conserve habitats that are resilient in the face of climate change,

• develop methods to evaluate the ability of working landscapes to store carbon, and

• expand the availability of climate-related resource management training for staff.

Critical Factors

The BLM addresses a number of critical factors and dem ands in its Wildlife Management 

Program. These include the following:

• Wildlife habitat loss and fragmentation continue to occur, resulting in significant declines 

for many wildlife species. 
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 68

• Beyond reducing available surface water and forage for wildlife, drought can have a 

profound influence on wildfire cycles, which can alter habitat conditions over large areas 

for many years. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, over 3.7 million acres 

of sage-grouse habitat have burned since 2012. Restoring sage-grouse habitat after fire 

is a complex and difficult undertaking.

• Authorization of land uses that impact wildlife habitat have significantly increased in 

conjunction with new energy initiatives. 

Means and Strategies

• Since 2010, the BLM has conducted rapid ecoregional assessments (REAs) to address 

the management of wildlife and habitat resources at a scale equivalent to the intensified 

broad-scale land use pressures and associated stressors, including catastrophic wildfire 

and associated degradation and conversion of native vegetation communities, disease, 

as well as the compounding effects of land health stressors. 

• The BLM is working to standardize and i ntegrate data across landscapes and 

jurisdictions to gain a fuller understanding of changes to wildlife populations across 

geographic regions and better coordinate actions to mitigate species decline. 

• In keeping with Secretarial Order 3303, the BLM is developing the tools and directives 

needed to implement compensatory mitigation at broad landscape scales that will be 

designed to offset the unavoidable impacts of public land use on wildlife species and 

their habitats.

• Most species and habi tats present on B LM lands do not occur exclusively on l ands 

administered by the BLM. Additionally, BLM land ownership is not spatially contiguous, 

both at the regional and site scales. Therefore, the BLM works closely with its partners 

across jurisdictional boundaries to ensure that wildlife conservation measures applied on 

BLM lands are effective. As a result, the BLM has:

o Improved coordination and collaboration with important conservation partners, 

including Federal, State, tribal, academia and non-governmental organizations;

o Supported development and i mplementation of standardized wildlife monitoring 

protocols to ascertain population trends across jurisdictional boundaries; and

o Developed standardized regionally-specific habitat management guidelines for 

reptile and amphibian habitats that have been distributed to all BLM field offices;

• Consistent with BLM policy direction, the BLM works closely with State fish and wildlife 

agencies on natural resource issues, particularly in furtherance of State Wildlife Action 

Plans, which establish broad-scale wildlife priorities and identify the species of greatest 

conservation need as well as the habitats necessary for their protection.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 69

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM Wildlife Program will significantly expand its role in implementing the National 

Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Strategy and:

• Conduct an extensive set of sage-grouse conservation activities across 11 States;

• Emphasize wildlife habitat improvements in order to reduce the number of species of 

concern failing to meet objectives, while maintaining a sufficient level of monitoring to 

ensure the effectiveness of those improvements;

• Emphasize performance of actions under agency-endorsed plans for the purpose of 

conserving non-federally listed species to prevent the need f or listing under the 

Endangered Species Act; 

• Accomplish substantial habitat assessment and monitoring to provide an understanding 

of the range and distribution of priority species, to describe existing conditions, and to 

determine if management decisions have been implemented and obj ectives are being 

met; and

• Maintain and enhanc e partnerships with States, non-government agencies, and s ister 

Federal agencies to continue to support rural community economies through game and 

non-game habitat management where the use and appr eciation of these species is a 

high value component of local economies.

Plant Conservation Program

Program Components

Public lands contain a diversity of native plant communities that are the habitats for fish, plants, 

pollinators and wildlife such as the sage-grouse and des ert tortoise. T hese native plant 

communities make up over 50 ecoregions across the BLM and each ecoregion contains native 

plants that have adapted to those environments. The BLM Plant Conservation Program is 

responsible for protecting, maintaining and restoring Western native plant communities and rare 

plants on publ ic lands. The Program provides national leadership in seed collection, seed 

conservation, seed procurement and storage, and nat ive plant materials development/use for 

restoration and rehabilitation of public land. In addition, the Plant Conservation Program is 

responsible for rare plant work.

The Plant Conservation Program consists of the following elements:

• Identifying, evaluating, and protecting rare plants on public lands, including National 

Conservation Lands units; 

• Understanding the effects of climate change on native plant species and native plant 

communities on public land; 

• Developing genetically appropriate native plant materials for restoring and maintaining 

habitat for sage-grouse and other animal and plant species; 

• Providing leadership and i nfrastructure on n ative plant materials development by 

coordinating with all BLM programs and by establishing ecoregional native plant 

programs to ensure locally adapted native plant material needs are met; 

• Providing national leadership for Seeds of Success; 

• Developing seed transfer zones and guidelines;

• Coordinating a national network of seed storage warehouses with environmentally 

controlled conditions to protect our seed investment;

• Monitoring the effectiveness of native plant materials that have been developed; 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 70

• Implementing on-the-ground habitat conservation and r estoration treatments on a 

landscape scale; and

• Enhancing partnerships and volunteer opportunities for plant conservation. 

Seeds of Success is the Bureau’s national seed collection program and is the foundation of the 

native plant materials development process. Over 16,000 native seed collections have been 

made since 2001 w hen Congress directed the BLM to establish a Native Plant Materials 

Development Program. The number of seed collections has remained relatively stable (see 

graph below) except for an i ncrease in 2010, due t o additional funds provided through the 

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

1,012

1,208

1,044 1,058

1,474 1,504

3,335

1,807

1,615 1,585

1,300

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

10 Years of Seeds of Success Collections

For more information on BLM’s Plant Conservation Program please see the following websites: 

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/fish wildlife_and/plants.html

BLM Native Plant Materials Development:

http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/more/fish wildlife_and/plants/1.html

Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program:

http://www.blm.gov/ut/st/en/prog/more/CPNPP.html

Great Basin Native Plant Program:

http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/research/shrub/greatbasin.shtml
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 71

Critical Factors

 

• The effects of landscape health stressors such as drought, disease, catastrophic wildfire, 

and urban growth and development are altering native plant communities across the 

West. As rainfall and temperatures change, native plant species and communities may 

not adapt as fast as the environment changes, thus affecting sage-grouse and other 

species’ ability to survive.

• Healthy, resilient, functioning native sagebrush communities play a significant role in the 

Bureau’s ability to maintain sage-grouse populations in the West. The diversity of native 

forbs and grasses within the sagebrush communities is vital to the survival of sagegrouse. These native plants provide food and shelter for the sage-grouse, especially the 

young chicks.

• Healthy landscapes in the West today are at greater risk due t o more intense and 

extended droughts, increasing wildfire frequency, and c ontinuing migration of invasive 

species. H istorically, resilient Western native plant communities burned on av erage 

once every 40 years; however, with monocultures of invasive plants and dr ought, fire 

frequency is closer to once every five to seven years. Because of these factors, more 

aggressive development of native plant materials are needed for rehabilitation after fire 

and restoration of habitats for fish, plants, pollinators and wildlife

The Plant Conservation Program has made approximately 2,200 native seed collections 

within sage-grouse priority habitat and sage-grouse general habitat. These collections will 

be used to develop genetically appropriate native plant materials for restoration on sagegrouse habitat.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 72 

• Native plant materials, like agronomic crops, take an av erage of 10 to 20 y ears to 

develop as consistent and reliable commercially available seed. Therefore, the BLM 

must plan ahead for native plant materials to be available for landscape level restoration.

• Development of public lands for renewable energy, non-renewable energy, and mineral 

resources requires mitigation efforts to offset loss and f ragmentation of native plant 

communities.

• Spread of invasive terrestrial species requires additional monitoring and treatment to 

prevent degradation of functioning ecosystems and nat ive plant and ani mal 

communities.

Means and Strategies

The Plant Conservation Program coordinates with other BLM programs and pa rtner 

organizations to conserve, protect and restore native plant communities at the landscape level. 

To better achieve program goals and provide improved management of public lands, the Plant 

Conservation Program is working to implement the National Seed Strategy at a l andscape 

scale. In this coordinated effort, the Plant Conservation Program is addressing critical factors 

through multiple activities, including:

• Supporting the Department’s youth education investments and the America’s Great 

Outdoors (AGO) Initiative by employing recent college graduates in the biological and 

environmental sciences, through the Conservation and Land Management Internship 

Program. Over 1,000 recent college graduates have gone through this program.

• Educating America’s youth through the development of a hi gh school curriculum on 

native plants. The BLM will use this model to develop elementary and middle school 

curricula for younger students.

• Supporting the renewable and c onventional energy programs by encouraging use of 

local genotypes and developing native plant materials for use in reclamation 

projects. http://www.blm.gov/wy/st/en/programs/pcp/mgmt.html.

• Identifying national priority focal areas for native plant community conservation and 

restoration, as well as developing native plant materials for management activities at the 

eco-regional scale.

• Coordinating development of native plant materials for restoration with step-down 

strategies developed from the BLM’s landscape approach and implementing restoration 

within Healthy Landscapes focal areas.

• Supporting ecoregional native plant materials development programs, such as the 

Colorado Plateau Native Plant Program, the Great Basin Native Plant Program, the 

Pacific Northwest Native Plant Program, and the Mojave Native Plant Program, to 

develop locally adapted seed for commercial availability. 

• Leveraging Plant Conservation Program funds with other Federal, State, and l ocal 

agencies and NGOs to implement on-the-ground projects and conduct research in native 

plant development and restoration techniques.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, BLM will continue to lead the Interagency Native Plant Materials Development 

Program, including Seeds of Success, Plant Conservation Alliance Federal Committee and 

regional interagency native plant materials development programs in the Colorado Plateau, 

Great Basin, Pacific Northwest, Wyoming Basin and Mohave Desert. These programs will work 

with partners to focus research on native plant materials development and to get more diversity 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 73

of native plant materials to the growers in the various ecoregions.The BLM will implement a 

National Seed Strategy, developed in 2015, which will assess BLM seed use, stabilize BLM 

seed requests, integrate native seed collection across the Bureau, and address seed 

procurement and storage to ensure the highest quality seed for restoration and rehabilitation.

The BLM Plant Conservation Program worked with The Institute for Applied Ecology to develop 

a protocol for working with State prisons to grow locally sourced sagebrush plants to support 

restoration of GSG habitat. A pilot project to produce 20,000 sagebrush plants was established 

in 2014 at the Snake River Correctional Facility in eastern Oregon. The plants grown at this 

facility were planted into a site damaged by wildfire on nearby BLM lands. In 2015, the Plant 

Conservation Program used the protocol and pilot project to address the lack of locally adapted 

sagebrush seedlings for restoration and ex panded the program to four other prisons in the 

Great Basin. This program will continue in 2016.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 74

Activity: Wildlife and Fisheries Management

Subactivity: Fisheries Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Fisheries Management $000 12,530 12,530 +190 -35 +0 12,685 +155

FTE 85 85 +0 +0 85 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Fisheries Management: ($000) FTE

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -35 +0 

Total -35 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Change

The 2016 budget request for the Fisheries Management Program is $12,685,000 and 85 FTE 

and reflects an internal transfer of -$35,000. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (NM&NCAs) (-$35,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM 

proposes to transfer a total of $5.0 million from varous MLR subactivities to the National 

Conservation Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $35,000 will be t ransferred from Fisheries 

Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer 

will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and 

operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount 

represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview

Program Components

The BLM manages three million acres of lakes and 

132,000 miles of rivers, which provide subsistence 

and support internationally famous recreational and 

blue ribbon fisheries, including the Rogue River, Lake 

Havasu and Gunnison Gorge. The economic value of 

recreational fishing on BLM-managed waters alone is 

an estimated $8.8 billion annually and supports 

several thousand jobs.5

The BLM Fisheries Management Program (BLM 

Fisheries) works to protect and restore these 

incredible aquatic resources, including hundreds of 

native fish, aquatic species and their habitats. Often

 

5

2013 BLM Public Lands Statistics, http://www.blm.gov/public_land_statistics/pls13/pls2013.pdf
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 75

this is accomplished in conjunction with private landowners, Federal, State, and NGO partners. 

The BLM Fisheries Management program:

• Designs and implements lake, wetland, stream, and riparian treatments to restore and 

reconnect aquatic habitat on public and private lands;

• Assists and contributes to other BLM program areas to ensure fish, aquatic species and 

their habitats receive full consideration;

• Conducts aquatic resource research, inventory and monitoring to support BLM 

management decisions and assess effectiveness of management actions;

• Leads and par ticipates in efforts to prevent and limit the spread of Aquatic Nuisance 

Species (ANS), including developing education and outreach materials;

• Leads, conducts and provides support for youth employment opportunities activities, and 

promotes and enhances BLM aquatic recreational experiences for veterans; and 

• Establishes Bureau-wide policy, guidance and directives for BLM’s aquatic resources.

Critical Factors

Challenges affecting aquatic resources on BLM lands: 

 

• Climate Change and Other Stressors: Land health stressors, such as those 

associated with climate change, are increasing threats to fish and fish habitat as they 

cause changes to the aquatic habitat on BLM lands. Specifically, drought, changes in 

runoff and flow patterns, reduced stream network connectivity and the increasing risk of 

catastrophic wildfire individually and collectively impact aquatic resources. The effects of 

these land health stressors place a enormous strain on aquatic ecosystems. A greater 

focus on pr oactive conservation of these habitats will be es sential for their long term 

persistence.

• Rewable Energy Development: The priority for developing renewable energy 

(hydropower, wind, solar, and geothermal) as part of the Powering Our Future initiative 

places increasing demands on BLM Fisheries personnel. The program is working to 

ensure sites of high potential for energy development, and the transmission corridors 

linking these sites to the energy grid, are developed in a responsible manner consistent 

with the short and long-term conservation needs of aquatic resources. 

• FERC Relicensing: The licensing and r elicensing of hydropower projects creates a 

significant opportunity to direct the development of license conditions to conserve 

fisheries resources so that Federal trust responsibilities are met for the next 30-50 years. 

It is imperative that the bureau is engaged during these liecensing processes.

• Aquatic Organism Passage (AOP): The program continues to focus on fish-passable 

culvert and br idge replacements. Culvert upgrades or removal reconnect high quality 

habitat for numerous aquatic species. AOP projects have the ability to immediately 

restore natural stream process and return fish to mature, functioning riparian and instream habitats.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 76

The Least Chub...A BLM Fisheries 

Success Story

In August 2014, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service withdrew the least chub from its 

Endangered Species Act candidate list, 

concluding that conservation efforts have 

reduced or eliminated current and future 

threats to the least chub to the point that the 

species is no longer in danger of extinction 

now or in the foreseeable future. 

Cooperative conservation efforts were 

spearheaded by the Least Chub 

Conservation Team, of which BLM-Utah 

was a key member. The BLM provided 

financial and personnel support for least 

chub conservation work and critical on-theground conservation actions, which 

included the management and protection of 

existing populations and their associated 

habitats and replicating populations to new 

• Legacy Roads: Road treatments are addressed to stabilize and reduce catastrophic 

sediment input from historic, poorly planned or failing roads made of soft fill material, 

which cannot adequately pass downstream water or deposits sediment laden runoff 

directly into fish bearing streams. Ponding and failure occurs as the standing water 

upstream overtops or erodes the road, resulting in severe erosion that inundates and 

smothers downstream fish habitat with sediment.

• Invasive Species: BLM Fisheries is responsible for working with State and o ther 

Federal agency partners to develop strategies and programs to combat the ecological 

and economic threats caused by aquatic nuisance species nationwide. BLM Fisheries’ 

role is to minimize the threats from aquatic invasive species, such as the quagga and 

zebra mussel, New Zealand mudsnail, and multiple other plants, vertebrates and 

invertebrates. Aquatic invasive species pose a serious threat to our Nation’s economy as 

well as the viability of native fish 

communities.

 

Means and Strategies

BLM Fisheries is meeting these challenges by:

• Working synergistically with other BLM 

programs to create a lands treatment 

database to document where treatments take 

place on the landscape and the effectiveness 

of those treatments;

• Educating youth about the importance and 

complexity of fisheries and fisheries habitat 

through the expansion of the American 

Fisheries Society’s Hutton Program;

• Working with partners including State 

agencies, universities, non-governmental 

organizations, and National Fish Habitat 

Partnership (NFHP) organizations. 

• Assessing aquatic habitat using Trout 

Unlimited’s modified Conservation Success 

Index methodology. This work is part of the 

on-going Assistance Agreement and will be utilized in BLM watersheds for critical aquatic 

assessments. 

2016 Program Performance

BLM Fisheries will continue to support the bureau’s mission-critical goals of maintaining and 

restoring aquatic-related species and their habitats. In addition to NFHP support, the BLM will 

play a s ignificant role in the identification and i mplementation of these actions. S almon and 

steelhead fisheries resources will remain a pr iority for those geographic areas within the 

migration range. BLM Fisheries will continue to work closely with the Aquatic Nuisance Species 

Task Force, including its Western Regional Panel, the Association of Fish and Wildlife
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 77

Agencies, the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Trout Unlimited, the National 

Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the American Fisheries Society. 

In 2016 t he BLM will build on pr evious efforts to restore and c onserve fisheries and t heir 

habitats on BLM lands across America.

Numerous active fish habitat restoration activities will benefit native fish, including the Jack 

Wade Creek Placer Mining reclamation demo project in Alaska; the Escalante, San Rafael River 

watershed restorations in Utah; Overflow Wetland Pecos Pupfish conservation agreement 

restoration, San Juan River Basin Recovery Implementation Program in New Mexico; and 

Headwaters Forest Reserve-Road Decommissioning and I nstream habitat restoration in 

California. Additional fisheries inventory and m onitoring work will take place and inform 

management decisions via the Gulkana River Subsistence monitoring project in Alaska, and 

Coho salmon monitoring in the Mattole River, California.

Invasive species work is planned in the Paynes Creek wetlands in California. Nationally, the 

BLM plans to continue its Aquatic Invasive Species outreach work with Wildlife Forever. The 

program’s invasive species prevention messages reach four million people annually through a 

successful advertising campaign in Western fishing and hunting regulation books. 

The program continues to work with irrigators and f armers in the Bear River Basin, in Utah, 

Wyoming, and Idaho on one of the most successful fish passage programs in the country. It is 

one of the largest scale Trout Unlimited-BLM projects (600 mile river crossing three states), 

Over the last nine years, we have reconnected 151 miles of critical migration corridors, linking 

tributary and m ain stem habitats by removing fish passage barriers, installed over 35 f ish 

passage structures to restore upstream access to critical spawning and r earing habitats in 

headwater tributaries. The prime fishery result is the return of large migratory Bonneville 

cutthroat trout across the drainage.

 

During 2016, the program will continue the ongoing 22-year old Maggie Creek Watershed 

Restoration effort near Elko, Nevada. Chosen as national model for watershed restoration 

efforts everywhere under the National Fish Habitat Initiative, the project so far has restored 82 

miles of stream, 2,000 acres of riparian habitat, and 40,000 acres of upland watershed in the 

Maggie Creek basin. The most important fishery result has been the return of Lahontan 

cutthroat trout to 23 miles of stream where they were formerly extirpated.

Community service and outreach activities will be ac complished through partners including 

FishingCommunity.org and Project Healing Waters Veterans activities in Arizona, Alaska, 

Florida, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, and Washington DC; fishing day events throughout 

BLM field offices; and Cosumnes River Preserve and R edding Environmental education and 

outreach efforts in California. Fi nally, program efforts in 2016 w ill add to the successful 23-

year cooperative conservation partnership with Trout Unlimited to reconnect, restore and

sustain critical fisheries habitat and populations throughout the West.
Threatened and 

Endangered Species 

Management 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 78

Activity: Threatened and Endangered Species 

Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Threatened & Endangered 

Species

$000 21,458 21,458 +305 -196 +0 21,567 +109

FTE 152 152 +0 +0 152 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Threatened & Endangered Species: ($000) FTE

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -196 +0 

Total -196 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Threatened and Endangered Species Program is $21,567,000 

and 152 FTE, and reflects an internal transfer of $196,000.

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (NM&NCAs) (-$196,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM 

proposes to transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National 

Conservation Lands. Of the $5.0 million, $196,000 will be transferred from Threatened and 

Endangered Species Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had t he 

financial resources to undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding 

structure. This transfer will create consistency, clarity and a common approach to funding 

recurring labor and operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The 

transfer amount represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the 

National Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview

The primary goal of the Threatened and E ndangered (T&E) Species Program is to recover 

Federally-listed species and preclude the need to list candidate species. The program also 

provides support for conservation of non-listed, rare plant species. The long-term program 

vision is to achieve species recovery so that protection under the Endangered Species Act 

(ESA) is no longer required and to implement conservation programs for Bureau sensitive plants 

and Federal candidate species so that listing under the ESA is unnecessary.

Program Components

Over 420 species listed under the ESA occur on BLM-managed lands. Furthermore, over 110 

candidate species warranting Federal protection are found on BLM lands. BLM-managed lands 

are recognized as prime habitat for over 1,000 rare plant species and provide the only known 

habitat for more than 450 species of rare or listed plants and animals. 

The BLM’s successful conservation of these species requires implementation of the following 

tasks: 

• Cooperative planning with other stakeholders in the preparation of recovery plans and 

development of conservation strategies for targeted species
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• Implementing actions identified in species conservation and recovery plans; 

• Conducting inventories for newly listed, proposed and candidate species; and,

• Monitoring species populations to determine if objectives identified in species conservation 

and recovery plans are being met.

Critical Factors

The number of Federallylisted species is steadily growing due to increasing conflicts with 

resource use and the compounding impacts of fire, drought, and climate change. The BLM is 

committed to prevent extirpation of these species on BLM-administered lands and to further 

recovery and conservation of Federally-listed and candidate species. 

Means and Strategies

The BLM Threatened and Endangered Species Recovery Fund awards approximately $1.0 

million annually, on a c ompetitive basis, to recovery actions that culminate in a del isting or 

down-listing of a Threatened or Endangered species or precludes the need to list a candidate 

species. This Recovery Fund has supported significant species recovery efforts in the field, but 

BLM’s recovery successes extend well beyond the funding associated with this initiative. 

Through the tireless efforts of BLM biologists, the invaluable partnerships that they cultivate, 

and the leveraging of funds from many different sources, the program has achieved a number of 

successes in species conservation. I n 2014, seven Candidate Species were precluded from 

listing, in large part, due to the BLM's conservation efforts. For instance, the U.S Fish and 

Wildlife Service (FWS) announced that arctic grayling in Montana were deemed unwarranted for 

Federal listing. To date, the BLM has contributed approximately $250,000 towards grayling 

restoration efforts in South West Montana. Funds have been used to conduct population 

monitoring, restore riparian areas, install riparian fencing as well as help with grayling reintroduction efforts in the Upper Ruby River drainage. The FWS also withdrew least chub from 

the candidate list and concluded that conservation efforts have reduced or eliminated current 

and future threats to the fish. The BLM's participation was notable because three of five 

naturally occurring populations of the fish are on BLM-managed public lands. Finally, the FWS 

determined that Churchill Narrows buckwheat and Las Vegas buckwheat in Nevada did not 

warrant protection under the ESA. 

The benefits of the Recovery Fund have been recognized by other Federal agencies. The BLM 

is currently working with USFWS, FS, NPS, and other Federal agencies in analyzing species 

occurence data, to strategically identify species which can be recovered through cooperative 

efforts. This endeavor will greatly increase the program’s ability to recover and conserve T&E 

species and t heir habitats beyond jurisdictional boundaries. The targeted investment in 

recovering species meets a desired goal of sustainability and ecological integrity of BLM lands 

and also shifts focus from reacting to regulatory obligations to serving as proactive stewards of 

the land.

Cooperative Landscape Conservation Initiative 

The Cooperative Landscape Conservation Initiative and the BLM’s Healthy Landscapes 

program will help the T&E Program assess, manage, and provide for the conservation of 

Federally-designated species in light of impacts such as drought, wildfire, and invasive species 

encroachment. E coregional assessments and Landscape Conservation Cooperative efforts 

provide a l andscape approach to addressing the health, resilience and i ntactness of
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ecosystems. The T&E Program provides support for these initiatives by assisting with the 

development of rapid eco-regional assessments; listed species occurrence, distribution and 

critical habitat data on BLM lands; and collaborating with both intra and interagency outreach 

efforts.

Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative

The T&E Program implements on-the-ground projects that either have an educ ational or 

outreach component to engage local youth or employ youth in conservation activities. The T&E 

Program will continue to hire recent college graduates in the biological sciences as part of the 

Chicago Botanic Garden’s Conservation and Land Management Internship Program.

America’s Great Outdoors

The T&E Program offers key criteria in selecting projects within the America’s Great Outdoors 

initiative. The National Conservation Lands is an integral network of biologically diverse, wide 

ranging landscapes and ecosystems. Of the Federally protected species and r are plants that 

occur on B LM lands, 155 s pecies occur only within designated units of the National 

Conservation Lands. An additional 114 species have at least 50 percent of their populations 

represented on National Conservation Lands. The National Conservation Lands are integral to 

threatened and endangered species conservation and recovery. The T&E Program will continue 

to support and implement management actions within the National Conservation Lands that 

benefit listed species or their habitat.

Program Collaboration and Partnerships 

The range of most of the listed species found on BLM lands includes lands and waters not 

administered by the agency. The recovery of listed species requires management at the 

population or metapopulation scale, regardless of jurisdiction lines. Extensive collaboration and 

cooperation with a number of partners, including other agencies and organizations, is therefore 

an integral element of the T&E Program. Conservation collaborations typically begin with the 

development of recovery plans, written under the leadership of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS) or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). Implementation of recovery 

actions identified in these plans typically involves collaboration with such partners as State fish 

and game, other Federal, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). 

An example of this collaboration is the BLM’s participation in 

the Black-Footed Ferret Recovery Implementation Team 

Executive Committee. Members include: the FWS, the U.S. 

Geological Survey, the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest 

Service, The Wildlife Society, The Nature Conservancy and 

several other NGOs and Federal and State Agencies. Efforts 

include the development of a sylvatic oral plague vaccine to 

protect ferrets and their prey, the prairie dog, against plague 

infection. The BLM continues to offer assistance in providing locations to implement the safety 

and efficacy trials for the vaccine’s use in the field. T he BLM also continues to increase its 

involvement in identifying appropriate areas where prairie dog expansion or re-colonization can 

take place and identifying potential sites for black-footed ferret reintroduction
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Compliance and Consultation

In addition to recovery planning and implementation, consultation under Section 7 of the ESA is 

a significant BLM endangered species management responsibility. Under the ESA, the BLM 

must consult with the FWS or the NMFS whenever it determines that an action it authorizes, 

funds, or carries out may affect a listed species. The BLM completes approximately 600 formal 

and informal consultations annually under Section 7 of the ESA. The monitoring, inventory, and 

recovery of Federally-listed species, supported by the T&E program, offer many benefits to 

other BLM priority portfolio programs such as energy development, mineral extraction, range 

management, horse and burro, forestry, and recreation. The inventory and m onitoring 

information collected informs the consultation process, and t he recovery efforts for Federallylisted and candidate species bolsters the resiliency of the species on the ground, which may 

accommodate more opportunities for multiple use. 

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM T&E Program will:

• Continue to emphasize the completion of recovery tasks as identified in species recovery 

plans;

• Continue to focus on the program’s primary goal of completing actions that lead to species 

recovery with support from the Threatened & Endangered Species Recovery Fund;

• Continue to document the program’s accomplishments and efforts towards species recovery 

through the Special Status Species Tracking System, a reporting system developed by 

BLM’s National Operation Center;

• Continue to inventory and monitor habitat on the millions of BLM acres where Federallylisted species are known or suspected to occur; and

• Continue to leverage additional dollars, equipment, and labor from Federal and non-Federal 

partners with shared T&E species recovery objectives.
Recreation 

Management 

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Activity: Recreation Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Wilderness Management $000 18,264 18,264 +295 +0 +0 18,559 +295 

FTE 146 146 +0 +0 146 0

Recreation Management $000 48,697 48,697 +654 -1,615 +9,115 56,851 +8,154 

FTE 372 372 +0 +5 377 5

Total, Recreation 

Management

$000 66,961 66,961 +949 -1,615 +9,115 75,410 +8,449 

FTE 518 518 +0 +5 523 5

Justification of 2016 Program Change

The 2016 budget request for the Recreation Resource Management Activity is $75,410,000 and 

523 FTE, and reflects an internal transfer of -$1,615,000 and a program change of +$9,115,000 

and +5 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Activity Description

The Recreation Management Activity supports efforts to: 

• Provide resource-related recreational opportunities for a wide range of activities;

• Furnish quality visitor services;

• Provide a diversity of recreation facilities, visitor centers, and competitive activities;

• Identify and protect wilderness values;

• Assure that the public receives fair market value for any commercial ventures conducted 

on public lands; and

• Collect recreation use and entrance fees in the best interest of the general public.

These responsibilities are encompassed by the Bureau’s strategic goal to provide opportunities 

for environmentally responsible recreation.

The Recreation Management Activity provides:

• Recreation planning and visitor use monitoring;

• Trails, access, and rivers management including off-highway vehicle, public access, and 

comprehensive travel and transportation management;

• Visitor services, information, interpretation and stewardship education;

• Visitor health, safety, and accessibility for persons with disabilities;

• Recreation facility design, operation, and maintenance including visitor centers;

• Recreation and community support partnerships including tourism and marketing;

• Wilderness management in the National Conservation Lands; and

• Support to partnerships, volunteers, and youth programs.

 
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Activity: Recreation Management

Subactivity: Wilderness Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Wilderness Management $000 18,264 18,264 +295 +0 +0 18,559 +295

FTE 146 146 +0 +0 146 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budg et request for the Wilderness Management Program is $18,559,000 and 146 

FTE.

Program Overview

The Wilderness Management Program is a part of the BLM National Conservation Lands. The 

BLM’s 15-year National Conservation Lands strategy supports the bureau’s multiple-use 

mission by ensuring that management efforts are focused on conservation, while allowing for 

compatible uses, consistent with the designating legislation of the concerned wilderness area. 

In addition to conservation, the strategy emphasizes continued collaboration, public 

involvement, and youth engagement. Engaging local communities to help them foster a sense 

of shared stewardship and pride in their local wilderness is a key part of the Wilderness 

Management Program. The program also contributes to the Department of the Interior’s Youth 

in the Great Outdoors Initiative by providing abundant opportunities for recreation, education, 

volunteerism, and work experience.

For more information on the National Conservation Lands Strategy, visit the BLM website 

at: http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/info/newsroom/2011/september/NR_09_30_2011.html

The BLM is required to meet legal requirements for administering the Wilderness Management 

Program while also conserving, protecting, and restoring National Conservation Lands values in 

the 222 Wilderness Areas (8.7 million acres) and more than 520 Wilderness Study Areas (12.7 

million acres) under BLM management as defined below:

• Wilderness Areas are undeveloped Federal lands designated by law to be managed to 

protect their wilderness character as defined by the Wilderness Act of 1964. These 

designated areas are generally large, natural, and undeveloped landscapes that offer 

outstanding opportunities for solitude or primitive and unconfined types of recreation.

• Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) are roadless areas that contain wilderness 

characteristics and a re protected to maintain those characteristics until Congress 

designates them as Wilderness Areas or releases them for non-wilderness uses. 

The Wilderness Management Program focuses on the protection and conservation of 

wilderness and N ational Conservation Lands values with the following activities:
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• Monitoring and preserving wilderness character;

• Managing use and encouraging appropriate wilderness uses; 

• Monitoring and managing for noxious weed infestations, trespass activities, and recreation; 

and 

• Restoring impacted areas such as trampled vegetation and eroded soil caused by 

unauthorized off-highway vehicles (OHV) travelling cross-country. 

The National Wilderness Preservation System includes all Wilderness Areas managed by the 

U.S. Forest Service (USFS), the BLM, the National Park Service (NPS) and the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service (FWS). It does not include BLM’s WSAs. The BLM is unique in that the vast 

majority of its Wilderness Areas and WSAs are located in delicate desert environments; this 

adds an i mportant ecosystem component to the National Wilderness Preservation System. 

Millions of people visit these areas annually either on their own or through the hundreds of 

permitted commercial outfitters that assist the public in enjoying these unique lands. This use 

provides significant economic impact to local communities and hel ps to sustain the natural 

heritage of their wilderness landscapes.

The Wilderness Management Program frequently addresses challenges associated with 

unauthorized uses such as illegal OHV use, which result in the degradation of wilderness 

character. Managing the wilderness resource requires collaboratively managing these assets 

as part of the larger landscape. A fter a Wilderness Area is designated, the BLM typically 

spends the first three years marking and mapping the boundary, and providing visitor services 

such as maps and other public information. Subsequent management includes acquiring inholdings from willing sellers, restoring wilderness character where needed, engaging in land use 

planning and m onitoring, implementing wilderness management plans, and providing visitor 

services. BLM staff engage in land use planning to prepare management plans for Wilderness 

Areas to guide long-term management and pr otection of wilderness character. These plans 

raise public awareness and understanding of the National Conservation Lands, promote 

stewardship of BLM-managed land, and provide for the use and enjoyment of these lands by 

present and future generations.

Program Emphasis Areas

Preserving Wilderness Character 

Preserving wilderness character is at the heart of the BLM’s responsibility to protect its 

Wilderness Areas for future generations. An interagency strategy for monitoring trends in 

wilderness character across the National Wilderness Preservation System outlines a uni fied 

approach for collecting data and will allow the identification of trends in wilderness character 

quality across all wilderness-managing agencies. The protocol developed to monitor and 

describe trends in the quality of wilderness character will eventually enable the BLM to establish 

a meaningful measure with verified baseline data, which will ensure that the BLM preserves 

wilderness character as required by the Wilderness Act. 

During 2015, the BLM expects to continue gathering baseline data for each of its 222 

Wilderness Areas. The BLM will then use this information to make meaningful, efficient 

management decisions to maintain or improve wilderness character.

Enhancing Scientific Knowledge

BLM Wilderness Areas play a critical role in increasing scientific knowledge about a wide array 

of management challenges. The need for scientific research and i nformation grows as new 
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issues are identified, including the effects of drought, climate change, and ot her landscape 

stressors on species habitat and migration corridors. Improved, higher-resolution satellite 

imagery and aerial photography aid in the monitoring of Wilderness Areas and WSAs. The BLM 

is also enhancing the role of science partnerships in wilderness management and collaborating 

with partners to help manage its Wilderness Areas as a part of larger landscapes.

Developing Partnerships and Engaging People and Communities

Developing partnerships in wilderness stewardship is an important aspect of managing 

Wilderness Areas and W SAs and a llows the BLM to leverage limited resources to achieve 

management goals. The Wilderness Management Program benefits greatly from a volunteer 

force that provides thousands of hours of resource monitoring in addition to materials and 

transportation for specific projects. The BLM has established nearly 100 formal and informal 

partnerships to facilitate wilderness stewardship activities. Typical examples of work performed 

by partners in Wilderness Areas and WSAs include building and maintaining trails, eradicating 

and monitoring for invasive species, interim management monitoring of WSAs, and reclaiming 

and restoring affected areas to create more-natural environments. The BLM has developed a 

Memorandum of Understanding with the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance, a national 

organization that is coordinating the establishment of partners and friends groups to assist in 

wilderness stewardship in the National Wilderness Preservation System. Many of these groups 

have strong ties to local communities and can help foster a sense of shared stewardship and 

pride in their local wilderness. 

Connecting Landscapes by Working Collaboratively

The Wilderness Management Program benefits greatly by working collaboratively with several 

crosscutting BLM programs and ot her agencies to achieve larger landscape-scale goals. 

Projects that manage wildlife, fire, weeds, and rangeland resources routinely benefit wilderness 

resources and assist the BLM in meeting its legal requirements. By establishing connections 

across boundaries with other jurisdictions; other Federal, State and local agencies; and private 

conservation lands, the BLM complements and supplements the management of these areas, 

allowing the BLM to manage the Wilderness Areas under its jurisdiction as a part of these larger 

landscapes and strengthening the resilience of all areas.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM plans to monitor its 222 Wilderness Areas and will continue routine monitoring 

of its more than 520 WSAs to ensure the BLM is protecting those areas’ wilderness 

character. Due to competing program priorities, the BLM was not able to complete collection of 

baseline wilderness character data for all of its Wilderness Areas by the end of 2014. Since 

establishing this baseline is essential to implementing the interagency strategy for monitoring 

trends in wilderness character, the BLM will develop an i nterim performance measure that 

assesses the percentage of BLM Wilderness Areas for which the agency has collected baseline 

data. Having a completed baseline will allow the BLM to begin to identify trends in wilderness 

character quality using a protocol common to all four wilderness-managing agencies. 

In addition, BLM’s efforts to update existing wilderness characteristics inventories will continue 

to be a priority workload in 2016. As the BLM prepares to update several land use plans in the 

next few years, it will be nec essary to have high-quality, up-to-date inventories of lands with 

wilderness characteristics in order to ensure the success of these plans. This workload will 

entail providing training for agency staff responsible for conducting inventories of lands with 

wilderness characteristics, and considering such lands in the land use planning process. The 
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training will conform to BLM Manual 6310—Conducting Wilderness Characteristics Inventory on 

BLM Lands, and BLM Manual 6320—Considering Lands with Wilderness Characteristics in the 

BLM Land Use Planning Process.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 88

Activity: Recreation Management

Subactivity: Recreation Resources Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Recreation Management $000 48,697 48,697 +654 -1,615 +9,115 56,851 +8,154

FTE 372 372 +0 +5 377 +5

 

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Recreation Management: ($000) FTE

National Recreation Strategy +6,615 +5 

Youth in the Great Outdoors +2,500 +0 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -1,615 +0 

Total +7,500 +5 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Recreation Resources Management Program is $56,851,000 

and 377 F TE. This reflects program increases of +$9,115,000 and +5 FTE and internal 

transfers of -$1,615 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level. 

National Recreation Strategy – Connecting with Communities(+$6,615,000/+5 FTE) – The 

requested increase will allow the BLM to implement its National Recreation Strategy, which 

aligns the resources of the BLM’s Recreation & Visitor Services Program with the desired 

outcomes of local communities, businesses, and other service providers to increase delivery of 

benefits to the recreating public and r efines program objectives to achieve recreation-tourism 

outcomes that communities value most, while capitalizing on t he inherent advantages of the 

BLM’s unique recreation brand. In 2016, the program will address safety needs, provide better 

signage and i nterpretive exhibits, improve accessibility standards at 26 B LM Visitor Centers, 

and implement the Mountain Bike Action Plan with national partners. 

Funding will also be used for an interactive national level map; a site specific webpage design 

that features recreation information; and static, printable PDF maps showing recreation facilities 

and amenities. T hese products will have a consistent look and f eel, operate on a v ariety of 

platforms, including mobile networks, and w ill provide consistent and accessible information 

across all BLM recreation sites and units of the National Conservation Lands with information 

about each site and available recreation.

Youth in the Great Outdoors (+$2,500,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes a $2.5 

million increase for the Secretary’s Youth Initiative in the Recreation and V isitor Services 

program. Funding will allow the BLM to expand efforts to educate, engage, and employ young 

people. Special consideration will be given to those programs that provide youth from diverse 

backgrounds with hands-on learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and M athematics 

(STEM), and prepare them for careers in STEM fields. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$1,615,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes 

to transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 89

Lands. Of the $5.0 million, $1.6 million will be transferred from Recreation Resources 

Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer 

will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and 

operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount 

represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview 

Public lands managed by the BLM provide some of the most diverse outdoor recreation 

opportunities on Feder al lands in the western U.S. The Bureau’s Recreation and V isitor

Services Program oversees a br oad and c omplex set of recreation related and s ocial 

management activities and programs.

The Recreation Management program is responsible for the following components: 

• Recreation Planning – Evaluating and as sessing a wide range of social, economic, and 

recreational uses of public lands through the land use planning (LUP) process. Recreation 

Area Management Plans are prepared to implement LUP decisions in designated recreation 

management areas. 

• Travel and Transportation Management – Determining public and resource use access 

needs through the LUP process. The BLM travel and transportation management planning 

process establishes designations and restrictions for all modes of transportation including 

motorized and non-motorized uses. 

• Visitor Safety – Providing opportunities for safe recreational activities for the public, as well 

as, to educate and encourage safe behavior.

• Facility Management and Accessibility – Providing daily operation and r outine 

maintenance of over 3,650 recreation sites and 380 Special Recreation Management Areas, 

including campgrounds, picnic and day use areas, visitor centers, waysides and k iosks, 

watchable wildlife sites, historic buildings and lighthouses, trailhead access points, and 

thousands of miles of rivers and trails. As communities near public lands grow in the West, 

visitation and dem ands for new trails and v isitor service facilities increase each year. I n 

addition to operating facilities, the BLM is responsible for ensuring facilities and programs 

meet accessibility standards for persons with disabilities. 

• River Management – Managing over 500 segments and about 9,000 miles of 

floatable/boatable rivers and l akes along with associated issues related to water quality, 

permitting, education and interpretation, visitor safety, enforcement patrols, and resource 

management. Of these floatable/boatable rivers and lakes, 320 segments and 6,600 miles 

have significant recreational value. A portion of the funds for river management also serves 

the needs of Wild and Scenic Rivers, managed by the National Conservation Lands 

(reference NCL write-up).

• National Scenic & Historic Trails – Monitoring over 4,500 miles of 10 National Historic 

Trails and i s responsible for over 600 m iles of three National Scenic Trails. (For more 

information, reference the National Conservation Lands activity).
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• Hunting, Fishing, and Shooting Sports – Implementing important provisions of Executive 

Order 13443, Facilitation of Hunting Heritage and Wildlife Conservation, which directs 

agencies to facilitate the expansion and enhanc ement of hunting opportunities and the 

management of game species and their habitat.

• Youth – Overseeing components of the Bureau’s Youth in the Great Outdoors initiative, a 

significant component of the President's America's Great Outdoors initiative. T he 

Recreation program also oversees the Take It Outside program to promote outdoor activities 

for kids. The BLM will continue to promote healthy and active lifestyles and better engage 

the next generation as public land stewards for natural resource conservation.

• Visual Resources – Analyzing, managing, and ensuring protection of visual resources to 

maintain valued landscape aesthetic character.

• Recreation Permits, Fees, and Commercial Leases – Reviewing, implementing, and 

monitoring over 3,200 special commercial and competitive recreation permits and over 

800,000 individual use authorizations for special areas each year. The BLM also provides 

oversight and accountability for the recreation permit, fee, and commercial lease program. 

• Public Outreach, Stewardship and P artnerships – Promoting and s upporting 

partnerships, volunteerism and stewardship to enhance recreational and educational 

experiences for visitors and public land users. The BLM is working with community leaders 

and networks of service providers to manage recreation opportunities that the public wants 

and that will bring economic benefits to local communities. The Bureau is also partnering 

with veterans and di sabled sportsmen’s groups to ensure access to recreational 

opportunities.

• Visitor Information – Providing visitor information and services including maps, websites, 

interpretation and environmental education. Enhancing the quality and consistency of 

baseline visitor and r esource data by conducting inventories and implementing visitor use 

monitoring systems to improve understanding of the full range of social, economic and 

community resource values and enhance decision making capabilities.

• Cave Management – Overseeing cave and karst (an irregular limestone region with 

sinkholes, underground streams, and caverns) resource management policies and program.

• Customer/Visitor Service Satisfaction Surveys – Measuring success in providing quality 

visitor services through an annual survey. The BLM continues to maintain scores of above 

the 90 percent range in customer satisfaction in providing recreation program visitor services 

and facilities to its customers.

Critical Factors

The primary critical factors impacting the Recreation Program are:

• Urban Growth: As communities near public lands grow in the West, visitation and 

demands for new trails and visitor service facilities have increased each year. There are 

over 132 million acres of BLM-managed land in the western U.S. within 50 miles of an 

urban area with a population of 50,000 or greater.

• Public Demand: Visitation to public lands has increased from 51 million visitors in 2001 

to 61 million in 2014

• Public Access Conflict: Off-highway vehicle (OHV) use on public lands continues to 

increase. The BLM addresses travel and t ransportation planning as well as OHV
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management and restoration needs through Travel Management Plans and the 

Resource Management Planning process. In response to the increased OHV use, the 

BLM is implementing a comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach in developing 

travel management plans and i mplementing actions to address the demand for public 

services, ensure public health and safety, protect natural and cultural resources, and 

reduce use conflicts. 

• Public Safety and R esource Protection: Increasing urbanization and motorized 

activities have resulted in law enforcement personnel spending significant resources on 

OHV, urban interface and border-related enforcement activities.

Means and Strategies

The primary means and strategies utilized in the Recreation Program are:

• Visitor Data: Improving baseline visitor and resource data by conducting inventories 

and implementing visitor use monitoring systems.

• Travel and Public Access Management: Balancing off-highway vehicle access and 

use with resource protection and public access needs by updating and implementing 

comprehensive travel management plans;

• Visitor Information and Education: Expanding visitor information delivery and quality 

by improving signing and websites, and developing travel maps.

• Visitor health, safety and accessibility: Ensuring and enhancing visitor health and 

safety and improving access for the disabled by conducting recreation facility condition 

assessments and fixing problems or hazards.

• Permits and Use Authorizations: Regulating uses by issuing and monitoring recreation 

use permits and al locating use for commercial, competitive, organized, and individual 

uses within specially designated areas.

• Accountability and transparency: Improving accountability and effectiveness by 

issuing recreation special permits, conducting fee program and fee site business 

practices assessments, and conducting audits and program evaluations.

• Visitor Use Monitoring: Protecting resources, improving services, and enhancing the 

quality of recreational experiences by monitoring visitor use and satisfaction, as well as 

monitoring vehicular use and their impacts on resources.

• Partnerships and Public Service: Reducing operational costs by emphasizing the use 

of volunteers and pr oviding extensive public service opportunities. The r ecreation 

program has been particularly successful in engaging volunteers, accounting for almost 

half of the entire Bureau’s volunteer hours and nearly doubling the seasonal recreation 

workforce to serve visitors, maintain facilities and restore resources.

2016 Program Performance 

The public lands attract millions of visitors each year that are economic engines for local 

communities across the West. In 2014, 61 million recreational visits to Federal public lands and 

waters generated over $5.5 billion in economic outputs, and s upported over 42,000 jobs. In 

2016, the BLM will invest in the programs that support recreational visits, build strong 

partnerships, and create the maximum potential for recreation benefits to local communities. 

The additional funding would allow the BLM to implement the National Recreation Strategy with 

the following priority areas:
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 92

Backyard to Backcountry: More than 120 urban centers in the western United 

States and thousands of rural towns are located within 25 miles of BLM lands, 

according to data from the 2010 census. Although many in the past have viewed 

this intermingling of public lands with State, county, and private lands as a 

weakness, this ready accessibility to public lands creates a unique recreationtourism product, a distinctive niche in the Federal recreation marketplace that offers 

a competitive advantage. 

Typically, the BLM has engaged with recreation partners when opportunities have 

presented themselves for specific activities. The National Recreation Strategy would 

move the Bureau away from a reactive approach to these partnerships and would 

devote the necessary resources to making sustained efforts to identify and develop 

outcome-focused partnerships with community networks of service providers as a 

matter of good business. Partnership in community networks will also help the BLM 

focus on its recreation brand and develop systematic plans that maximize the most 

significant shared benefits, without trying to be “all things to all people.
Energy and Minerals 

Mangement 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 93

Activity: Energy and Minerals Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Oil & Gas Management(1) $000 80,877 53,183 +867 -11 +5,632 59,671 +6,488 

FTE 595 347 +0 -16 331 -16 

Oil & Gas Permit 

Processing from Fee 

Collections

$000 32,500 32,500 +0 +0 -25,375 7,125 -25,375 

FTE 275 275 +0 -234 41 -234 

Onshore Oil & Gas 

Inspection Activities (2)

$000 [38,000] 41,126 +0 +0 +6,874 [48,000] +6,874 

FTE [265] 270 +0 +15 285 +15 

Coal Management $000 9,595 9,595 +173 +0 +1,100 10,868 +1,273 

FTE 66 66 +0 66 +0 

Other Mineral Resources $000 10,586 10,586 +193 +0 +1,100 11,879 +1,293 

FTE 82 82 +0 +0 82 +0 

Renewable Energy $000 29,061 29,061 +295 +0 +0 29,356 +295 

FTE 144 144 +0 +0 144 +0 

Total, Energy & Minerals 

Management

$000 130,119 143,551 +1,528 -11 -26,169 118,899 -24,652 

FTE 1,162 1,184 +0 -520 664 -520 

(1): 2014 and 2015 Oil and Gas Management FTE include 275 FTE paid for with APD fees. See Oil and Gas Management subactivity table and chapter for 

details.

(2): The 2016 budget proposes to shift the cost of inspections to inspection fees, which are estimated to generate $48.0 million.

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for current appropriations for the Energy and Minerals Management 

activity is $118,899,000 and 664 FTE, a program change of -24,652,000 and -520 FTE from the 

2015 enacted level. These net changes reflect increases in other funding sources available to 

the program under separate authorizing legislation and from proposed new fee revenues. The 

budget assumes an additional $48,000,000 in funding resources would be available to the Oil 

and Gas Program through proposed oil and g as inspection fees. I n addition, as a r esult of 

recent changes included in the National Defense Authorization Act for 2015, an es timated 

$56,495,000 in mandatory funds in the Oil and G as Permit Processing Improvement Fund 

would also be available to the Oil and Gas Program. All told, total funding resources available 

to the Oil and Gas Program in 2016 is estimated to be $171.3 million, or $29.1 million above the 

2015 estimate. See the Oil and Gas Management subactivity for more details.

Activity Description 

Energy and mineral resources generate the highest revenue values of any uses of the public 

lands from royalties, rents, bonuses, sales, and fees. In 2014, onshore Federal lands produced 

41 percent of the Nation’s coal, 40 percent of the Nation’s geothermal capacity, 11 percent of 

domestic natural gas, and five percent of domestically-produced oil. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 94

The goal of the Oil and Gas Program is to provide access to oil and gas where appropriate, and 

to manage exploration and development activities in an environmentally sound way. 

Coal is used to generate approximately 46 percent of the Nation’s electricity. The electric power 

sector (electric utilities and independent power producers) accounts for about 90 percent of all 

coal consumed in the U.S. and is the driving force for the Nation’s coal consumption. 

The BLM provides other minerals needed t o support local infrastructure and ec onomic 

development. Demand is increasing globally for non-energy solid minerals such as potassium, 

phosphate, sodium, and potash. Other important mineral resources produced from public lands 

include uranium, gold, silver, gypsum, sodium, building stone, sand, and gravel. T he BLM 

processes sales and i ssues permits for mineral materials such as sand, gravel, stone, and 

clays, which are essential to maintenance and construction of roads and buildings, including 

those used by the BLM to fulfill its land management objectives.

The Renewable Energy Management Program is responsible for processing right-of-way 

applications for wind and solar energy, overseeing geothermal energy leasing and development, 

and prioritizing transmission development associated with renewable energy production.

Geothermal energy development was historically managed as part of the Oil and Gas 

Management Program. Funding for geothermal leasing and development was transferred from 

the Oil and G as Management Program to the Renewable Energy Program in 2013 a s 

management oversight of renewable energy development was consolidated into a s ingle 

program. The BLM has the delegated authority for leasing 249 million acres of Federal land 

(including just over 100 million acres of National Forest land) with geothermal potential.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 95

Activity: Energy and Minerals Management

Subactivity: Oil and Gas Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Oil & Gas Management $000 80,877 53,183 +867 -11 +5,632 59,671 +6,488

FTE 595 347 +0 -16 331 -16

Oil & Gas Permit 

Processing from Fee 

Collections

$000 32,500 32,500 +0 +0 -25,375 7,125 -25,375

FTE 275 275 +0 -234 41 -234

Oil & Gas Inspection 

Activities

$000 [38,000] 41,126 +0 +0 +6,874 48,000 +6,874

FTE [265] 270 +0 +15 285 +15

Subtotal, Oil & Gas 

Program $000 113,377 126,809 +867 -11 -12,869 114,796 -12,013

FTE 870 892 +0 -235 657 -235

Less Offsetting Fees 

(Permit Processing and 

Inspection $000 -32,500 -32,500 +0 +0 -15,500 -48,000 -15,500

FTE -275 -275 -10 -285 -10

Total, Oil & Gas Mgmt $000 80,877 94,309 +867 -11 -28,369 66,796 -27,513

FTE 595 617 +0 -245 372 -245

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Oil & Gas Management: ($000) FTE

Encourage Smart Development through MLPs +5,757 +0 

Enhance Capability of Pilot Offices +3,000 -16 

AFMSS Modernization +4,000 +0 

Reduction - Shift base funding for Permitting -7,125 +0 

Increase Inspection Capacity +6,874 +15 

Shift Cost of Inpsection to Fees -48,000 +0 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -11 +0 

Total -35,505 -1 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 96

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The Oil and Gas Management subactivity table above has been expanded to show all current 

appropriations and offsetting fees requested for the Oil and Gas Program. This includes a 

separate line for Oil and Gas Inspections Activities for comparison of this funding relative to the 

budget presentation in the 2015 appropriations support table. These funding resources are 

further augmented by an estimated $56.9 million in permanent appropriations authorized by the 

National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2015. The total of all these funding resources 

represents a $29. 1 million, or 20 per cent, increase for BLM’s Oil and Gas Program over the 

2015 level. T he permanent funding is deposited into BLM’s Permit Processing Improvement 

Fund and is further discussed in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter.

The 2016 budget request for the Oil and Gas Management subactivity is $59.7 million, and 331 

FTE, a program change of +$5.6 million and -16 FTE and an internal transfer of -$11,000 and 0 

FTE from the 2015 enacted level. The request for current appropriations includes an additional 

$7.1 million (and 41 FTE) that will be covered by the 15 percent of APD fees authorized by the 

National Defense Authorization Act of 2015. This $7.1 million in requested appropriations, plus 

the 85 percent of APD fees permanently appropriated by the NDAA (estimated at $40.4 million 

and shown in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter) replace the $32.5 million in APD 

offsetting collections provided in the 2015 appr opriations bill. D ue to the availability of this 

mandatory funding, total discretionary program resources requested for the Oil and Gas 

program, including fee-based funding, is $114.8 million, a program decrease of -$12.9 million 

from the 2015 enacted level. The budget proposes to offset this request with $48.0 million in 

Other Resources Supporting Oil & Gas Management:

2014 

Actual

2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 

2015

Energy Act Permit Processing Fund $000 14,066 15,418 56,495 +41,077

FTE 155 155 430 +275

Energy and Minerals Cost Recovery $000 5,399 5,160 5,160 +0

FTE 22 22 22 +0

Abandoned Wells Remediation 

Fund

$000 10,000 36,000 0 -36,000

FTE 0 0 0 +0

Notes: 

- Energy Act Permit Processing Fund amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from 50 percent of rents from 

onshore mineral leases for oil and gas, coal, and oil shale on Federal lands; Section 365 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 

(Public Law 109-58) appropriates these funds on a permanent basis. More information on Energy Act Permit Processing 

Fund is found in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter

- Energy and Minerals Cost Recovery amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from fees that include costs of 

actions such as environmental studies performed by the BLM, lease applications, and other processing related costs; 

Independent Offices Appropriations Act (IOAA), as amended (31 USC 9701), Section 304(a) of the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 USC 1734) appropriates these funds on a current basis. More information on 

Energy and Minerals Cost Recovery is found in the Service Charges, Deposits, & Forfeitures chapter

- Abandoned Wells Remediation Fund amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from General Fund; Section 349 

of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58), as amended by Public Law 113-40, the Helium Stewardship Act of 

2013 (42 USC 15907) appropriates these funds on a permanent basis. More information on Abandoned Wells Remediation 

Fund is found in the Abandoned Wells Remediation Fund chapter

- Amount in 2014 and 2015 for Energy Act Permit Processing Fund and Abandoned Well Remediation Fund shown net of 

sequestration

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year for Abandoned Wells Remediation Fund are found in President's Budget 

Appendix under the BLM section
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 97

offsetting fees for a net total of $66.8 million for Oil and Gas Management. Following are the 

individual program change descriptions.

Master Leasing Plans (+$5,757,000/0 FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes an increase 

of nearly $5.8 million to fund the development of oil and gas master leasing plans (MLPs) that 

are currently in process or are scheduled to begin in 2016. The BLM typically prepares MLPs in 

areas where the BLM anticipates high interest for leasing and there are potential conflicts with 

other natural resources. The MLPs build upon Resource Management Plan decisions by 

providing a more focused and detailed analysis, including an analysis of optimal lease parcel 

configurations and potential development scenarios; identifying and addressing resource 

conflicts and as sociated environmental impacts; and i dentifying mitigation strategies and 

constraints. Through the MLP process, the BLM analyzes and resolves these issues prior to 

conducting lease sales; therefore, the MLPs will provide oil and gas operators increased 

regulatory certainty when obtaining and developing lease parcels. The requested funding will 

be used to complete or begin MLPs within the BLM Utah, New Mexico, Colorado, and Wyoming 

State offices.

Enhance Capacity of Oil and Gas Pilot/Project Offices (+$3,000,000/+25 FTE) – In addition 

to authorizing APD fees for 2016 through 2026, the NDAA also permanently extends BLM 

access to mineral lease rent revenues deposited in the Permit Processing Improvement Fund, 

which have been a significant source of funding for the BLM Pilot Offices established under the 

Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 2005. U nder EPAct, BLM’s access to these mandatory rent 

revenues was set to expire at the end of fiscal year 2015. T he budget estimates that $16.1 

million in rental receipts will be deposited in the PPIF in 2016, an increase of $702,000 over the 

2015 estimate. Given the heavy workload and i ncreasing need for the BLM to support 

increased domestic oil and g as production, the budget proposes to not only sustain, but 

enhance the capacity of current and future oil and gas pilot/project offices with an addi tional 

$3.0 million in requested current appropriations. Current funding levels for pilot offices and 

other energy-intensive district and field offices have not kept pace with the increasingly timeconsuming and complex work associated with processing current APDs. The requested funding 

will help the BLM reduce the backlog of APDs, address stronger wellbore integrity needs 

through implementation of the hydraulic fracturing regulation, and allow the BLM to address the 

complexities related to longer horizontal well completions. Thi s will require better technical 

knowledge, training and a need to replace departing engineers due to retirement or other career 

moves. The goal of the added program capacity is to accelerate the processing times of APDs 

and other use authorizations.

Automated Fluid Minerals Support System Modernization (+$4,000,000/0 FTE): The 2016 

budget request includes an increase of $4.0 million to complete the final phase of the 

information technology modernization project to update the 19-year old Automated Fluid 

Minerals Support System (AFMSS). T he AFMSS system is used for the collection, 

management, and s haring of information on aut horized use of fluid minerals (e.g. oil, gas, 

geothermal and helium), including the issuance of drilling permits and collection of inspection 

and enforcement data across Federal and Indian onshore operations. The new system will 

automate workflows to be consistent with BLM standards and will minimize the need for manual 

data entry, thereby improving data quality. The first phase of the project, automating the Notice 

of Staking and A PD processes, has been i mplemented as a pi lot and w ill be i mplemented 

throughout the Bureau in 2015. In FY 2015, the BLM will also complete the second stage of the 

project, which will phase out the current system and automate the collection of inspection data 

via tablet computers. The funding increase of $4.0 million requested as part of the FY 2016 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 98

President’s Budget will be used for completing the final phase that will automate processes not 

supported by the current system, allowing BLM employees to gather and evaluate a wider range 

of information in a m ore efficient manner. A FMSS is used by other bureaus including the 

Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Forest Service, and Interior’s Office of Natural Resources 

Revenue. T he BLM plans to make use of the lessons learned from its modernization of the 

AFMSS and c ontinue to coordinate with these bureaus, the Department’s Chief Information 

Officer, and other bureaus and offices to ensure that related systems are fully integrated and 

sharing data where possible. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$11,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $11,000 will be transferred from Oil and Gas Management 

Program. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to undertake a 

systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer will create 

consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and operational costs 

across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount represents the 

amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National Conservation Lands in 

recent years.

Oil and Gas Permit Processing from Fee Collections (net change of -$25,375,000/-234 

FTE) – As noted above, Section 3021 (d) of the National Defense Authorization Act, 2015 

amended the Mineral Leasing Act to authorize APD fees in 2016 through 2026 and to 

permanently appropriate the majority of these fee revenues in order to process applications for 

permits to drill (APDs). As a result, the offsetting collection currently provided in the annual 

appropriations language is no longer required in 2016. The NDAA sets the APD fee at $9,500 

(to be adjusted annually for inflation), an increase of $3,000 over the current $6,500 per APD 

fee set in the 2015 appropriations act. The budget estimates that the $9,500 APD fee will 

generate $47.5 million in revenues in 2016. For FYs 2016 t hrough 2019, the NDAA 

permanently appropriates only 85 percent of this amount (estimated at $40.4 million in 2016), 

leaving the other 15 per cent of fee revenues subject to appropriation. As noted above, the 

budget request for current appropriations includes the remaining $7.1 million, or 15 percent, in 

estimated APD fee revenues. The net change of -$25.4 million reflects the difference between 

the $32.5 million provided in offsetting collections in 2015, and a c urrent appropriation of $7.1 

million in 2016 that will be covered by the 15 percent of APD fees proposed to be appropriated 

as part of the 2016 Interior appropriations bill.

Oil and G as Inspection Activities (Net program change of +$6,874/+15 FTE): The 2016 

budget request proposes to institute new onshore oil and gas inspection fees to cover the costs 

of BLM’s inspection activities and reduce the net cost to taxpayers of operating BLM’s oil and 

gas program. The estimated $48.0 million in collections generated from the inspection fees will 

reduce the need for direct appropriations for the program by -$41.1 million while also providing 

for an i ncrease of $6.9 million above the amount appropriated in 2015 for this critical BLM 

management responsibility. The increased funding is aimed at correcting deficiencies identified 

by the Government Accountability Office in its February 2011 report, which designated Federal 

management of oil and gas resources, including production and revenue collection, as high risk. 

The BLM will also complete more environmental inspections to ensure environmental 

requirements are being followed in all phases of development. The fees are similar to those 

already in place for offshore operations. Proposed appropriations language to implement the 

fees is included in the proposed General Provisions for the Department of the Interior, and is 

shown below for convenience.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 99

 SEC. 114. (a) In fiscal year 2016 the designated operator of each lease on Federal or Indian 

lands, or each unit and communitization agreement that includes one or more Federal or Indian 

leases, that is subject to inspection under 30 U.S.C. 1718(b), and that is in force at the start of 

fiscal year 2016 shall pay a nonrefundable inspection fee that the Bureau of Land Management 

(BLM) shall collect and deposit in the ‘‘Management of Lands and Resources’’ account.

(b) Fees for 2016shall be:

(1) $700 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with no active or 

inactive wells, but with surface use, disturbance or reclamation;

(2) $1,225 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with 1 to 10 

wells, with any combination of active or inactive wells;

(3) $4,900 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with 11 to 50 

wells, with any combination of active or inactive wells; and

(4) $9,800 for each lease or unit or communitization agreement with more than 

50 wells, with any combination of active or inactive wells.

(c) BLM will bill designated operators within 60 days of enactment of this Act, with 

payment required within 30 days of billing.

(d) If the designated operator fails to pay the full amount of the fee as prescribed in this 

section, BLM may, in addition to utilizing any other applicable enforcement authority, 

assess civil penalties against the operator under 30 U.S.C. 1719 in the same manner as 

if this section were a mineral leasing law as defined in 30 U.S.C. 1702(8).

Legislative Changes 

Federal Oil and Gas Reforms - The 2016 budget includes a package of legislative reforms to 

bolster and bac kstop administrative actions being taken to reform management of Interior's 

onshore and offshore oil and gas programs, with a key focus on improving the return to 

taxpayers from the sale of these Federal resources and on i mproving transparency and 

oversight. Proposed statutory and administrative changes fall into three general categories: (1)

advancing royalty reforms; (2) encouraging diligent development of oil and gas leases; and (3) 

improving revenue collection processes.

Royalty reforms include evaluating minimum royalty rates for oil, gas, and similar products, 

adjusting the onshore royalty rate, analyzing a pr ice-based tiered royalty rate, and repealing 

legislatively-mandated royalty relief. Diligent development requirements include shorter primary 

lease terms, stricter enforcement of lease terms, and m onetary incentives to get leases into 

production through a new per-acre fee on nonproducing leases. Revenue collection 

improvements include simplification of the royalty valuation process, elimination of interest 

accruals on company overpayments of royalties, and permanent repeal of Interior's authority to 

accept in-kind royalty payments. Collectively, these reforms will generate an 

estimated$2.5 billion in revenue to the Treasury over 10 years, of which approximately $$1.7 

billion will result from statutory changes. Many States will benefit from higher Federal revenue 

sharing payments as a result of these reforms.

Repeal Geothermal Payments to Counties - The Administration proposes to repeal Section 

224(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. Prior to passage of this legislation, geothermal 

revenues were split between the Federal government and States, with 50 percent directed to 

States, and 50 percent to the Treasury. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed this distribution 

beginning in 2006 to direct 50 percent to States, 25 percent to counties, and for a period of five 

years, 25 percent to a new BLM Geothermal Steam Act Implementation Fund. The allocations 

to the new BLM geothermal fund were discontinued a year early through a provision in the 2010 

Interior Appropriations Act. The repeal of Section 224(b) will permanently discontinue payments 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 100

to counties and restore the disposition of Federal geothermal leasing revenues to the historical 

formula of 50 percent to the States and 50 percent to the Treasury. This results in estimated 

savings of $4.0 million in 2015 and $47 million over ten years.

Program Overview 

Program Components

The BLM’s Oil and Gas Management Program is responsible for providing access to onshore 

energy resources in an environmentally responsible manner. The BLM manages approximately 

47,000 Federal onshore leases scattered across 34 S tates – these leases typically generate 

over $3.0 billion in revenues each year. In addition, BLM manages operations on roughly 4,500 

oil and gas leases on behalf of tribes and individual Indian mineral owners. 

 

The primary components of the program are the leasing phase, the well permitting phase, and 

oversight of operations including inspections and enforcement of ongoing operations as well as 

reclamation and abandonment activities. A nother important function is the BLM’s Fiduciary 

Trust Responsibility to Indian Tribes. 

During FY 2014, the BLM placed priority on conducting inspections of high-priority wells, and on 

addressing the recommendations of the Government Accountability Office and DOI’s Office of 

the Inspector General. The BLM is also in the process of completing final regulations that would 

govern the use of hydraulic fracturing techniques on Federal and Indian lands. 

Specific activities include:

Leasing

• Conduct oil and gas lease sales, primarily across the West and in Alaska, consistent with 

land use plans and requirements for public participation; and

• Administer existing oil and gas leases and process post-lease actions such as assignments, 

operating rights, mergers, bonds, unit and communitization agreements, and terminations of 

leases. 

Permitting

• Process oil and gas APDs and subsequent modifications of the permits, by evaluating and 

prescribing conditions for both the subsurface and surface operations. 

• Maintain an inventory of 5,900 valid approved APDs ready for industry to drill.

Inspection Activities

• Inspect existing oil and g as authorizations, roughly 32,000 annually; determine the 

adequacy of operators’ financial bonding, with a review of risk factors to weigh potential 

liability; and evaluating well inventories in the field to address inactive wells. The BLM uses 

a risk-based inspection strategy and is focused on inspecting 100 percent of the high priority 

wells, as designated by BLM’s risk-based inspection strategy.

• Inspect producing oil and gas wells and ensure proper reporting of production. 

• Take enforcement actions to ensure compliance with terms and conditions of leases, APDs, 

and other authorizations. This includes compliance with environmental conditions and 

identifying Drilling Without Approval or trespass wellbores.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 101

• Approve reservoir management agreements to provide for the orderly development of oil 

and gas fields. 

• Evaluate oil and gas fields for drainage (fluid minerals on Federal land removed through a

well on adjacent private land), and taking administrative actions, if necessary, to protect 

Federal mineral interests. 

• Protect the environment by plugging and r eclaiming orphan oil and g as wells drilled by 

previously existing oil and gas companies; remediating the Alaska Legacy Wells originally 

drilled by the Federal Government (U.S. Navy and U.S. Geological Survey); and ensuring 

plugging of the shallow coalbed methane wells in the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. 

Fiduciary Tribal Trust Responsibilities

• Carry out trust responsibilities by managing operational activities on approximately 3,700 oil 

and gas leases for Indian Tribes and individual Indian allottees.

• Provide technical advice on leasing and operational matters to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, 

Indian Tribes, and individual Indian mineral owners.

High Risk Program Designation and Other Program Recommendations

In a February 2011 report, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) designated Federal 

management of oil and gas resources, including production verification and revenue collection, 

as high risk because the Department of the Interior did not have reasonable assurance that it 

was collecting its share of revenue from oil and gas produced on Federal lands; continued to 

experience problems in hiring, training, and r etaining sufficient staff to provide oversight and 

management of oil and gas operations on lands and w aters; and w as engaged in a broad 

reorganization of both its offshore oil and gas management and revenue collection functions. 

The BLM takes seriously the observations and recommendations of the GAO and OIG, and has 

taken a num ber of steps to improve program effectiveness in these areas, although some of 

these activities were limited by the decrease in funding in FY 2012 and 2013. T he BLM is 

implementing recommendations of the GAO to correct and i mprove the inspection and 

enforcement program and continue oversight guidance to coordinate across office boundaries. 

An internal control review conducted by the BLM is assisting in this effort. The objective is to 

provide accurate and c omplete data in the records, plus provide oversight that the data is 

sufficient to ensure orderly development and ac counting of the Nation’s finite energy mineral 

resources.

Inspection Activities

The BLM performs several different types of oil and gas inspections in an effort to ensure that 

the American people receive the benefit of the natural and mineral resources on their lands and 

to ensure that those resources are managed in an environmentally responsible manner. With 

higher funding levels provided in 2014, the BLM focused on c ompleting the high priority 

production inspections, as determined by the risk-based strategy, and as much of the lower 

priority inspections as the residual funding would allow. These high-priority cases account for 

about 13 percent of the total wells, but more than 60 percent of the oil and gas produced on 

Federal and Indian mineral estates. The BLM’s inspection workload has risen due to increases 

in the number of active wells.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 102

Production Inspections 

The BLM conducts inspections on production facilities to ensure that equipment, practices and 

procedures are in accordance with the regulations, Orders and any applicable approval 

documents. Historically, the BLM has conducted two categories of production inspections: high 

production case inspections required by the Federal Oil and G as Royalty Management Act

(FOGRMA) and other production inspections. The FO GRMA requires the BLM to perform at 

least one inspection annually at each lease site producing or expected to produce significant 

quantities of oil or gas in any year.

In the past, the BLM prioritized leases to ensure that the leases were inspected based on 

production levels (i.e., FOGRMA high-production leases were inspected first). In FY 2011, the 

BLM initiated a risk-based strategy for prioritizing production inspections to improve upon this 

system. The BLM plans to expand this risk-based strategy to the other types of inspections as 

soon as the BLM develops risk factors to track in AFMSS, the inspection activity database. The 

risk-based strategy will help the BLM maximize the use of a l imited inspection staff to better 

meet its inspection goals and requirements in the future. The BLM will continue to recruit and 

train new inspectors in order to be able to meet its minimum inspection requirements going 

forward and more effectively target inspection resources to meet other inspection goals 

established by BLM policy. The BLM also will continue to use qualified natural resource 

specialists to conduct environmental inspections and i mprove reclamation practices that 

minimize disruptions and impacts to habitat and to enable the certified petroleum engineering 

technicians to concentrate on production verification inspections.

The BLM conducted 2,483 high-priority production inspections in 2014. The BLM focus on high 

priority production reduced overall coverage for other inspection types, including drilling 

inspections and l ow priority production cases. The BLM has developed the risk-based 

inspection priorities for FY 2015. These priorities again include achieving 100% of all highpriority production as well as other high priority designated inspections, including idle well, 

drilling, abandonment, workover and environmental inspections. 

Drilling Inspections

The BLM conducts time sensitive inspections on wells at key points during the well drilling, with 

an emphasis on witnessing high priority drilling cases first. The goal of the inspections are to 

ensure that equipment, practices, and pr ocedures comply with applicable regulations, orders, 

notices, lease stipulations and conditions of approval. 

Abandonment Inspections

The BLM conducts abandonment inspections to witness the plugging of oil and g as wells to 

ensure wellbore integrity and zonal isolation of underground formations, with an emphasis on 

high priority abandonment cases. These inspections are also time sensitive and include 

depleted producing wells or newly drilled dry holes. 

Workover Inspections

The BLM inspects workover operations on existing wells that are producing, or nearly depleted 

and service wells. T he goal of the inspections is to ensure that equipment, practices, and 

procedures are in accordance with the conditions of approval.

Environmental Inspections

Natural Resource Specialists, Environmental Scientists, or other resource program specialists 

(wildlife biologists, archaeologists, etc.) typically perform BLM environmental inspections. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 103

Environmental inspections include inspection of reclamation efforts, erosion control measures, 

topsoil stockpiling, well location, access road, pit construction and us e, spills, water disposal 

methods, containment systems for production tanks and s urface hazards. E nvironmental 

inspections also include inspections to ensure abandoned locations are properly reclaimed and 

post approval inspections look specifically at surface environmental impacts. They do no t 

include onsite inspections conducted prior to the APD being approved. The BLM identifies the 

high priority environmental cases for inspection emphasis. 

Records Verification Inspections

The BLM uses records verification inspections to review production records and compare them 

to production reports sent to the Office of Natural Resources Revenue. These inspections may 

not require additional review with onsite visits.

Undesirable Event Inspections

The BLM conducts undesirable event inspections when spills or accidents occur on an oi l and 

gas lease. 

Alleged Theft Inspections

When an al leged theft of production is reported to a B LM Field Office by an operator or the 

public, the BLM conducts an alleged theft inspection.

Idle Well Inspections

The BLM conducts idle well inspections of wells that have had zero production reported for the 

previous 7 y ears. These inspections may result in orders to the operator to perform specific 

actions. 

The table below shows a breakout of inspections completed in 2011-2014 and those estimated 

for 2015 and 2016.

Inspections Completed and Estimated

FY 2011

Completed

FY 2012

Completed

FY 2013 

Completed

FY 2014 

Completed

FY2015 

Estimated

FY2016 

Estimated

Production 

Inspections

1. High-Risk Cases1 2,606 2,148 2,083 2,483 1,750 1,750

2. Other Production 4,938 5,126 3,330 3,749 5,050 5,250

Total Production 

Inspections 7,544 7,274 5,413 6,232 6,800 7,000

1. Drilling Inspections 1,963 1,951 1,396 1,456 1,500 1,550

2. Abandonment 

Inspections 1,100 1,268 1,325 997 1,000 1,000

3. Workover 

Inspections 345 417 337 272 400 400

4. Environmental 

Inspections 19,371 20,171 19,691 17,690 19,000 19,500

5. Record Verification 

Inspections 2,430 3,023 3,451 3,379 3,500 3,600

6. Undesirable Event 

Inspections2 476 467 385 605 400 400
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 104

7. Alleged Theft 

Inspections2 4 0 0 0 0 0 

8. Idle Well 

Inspections N/A N/A 1,257 1,171 1,000 1,050

Total Other 

Inspections 25,689 27,297 27,842 25,570 26,800 27,500

Total Inspections3 33,233 34,571 33,255 31,802 33,600 34,500

1

In 2011, the BLM instituted a risk-based strategy for production inspections. This category consists of wells and leases that meet 

BLM’s high-risk criteria. Based on this strategy, each year’s list of required high-risk cases is determined based on the previous 

year’s history. For this reason, the actual quantity of required high-risk inspections cannot be determined until the previous year is 

complete. The FY 2015 and F Y 2016 estimated numbers are based on assuming the BLM completes 100% of required high-risk 

inspections

2

These inspections are conducted on an as-needed basis.

3 This table combines inspections on cases and inspections on individual wells. 

Note: FY2014 saw a Federal shutdown loss of available time impacting nearly 3 weeks of operation (over 1500 inspections lost). 

FY 2015 reflects the proposed added inspection capacity.

Critical Factors

The primary critical factors impacting the program are:

• As production activity increases, the BLM must increase the number of oil and gas 

inspections and i ncrease efforts to ensure appropriate accountability of production 

volumes across the over 23,500 producing leases.

• An expanded well inventory and more complex operations require the BLM to have more 

vigilance to provide compliance credibility and ensure public safety as well as protection 

of other natural resources, including important species and habitat conservation.

• The BLM faces challenges with technical employee recruitment, training, and retention, 

as current staff retires and the program competes with higher salaries often offered by 

private industry and other agencies. T he BLM is assessing a r ange of options for 

addressing these recruitment and retention challenges. As a m eans of attracting and 

retaining qualified employees, the BLM has utilized pay differential authority for 

petroleum engineers and petroleum engineering technicians, as provided in the 2014 

Omnibus Appropriations Act and is working with OPM on a l onger-term administrative 

solution for priority positions. 

• Automation of activities in the new AFMSS, especially inspections, will increase the 

productivity of BLM staff. In addition, providing modern tools and capabilities will support 

recruitment and retention.

• The BLM must review and analyze environmental documents which include increasingly 

complex environmental issues and s ophisticated field operations; impacts, and 

mitigation plans for land use plans, lease sales, APDs, and s ubsequent production 

operations.

• The BLM responds to Freedom of Information Act requests, protests, appeals, and 

litigation which limit the staff availability to complete the comprehensive adjudication of 

leases and permits.

• Proper documentation of well operations from 93,500 active wells in the AFMSS 

database and official paper files remains a challenge especially as most of the tracking 

program was built in 1997. The BLM is improving AFMSS to automate all post-lease 

activities, including the automation of all data on operations and inspections.

• Constrained program funding and key senior staff losses in recent years dampened 

program progress and i mpeded BLM’s ability to maintain critical coverage with staff, 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 105

travel and training. In FY 2014, the Federal Government shutdown impacted nearly three 

weeks of operation.

Performance Measures

The BLM consistently tracks the number of inspections completed to ensure that oil and g as 

production on public land is carried out in an environmentally responsible manner while 

generating a fair revenue return for the American people. 

The BLM is using a Strategic Plan measure that tracks the percent of leases where production 

verification has occurred. The new measure will compare the total number of cases against the 

number of production and records verification inspections completed on those cases annually. 

Prior to the establishment of this measure, the BLM tracked the number of inspections 

completed on both wells and cases using the total number of required inspections as a baseline. 

The older measure was ineffective in two ways. First, a single case may have multiple wells 

and therefore the denominator may have been under-inclusive in that it combined what should 

have been multiple units into a single unit and, conversely, the measure may have also been 

over-inclusive in that it included multiple wells when only a single "case" inspection was carried 

out. S econd, the numerator included all inspections, while the denominator only included 

required inspections, this resulted in multiple years in which more than 100 percent performance 

was reported since required inspections is a subset of total inspections. 

Processing of Applications for Permit to Drill

The complexity and unit cost of processing APDs has grown in recent years, with more down 

hole and surface resources analysis, and the need to address protests and appeals from 

interest groups. The BLM received 5,316 APDs in 2014. BLM approval times have increased 

or remained high due to the increased complexity of resource issues analyzed in environmental 

documents, in addition to industry turnover of their permitting specialists. The BLM has worked 

with operators to improve the quality and c ompleteness of submitted packages. The new 

AFMSS NOS/APD module should facilitate submittal of more complete APDs as well as speed 

the BLM review process.

As shown on t he table below, the number of approved APDs available for industry drilling is 

expected to remain strong at 5,800 annually.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 106

APDs: Pending, Received, Approved, Processed and Available to Drill

= 2011 

Actual

2012 

Actual

2013 

Actual

2014 

Actual 2015 

Estimated

2016

Estimated

Total APDs pending at 

start of year 4,580 4,108 3,683 3,546 4,121 4,021

New APDs received 4,728 5,240 4,757 5,316 5,000 5,000

APDs approved 4,725 5,009 4,472 4,389 4,600 4,800

Total APDs processed 5,200 5,861 4,892 4,924 5,200 5,400

APDs pending at year 

end 4,108 3,683 3,546 4,121 4,021 3,621

APDs approved, waiting 

to be drilled 7,226 6,960 6,711 5,919 5,700 5,500

APDs pending at the end of the year are a snapshot at that point in time and do not account for permits that remain in process at the 

end of the fiscal year.

The chart below illustrates the relationship between the prices for oil and gas and leasing and 

permitting activity from 2004-2014. Leasing and permitting demand is significantly influenced by 

oil and gas prices.

$0

$20

$40

$60

$80

$100

$120

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Thousands

Leases Issued Each Year APDs Approved

Natural Gas ($s Per MCF) Xs 10 Oil - ($s Per Barrel)

New Leases Issued 

New Drilling Permits Approved

In Relation to Commodity Prices 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 107

BLM Onshore Leasing Reforms

Onshore fossil fuels will continue to make an i mportant contribution in fulfilling the Nation's 

energy needs, but development of these resources needs to be conducted responsibly. In May 

2010, the BLM finalized several reforms to its oil and g as program to improve environmental 

protection of important natural resources on publ ic lands while aiding in orderly leasing with 

measured and bal anced development of these resources. The reforms establish a more 

rigorous, open, consistent, and environmentally sound process for leasing and developing oil 

and gas resources on public lands. These reforms and parcel screenings (including a boots-onthe-ground view of resource concerns for each parcel) helped to reduce potential conflicts that 

can lead to costly and time-consuming protests and litigation of leases. The BLM also shifted 

some resources away from leasing during recent years given the reduced program funding in 

2012 and 2013, and the pressing need t o cover existing inspection responsibilities for the 

47,000 onshore leases. Nonetheless, the BLM hosted 26 lease sales in 2014.

Under the reformed leasing policy, the BLM will expand upon efforts to: 

• Engage the public and s takeholders in the development of MLPs prior to leasing in 

certain areas with important environmental resource values and where new oil and gas 

development is anticipated. The intent is to fully consider other important environmental 

resource values before making a decision on leasing and development in an area; and

• Ensure potential lease sales are fully coordinated, both internally and externally, 

including public participation, and interdisciplinary review of available information, as well 

as on-site visits to parcels prior to leasing when necessary to supplement or validate 

existing data.

In June 2014, the BLM issued its first MLP, the Beaver Rim MLP, as part of the revision of the 

Lander Resource Management Plan. The Beaver Rim MLP was designed to promote smart 

planning, with the help of a wide range of stakeholders. This MLP balances development of oil 

and gas minerals with protection for important natural and cultural resources, such as habitat for 

elk and mule deer and important archaeological sites. Several BLM field offices are developing 

MLPs in their current RMP efforts.

2016 Program Performance 

The percentage of leases with approved APDs is expected to increase slightly due to an overall 

decrease in the number of active leases. The percentage of APDs processed is expected to 

reach 55 per cent, a s light increase from previous levels. The percentage of producing fluid 

mineral cases that have a completed inspection is expected to decrease in 2015 as the BLM

continues focus on select high priority inspection cases.
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Activity: Energy and Minerals Management

Subactivity: Coal Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Coal Management $000 9,595 9,595 +173 +0 +1,100 10,868 +1,273

FTE 66 66 +0 +0 +0 66 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Coal Management: ($000) FTE

Mineral Tracking System +1,100 +0 

Total +1,100 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Coal Management activity is $10,868,000 and +66 FTE, a 

program change of +$1,100,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level

Mineral Tracking System (+$1,100,000/0 FTE): The 2016 budget request includes an increase 

of $1.1 million in the Coal Management program. This increase, combined with the request for 

a $1.1 million increase in the Other Minerals Resources Management program, will be used to 

develop the Mineral Tracking System (MTS). The funding for the MTS will be used to support 

the automation and tracking of licenses, leases and permitting as well as inspection activities, 

including production verification, associated with coal and other solid mineral commodities (e.g. 

phosphate, sodium, potassium, etc.). Similar to the BLM’s modernization of its Automated Fluid 

Minerals Support System (AFMSS), the MTS is intended to enhance the overall management of 

very complex solid mineral commodity permitting and leasing regimes. This complexity is due in 

part to the number of different mineral commodities, the different extraction technologies, and 

the breadth of laws and regulations governing their management. The BLM has successfully 

completed a pilot effort of the MTS system for the coal program in its Utah and Wyoming offices, 

and with the additional funding, the BLM can make the system available for all permitting, 

leasing, inspection and other activities for the coal and other solid mineral commodity programs 

across the BLM. When fully developed, the MTS will be used by the BLM to track leases, 

licenses and inspection activities, and by Interior’s Office of Natural Resources Revenue, to 

track its production verification activities. The system will help the BLM respond to various 

Government Accountability Office and the Office of Inspector General audit recommendations. 

The BLM plans to make use of the lessons learned from its modernization of the AFMSS and 

continue its work and coordination with the Department’s Chief Information Officer, other 

bureaus and offices to ensure to the extent possible, related systems are fully integrated and 

sharing data. 

Program Overview

Program Components

The BLM is responsible for leasing the Federal mineral estate on approximately 700 million 

acres. Over the last decade (2004-2013), 46 percent of the Nation’s electricity was generated 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 110

using coal. D uring this same period, more than 41 per cent of that coal was produced on 

Federal lands managed by the BLM. 

The BLM’s coal program consists of approximately 309 Federal coal leases and 474,025 acres 

under lease. During the last decade:

• Over 4.54 billion tons of coal were produced from Federal leases with a total value of $58.6 

billion;

• Over $3.5 billion in bonus payments and ov er $6.3 billion in royalties, rents, and ot her 

revenues were collected on BLM administered coal leases; and

• The BLM held 46 s uccessful coal lease sales, accepted bonus bids of over $4.5 billion 

(deferred bonus bid payments occur over five years) for over 89,430 acres containing 5.3 

billion tons of mineable coal. 

BLM’s leasing program supports private sector development intended to replace already mined 

reserves and continue to provide the Nation with a reliable domestic energy source and. 

In 2014, the BLM completed a number of actions to strengthen the overall management of its 

coal program, while at the same time responding to recommendations from three key sources: 

the June 2013 audit by the Department of the Interior Office of Inspector General; a February 

2014 Government Accountability Office report; and the Royalty Policy Committee Report 

Mineral Revenue Collection from Federal and Indian Lands and the Outer Continental Shelf, 

which provided a number of recommendations on improving production accountability. 

The BLM completed a major update of policies regarding production accountability, verification, 

and inspection, through the release of a new Inspection, Enforcement and Production 

Verification manual and an Inspection and Enforcement handbook. This manual and handbook 

provide policy and g uidance regarding safety, inspections, and p roduction verification. The 

guidance will help promote more responsible development of coal resources on t he Nation’s 

public lands, and includes requirements for improved documentation for coal operation 

inspections on coal exploration licenses, licenses to mine, leases, and logical mining units. It 

also includes requirements for increased training for Mineral Mine Inspectors and requirements 

for certification of the inspectors. The pilot phase of the MTS for the coal program is further 

enhancing the inspection program, and the full implementation of that system will enable further 

progress in this area. 

The BLM also updated the Evaluation manual and handbook, which will help ensure a 

consistent and efficient coal lease sale process, increase clarity in determining fair market value 

and provide guidance on the independent review of appraisal reports. This guidance will enable 

the Bureau to account for export potential through analysis of comparable sales and income. In 

developing this guidance, the BLM worked closely with the Department’s Office of Appraisal 

Services, Division of Mineral Evaluations, and that office will serve as the independent reviewer 

of BLM determinations of the pre-sale estimate of the value of the coal. 

Taken together, these updated and revised policies on inspections, enforcement, production 

verification and c oal valuation will significantly strengthen the Bureau’s coal program and 

enhance the skills, knowledge and abi lities of its employees as they carry out their 

responsibilities to ensure leasing and development of the Nation’s resources are carried out in 

an environmentally sound and sustainable manner, with a fair return to the American taxpayers. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 111

The BLM is responsible for the following activities in the Coal Management program:

• Conducting competitive coal lease sales and ens uring the public receives fair market 

value for the coal;

• Determining the pre-sale estimate of the value of the coal by considering both domestic 

and export markets, among other factors, and obtaining an independent review of the 

value;

• Conducting sales to modify existing coal leases and ens uring the public receives fair 

market value for the coal;

• Administering existing coal leases and providing additional approvals to ensure the 

lessee’s compliance with the terms and conditions of the lease;

• Processing and approving coal exploration licenses and monitoring operations for 

compliance with the terms of the exploration licenses; 

• Processing and appr oving coal resource recovery and protection plans and 

modifications to protect the public’s resources from waste and t o ensure maximum 

economic recovery;

• Inspecting operations at Federal and I ndian coal use authorizations to ensure 

compliance with the authorization’s terms and c onditions and to ensure the greatest 

ultimate recovery;

• Independently verifying the coal production reported by lessees from Federal and Indian 

coal leases;

• Taking appropriate action when Federal coal has been mined without approval (coal 

trespass actions);

• Taking enforcement actions to ensure compliance with terms and conditions of licenses, 

leases, and other BLM coal authorizations; and

• Providing pre-lease evaluations of mineral tracts when requested by the Bureau of 

Indian Affairs for Indian Tribes and Indian mineral owners.

Critical Factors

Much of the Federally owned coal resources in the Western U.S. are overlain by private surface 

ownership. Before the BLM can hold a lease sale for Federally owned coal for mining via 

surface techniques, the potential lessees must obtain the consent of the surface owners. The 

BLM encourages surface owners (overlying Federally owned coal) to participate in the BLM’s 

land use planning processes and encourages lease applicants to acquire surface owner 

consent prior to submitting the lease application to the BLM. 

The BLM continues to work with the U.S. Forest Service, the Office of Surface Mining 

Reclamation and Enforcement, and other Federal and State agencies to streamline multiple 

agency processes to minimize the time necessary to process applications to explore for and 

produce Federal coal resources. Feder al surface management agencies are required to 

provide the BLM their decision whether to lease Federal coal or not.

The BLM and t he Mine Safety and Health Administration are collaborating to provide a safer 

workplace for developing Federal and Indian coal.

The BLM faces a potential loss of institutional knowledge needed to manage the Coal Program 

as many of its engineers, geologists, and l and law adjudicators retire or become eligible for 

retirement. Recruitment activities are ongoing to fill vacancies. Further, the BLM works to 

prepare new employees to accomplish coal workloads successfully by ensuring that mining 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 112

engineers and geologists complete the new mine employee’s safety training, attend certification 

courses, and are provided with adequate on the job training.

Ensuring environmental protection and maximum recovery of coal resources continues to be a 

priority for the BLM. 

Other Funding Sources

The Coal program is primarily funded through this subactivity. Another funding source is the 

service charges the BLM collects from applicants to process coal lease applications, lease 

modification requests, royalty rate reduction requests, and logical mining unit applications. The 

BLM has been implementing cost recovery for these applications filed with the BLM since a final 

cost recovery regulation became effective on November 7, 2005. Amounts that the BLM 

collects each year vary as the workload varies between applications filed prior to or after the 

cost recovery regulation became effective. The BLM will continue to charge users all 

appropriate cost recovery fees according to regulations. 

Coal Management

Cost Recovery

($000)

2013 2014 2015 

Estimated

2016 

Estimated

381 229 305 305

2016 Program Performance

In 2014, the BLM completed 19 of 21 initiatives responding to the Office of Inspector General 

and Government Accountability Office audits. The initiatives consisted of the development of 2 

manuals and 2 handbooks and seven instruction memorandum. In 2015, the BLM will complete 

the remaining 2 initiatives that are undergoing final review. These documents addressed 

concerns regarding lease sales, exports, inspection, enforcement, royalty rate reduction, and 

transparency.

The BLM anticipates completing processing approximately ten percent of the pending coal lease 

applications, called “Lease by Applications” (LBA) during 2016. In 2013, applicants requested 

that the BLM delay processing of several LBA actions due t o recent reductions in market 

demand for coal resources; the future market demand for BLM to process additional LBAs is 

unclear at this time. The U.S. Department of Energy projects that coal use to generate 

electricity will increase from 1.637 trillion kilowatthours in 2015 to 1,675 trillion kilowatthours in 

2040 (Source: Electricity generation by fuel in the Reference case, 1990-2040). 

To process LBAs, the BLM will use a s ingle environmental analysis to determine cumulative 

impacts for multiple LBAs and other use authorizations received in a relatively close geographic 

area. This will allow for the more efficient use of BLM coal specialists, as they are needed to 

complete environmental, geological and engineering analyses, coal evaluations, hold lease 

sales, and process coal lease applications. The BLM completed processing for five percent of 

coal LBAs in 2009 and 2010, seven percent in 2011, 18 percent in 2012, 14 percent in 2013, 

and 10 percent in 2014. There are several grouped environmental analyses in progress that will 

yield multiple lease application process completions in 2015 and 2016.

The BLM completes approximately 2,600 coal inspection, enforcement, and pr oduction 

verification actions each year. Inspections are performed to ensure compliance with the lease 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 113

terms and conditions and mining plan approvals. Enforcement actions are necessary where the 

lessee fails to conform to the lease requirements. During the inspection process, the BLM 

inspector will collect production data to independently determine if the coal production being 

reported by the lessee is reasonable. The BLM completes approximately 335 pos t lease 

administrative actions annually while managing leases. These post lease actions vary from 

lease readjustments and lease modifications, to approvals of resource recovery and protection 

plans. Normally, post lease actions are market dependent.
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Activity: Energy and Minerals Management

Subactivity: Other Mineral Resources

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Other Mineral Resources $000 10,586 10,586 +193 +0 +1,100 11,879 +1,293

FTE 82 82 +0 +0 82 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Other Mineral Resources: ($000) FTE

Mineral Tracking System +1,100 +0 

Total +1,100 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Other Mineral Resources activity is $11,879,000 and 82 FTE, a 

program change of +$1,100,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Mineral Tracking System (+$1,100,000/0 FTE): The 2016 budget request includes an increase 

of $1.1 million in the Other Minerals Resources Program to develop the Mineral Tracking 

System (MTS). Combined with the request for a $1.1 million increase in the Coal Management 

program, this funding for the MTS will be us ed to support the automation and t racking of 

licenses, leases and permitting, as well as inspection activities, including production verification 

associated with coal and other solid mineral commodities. Similar to the BLM’s modernization 

of its Automated Fluid Minerals Support System (AFMSS), the MTS is intended to enhance the 

overall management of very complex solid mineral commodity permitting and leasing regimes. 

This complexity is due i n part to the number of different mineral commodities, the different 

extraction technologies, and the breadth of laws and regulations governing their management. 

The BLM has successfully completed a pilot effort of the MTS system for the coal program in its 

Utah and Wyoming offices, and w ith the additional funding, the BLM can make the system 

available for all permitting, leasing, inspection and other activities for the coal and other solid 

mineral commodity programs across the BLM. When fully developed, the MTS will be used by 

the BLM to track leases, licenses and inspection activities, and by Interior’s Office of Natural 

Resources Revenue, to track its production verification activities. The system will help the BLM 

respond to various Government Accountability Office and the Office of Inspector General audit 

recommendations. The BLM plans to make use of the lessons learned from its modernization of 

the AFMSS and continue its work and coordination with the Department’s Chief Information 

Officer, other bureaus and offices to ensure to the extent possible, related systems are fully 

integrated and share data where possible. 

Program Overview 

The public lands are an important source of non-energy solid leasable mineral resources and 

mineral materials for the Nation. These minerals are vital components of basic industry and 

quality of life in the United States. The goal of the Other Mineral Resources Program is to 

provide the minerals needed to support local infrastructure and economic development. 

Demand is increasing worldwide for some products generated from non-energy solid leasable 

minerals, such as fertilizers, which are used in producing food, biofuels, and gilsonite, which is 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 116

used in drilling fluids for energy exploration. The BLM processes sales and permits for mineral 

materials, such as sand, gravel, stone, and ordinary clays, which are essential for maintenance 

and construction of the access that is needed to provide basic land management and for 

building and maintaining energy development and production infrastructure and facilities.

Program Components

The Other Mineral Resources Subactivity funds two distinct programs:

• Through the Non-Energy Solid Leasable Minerals Program, the BLM 

manages the production of potash, phosphate, sodium, and gilsonite. 

This program also includes metallic minerals on ac quired lands (lead, 

zinc, copper, etc.). These minerals are used for fertilizers, glass and 

papermaking, flue-gas desulfurization, lead-acid batteries, oil well drilling, 

water treatment, detergents, and many chemicals.

• Through the Mineral Materials Program, the BLM leases and s ells mineral materials 

such as ordinary clay, sand, gravel, and building stone. These materials are used for 

construction of roads, foundations, and buildings.

The Non-Energy Solid Leasable Minerals Program is responsible for:

• Processing permit, license and lease applications;

• Administering existing permits, licenses and leases;

• Approving exploration and mining plans;

• Conducting National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analyses;

• Inspecting and monitoring existing authorizations;

• Inspecting producing operations to ensure proper reporting of production;

• Taking enforcement actions to ensure compliance with terms and conditions of permits, 

licenses and leases; and 

• Administering trust responsibilities by managing post-leasing and production activities for 

Indian Tribes and individual Indian mineral owners.

The Mineral Materials program is responsible for:

• Performing NEPA analyses of disposal applications;

• Performing appraisals to determine the value of disposals;

• Conducting sales;

• Administering existing contracts and collecting revenue;

• Processing free use permits for State and local governments and non-profit 

organizations;

• Processing exploration permits and mining authorizations;

• Inspecting existing mineral materials authorizations;

• Inspecting sites to ensure proper reporting of and payment for production;

• Taking enforcement actions to ensure compliance with terms and conditions of contracts 

and authorizations; and

• Investigating and t aking enforcement actions on unaut horized removal of mineral 

materials from Federal mineral estate.

Critical Factors

Several factors impact the Other Mineral Resources Program. Most demand for mineral 

materials comes from sales directly to the public and industry for construction and development 
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of businesses and housing in urban and rural areas, and for the infrastructure for renewable and 

conventional energy and mineral projects. The level of public demand tends to mirror the state 

of the economy. 

State and local governments and nonprofit organizations are provided free use of sand, gravel, 

and other mineral materials used in the development and maintenance of infrastructure for 

communities. The BLM processes these applications at no cost to those entities which involves 

increased workload for the BLM. 

There has been an increase in unauthorized operations, particularly on split-estates, due to 

many factors, such as an increase in urban development and z oning restrictions reducing 

private sources of mineral materials. T he BLM will continue to conduct inspections to 

determine if there are unauthorized operations on public lands. 

The cost of processing authorizations and leases for mineral materials and non-energy minerals 

varies for each authorization or lease due to the size and complexity of the each, but in general 

has risen due to the increasing level of complexity in environmental impacts and the need to 

design enhanced mitigation. 

Other Funding Sources

The Other Mineral Resources Program is primarily funded through appropriations in this 

subactivity. Other funding sources include cost recovery fees, averaging $284,000 per year, for 

processing mineral disposal actions such as mineral material competitive sales. There are also 

cost recovery fees for processing new applications for non-energy leases, licenses and permits. 

The BLM will continue to charge users appropriate cost recovery fees according to regulation.

The BLM also receives reimbursement for the costs of material sales for the pipeline system in 

Alaska as required under Public Law 93-153, Section 101, which amended Section 28 of the 

Mineral Leasing Act of 1920. Funds are also collected from trespass recovery settlements and 

are used for rehabilitation of damaged property at the trespass site and other sites damaged by 

past mineral materials operations pursuant to Public Law 94-579, as amended, and Public Law 

93-153. Fees are also collected for development, operation and reclamation of mineral 

materials community pits and common use areas.

2016 Program Performance 

Demand for non-energy solid leasable minerals, especially potash, phosphate and har drock 

minerals (copper, nickel, etc.) on acquired lands has increased substantially for several years 

and is expected to continue to increase. Authorizations for non-energy minerals are expected to 

be issued as long-term NEPA analyses are completed. 

The percentage of pending cases of permits and lease and contract applications processed is 

expected to remain the same for non-energy leasing and for mineral materials contracts in 

2016. 

The BLM also will continue to issue updated guidance and instructions addressing the valuation 

of other mineral resources in 2016. BLM will work with OVS to rewrite handbooks and issue 

other guidance to strengthen the valuation process, increase consistency of procedures

among office, correct deficiencies, and improve performance.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 118

Activity: Energy and Minerals Management

Subactivity: Renewable Energy Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Renewable Energy $000 29,061 29,061 +295 +0 +0 29,356 +295

FTE 144 144 +0 +0 144 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Renewable Energy Management Program is $29,356,000 and 

144 FTE. 

Program Overview

The Renewable Energy Management Program is responsible for processing right-of-way 

applications for wind energy, solar energy, geothermal energy and renewable energy 

transmission development. A ll renewable energy projects proposed for BLM-managed lands 

receive full environmental reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 

including the same opportunities for public involvement as other BLM land-use decisions.

The President has established an ag gressive goal to increase permitting of new renewable 

electricity generation on public lands to 20,000 megawatts (MWs) by 2020. The BLM is 

committed to contributing to this goal by permitting environmentally responsible renewable 

energy projects on public lands. State renewable energy portfolios, investment tax credits for 

solar energy projects, volatile oil prices, and international concern about climate change have all 

contributed toward public and industry interest in utility-scale solar energy development. 

The Renewable Energy Program oversees development of three main energy sources:

• Solar Energy

• Wind Energy

• Geothermal Energy

The BLM and the Department continue to place a high priority on the processing of renewable 

energy projects on the public lands. Secretarial Order 3285, issued March 11, 2009, 

established the development of environmentally responsible renewable energy as a priority for 

the Department. Increased production of renewable energy will create jobs, provide clean 

energy, and enhance U.S. energy security by adding to the domestic energy supply. As part of 

the priority goal for renewable energy, the Department and the BLM established an aggressive 

goal of approving 10,000 megawatts of permitted capacity by the end of 2012. The BLM 

exceeded this goal by approving a total of 12,862 MWs of renewable energy projects (including 

connected-action projects) before the end o f 2012. With projects approved through January 

2015, the BLM has now approved a total of 16,019 MWs of renewable energy projects. This 

approved capacity has the potential to provide power for more than 4.8 million homes. The 

BLM will continue to prioritize permitting of renewable energy development on the public lands 

in a “smart-from-the-start” manner to meet its future permitting goals.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 119

Solar Energy

Solar radiation levels in the Southwest are some of the best in the world. The BLM manages 

more than 20 million acres of public lands with excellent solar potential in six States: California, 

Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah. On October 12, 2012, the Department of 

the Interior and the Department of Energy, as co-lead agencies, published the Record of 

Decision (ROD) on the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for Solar Energy 

Development in Six Southwestern States. The Solar PEIS established, for the first time, a solid 

foundation for long-term, landscape-level planning to help facilitate improved siting of utilityscale solar projects that avoids or minimizes conflicts with important wildlife and c ultural and 

historic resources. The ROD on the Solar PEIS responded to extensive comments on the 

Supplemental Draft PEIS and includes incentives for solar developers who site projects in solar 

energy zones, offering reduced permitting times within zones and a sufficiently flexible variance 

process to allow development of well-sited projects outside of zones. The ROD also makes 

clear that the Solar Energy Program will continue to incorporate other parallel planning efforts, 

including State level efforts, to establish additional solar energy zones to meet market demand. 

The ROD includes 17 solar energy zones, totaling about 285,000 acres potentially available for 

solar energy development. The BLM has since added two additional solar energy zones through 

land use planning efforts for the Arizona Restoration Design Project and the West Chocolate 

Mountains Renewable Energy Evaluation Area in California. More are anticipated with future 

land use planning efforts.

To date, the BLM has approved 29 solar projects, including both generation projects on public 

lands and ac cess and transmission projects that are essential to facilitate solar generation 

projects on private land. The projects include a variety of solar technologies and range in size 

from a 45 -megawatt photovoltaic system on 42 2 acres to a 750 -megawatt parabolic trough 

system on 7,700 acres. These 29 projects have the potential to generate 8,269 megawatts of 

clean, renewable energy—enough energy to power over 2.4 million homes.

Wind Energy

The BLM manages 20.6 million acres of public lands with wind potential and has approved more 

than 35 wind energy projects capable of producing nearly 5,000 megawatts of clean, renewable 

energy. The total approved capacity includes both wind energy production facilities on publ ic 

lands and a number of access and transmission projects on public lands essential to facilitate 

wind energy production projects on private land. 

A PEIS relating to the authorization of wind energy projects was completed in June 2005. This 

PEIS provides an analysis of the development of wind energy projects in the West. In 

conjunction with the publication of this PEIS, the BLM amended 52 land use plans to allow for 

the use of applicable lands for wind energy development. BLM offices are able to use this PEIS 

as an aid in analyzing impacts for specific applications for the use of public lands for wind 

energy use. The BLM issued a wind energy policy in December 2008 to provide guidance on 

best management practices; measures to mitigate potential impacts on birds, wildlife habitat, 

and other resource values; and guidance on administering wind energy authorizations. 

The BLM continues to conduct studies necessary to evaluate and pr ocess applications for 

rights-of-way for the siting of wind energy projects and applications for rights-of-way for electric 

transmission lines from these projects. There are currently a total of 40 approved wind energy 
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 120

and transmission connected-action projects on the public lands with a total approved capacity of 

5,608 MWs. 

Geothermal Energy

The BLM has the delegated authority for leasing on more than 245 million acres of public lands 

(including 104 million acres of National Forest managed by the U.S. Forest Service) with 

geothermal potential in 11 western States and Alaska. The BLM currently manages more than 

800 geothermal leases, with over 70 l eases in producing status generating over 2,000 

megawatts of installed geothermal energy on public lands. This amounts to over 40 percent of 

the total U.S. geothermal energy capacity. In May 2007, the Department of the Interior 

published final regulations on g eothermal energy production on publ ic lands requiring more 

competitive leasing and offering simplified royalty calculations.

A PEIS to assess geothermal leasing on the public lands was completed in October 2008. The 

subsequent ROD amended 114 B LM resource management plans and al located about 111 

million acres of Bureau-managed public lands as open for leasing. An additional 79 million acres 

of National Forest System lands are also legally open f or leasing. Currently, the BLM has 

authorized a t otal of 48 g eothermal projects (72 producing geothermal leases) with a t otal 

approved capacity of 2,142 MWs.

Competitive Leasing Process

In 2014, the BLM published a proposed rule for competitive leasing in the Federal Register for 

public comment and r eview to begin the process of implementing an i nnovative strategy to 

promote renewable energy development at appropriate sites in areas that have been 

determined in advance to be optimal for wind and solar energy production. The BLM plans to 

offer these specific parcels to potential applicants through a competitive process and to approve 

right-of-way applications in an expedited fashion due to the upfront environmental analysis that 

will be conducted as part of the leasing process. Offering lands through a competitive leasing 

process will allow BLM to target future development toward low conflict lands close to existing or 

planned transmission capability.

Performance Goals

The President’s and the Secretary’s goals to increase smart renewable energy development on 

public lands, as well as State renewable energy portfolio standards that require utility 

companies to increase renewable energy supplies as part of their electricity capacity, have 

dramatically increased the renewable energy right-of-way processing workload for the BLM. 

The current Interior’s Renewable Energy Priority Performance Goal is to increase, by 

September 30, 2015, approved capacity authorized for renewable (solar, wind, and geothermal) 

energy resources affecting Department of the Interior managed lands, while ensuring full 

environmental review, by at least 16,500 megawatts . Though the specifics of any priority goals 

beyond fiscal year 2015 w ill be de veloped as part of the 2017 budget process, the BLM will 

continue processing renewable energy applications in 2016 to stay on a path toward meeting 

the President’s goal of permitting 20,000 MW of renewable energy capacity by 2020. 

The Department will successfully meet these goals if a majority of the energy projects that were 

designated as priority projects for 2014 are approved. The primary factors that will influence 

renewable energy growth going forward are continued infrastructure investment and technology 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 121

improvements, both in the method and efficiencies of generation of renewable energy and in 

transmission of that energy from source to end-use.

Project Status 

For Fiscal Years 2014 and 2015, the BLM identified priority projects representing about 4,900 

megawatts. Since this list was developed the priority projects have continued to evolve and 

currently represents about 3,430 megawatts. Of these projects, five were approved in 2014 

representing about 1,250 megawatts, others have been pos tponed into a l ater years, some 

have been withdrawn by the applicant and one project application was denied. The BLM 

maintains this priority list in collaboration with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, the National Park Service and the Department of Defense, with an emphasis 

on early consultation.

Three projects targeted for completion in 2015 are located within the Dry Lake Solar Energy 

Zone (SEZ). In this area the BLM held a combined sealed- and oral-bid auction on June 30, 

2014, to submit right-of-way applications and plans of development for utility-scale solar energy 

projects on six parcels across 3,083 acres of public lands in Clark County, Nevada. The auction 

generated $5,835,000 in high bids.

The BIA has published Notices of Intent to initiate the EIS process for two solar energy 

connected-action projects in Nevada. These projects include the First Solar 100-MW Paiute 

Snow Mountain Solar project (adjacent to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area) and 

the First Solar 100-MW Moapa Aiya Solar project. Both projects would potentially involve BLM 

connected-actions for transmission authorizations on publ ic land. Connected actions are 

projects located on tribal lands or private lands and require BLM approvals for off-site facilities, 

such as transmission lines and road access, on adjacent public lands. 

2016 Program Performance 

In 2016, the BLM will continue to implement the strategy to:

• Emphasize development of smart renewable energy development on public lands;

• Support Interior’s Renewable Energy Priority Performance Goal; and

• Implement actions to identify additional leasing and development opportunities for solar 

energy projects in designated solar energy zones. Making these lands available for 

leasing proposals will provide for the best siting locations for environmentally sound 

solar energy development projects. The BLM will finalize a r ulemaking process to 

establish rules to guide this leasing program to include a nom ination and r equest for 

proposal process, with the expectation that this will ultimately lead to a c ompetitive 

leasing program to accelerate the process of offering public lands for solar energy 

development. 
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Realty and Ownership 

Management 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 123

Activity: Realty and Ownership Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Alaska Conveyance $000 22,000 22,000 +220 +0 +0 22,220 +220 

FTE 111 111 +0 +0 111 +0 

Cadastral, Lands & Realty 

Mgmt

$000 [45,658] 45,658 +652 -58 +5,000 51,252 +5,594 

FTE [358] 358 +0 +0 358 +0 

Cadastral Survey $000 11,276 +0 +0 +0 +0 0 +0 

FTE 87 +0 +0 +0 0 +0 

Land & Realty 

Management

$000 34,382 +0 +0 +0 +0 0 +0 

FTE 271 0 +0 +0 0 +0 

Total, Realty & Ownership 

Management

$000 67,658 67,658 +872 -58 +5,000 73,472 +5,814 

FTE 469 469 +0 +0 469 +0 

The 2016 budget request for the Realty and Ownership Management activity is $73,472,000 

and 469 FTE. The total reflects a program change of +$5,000,000 and 0 FTE and an i nternal 

transfer of -$58,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level. 

Activity Description

The Realty and Ownership Management activity has two programs that are focused on the use 

of lands and transfer of BLM-managed lands. 

• The Alaska Conveyance Program transfers land title from the Federal Government to 

individual Alaska Natives, Alaska Native Corporations, and the State of Alaska pursuant 

to the 1906 Native Allotment Act, the Alaska Native Veterans Allotment Act of 1998, the 

Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) and the Alaska Statehood Act of 

1959 (Statehood Act). Conveyance work has been ongoing since the 1960s. In 2004, 

the Alaska Land Transfer Acceleration Act (Acceleration Act) resolved conflicts between 

these laws and es tablished deadlines for Alaska Native corporations and the State of 

Alaska to file final selection priorities.

• The Cadastral, Lands, and Realty Program provides cadastral survey services that are 

an important component to managing both Federal and pr ivate lands and m anages 

authorized uses of the land for rights-of-way for pipelines, transmission lines for 

electricity and renewable energy, and other uses. This program also authorizes uses of 

the public lands for commercial filming and other purposes, and implements changes to 

land ownership by exchanging and purchasing lands, and by selling lands no longer 

needed for Federal purposes. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 124

Activity: Realty and Ownership Management

Subactivity: Alaska Conveyance and Lands

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers ProgramChanges

Requested 

Amount

Alaska Conveyance $000 22,000 22,000 +220 +0 +0 22,220 +220

FTE 111 111 +0 +0 111 +0

 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 bud get request for the Alaska Conveyance and Lands Management activity is 

$22,220,000 and 111 FTE. 

Program Overview

The Alaska Conveyance and Lands Program transfers land title from the Federal government to 

individual Alaska Natives, Alaska Native Corporations, and the State of Alaska pursuant to the 

1906 Native Allotment Act, the Alaska Native Veterans Allotment Act of 1998, the Alaska Native 

Claims Settlement Act of 1971 (ANCSA) and the Alaska Statehood Act of 1959 (Statehood Act). 

Conveyance work has been ong oing since the 1960s. I n 2004, the Alaska Land Tr ansfer 

Acceleration Act (Acceleration Act) resolved conflicts between these laws and es tablished 

deadlines for Alaska Native corporations and the State of Alaska to file final selection priorities.

The Alaska Conveyance and Lands Program performs adjudication, cadastral survey, easement 

identification, land examination, land record review to complete the land patent process, and 

Standards for Boundary Evidence assessments for Federal land, Indian land, and N ative 

Corporation land managers. These processes are detailed below.

Adjudication: Adjudication is used to determine the legal sufficiency of a land title application 

for the purpose of passing right, title and i nterest of the Federal government of public lands. 

The BLM provides extensive outreach to Native corporations, including face-to-face meetings 

with corporate boards in local communities and to the State of Alaska to obtain final conveyance 

priorities.

Cadastral Survey: The cadastral survey component of the Alaska Conveyance and Lands 

Program provides the cadastral services necessary to issue patent. Thes e services include 

preparing supplemental plats from existing survey plats and ot her information when possible; 

making administrative title navigability determinations to facilitate conveyance; making 

administrative determinations of emerged island title claims; issuing recordable ‘Disclaimers of 

Interest of Title’ for the beds of navigable rivers and other waterways; performing responsibilities 

as trustee for Alaska Native townsites created under the Alaska Native Townsite Act; providing 

assistance in determining maps of boundaries and performs surveys for Village corporation 

reconveyances required under Section 14(c) of the ANCSA; collects Public Land S urvey 

System data to distribute through the web-based Spatial Data Management System (SDMS); 

issuing ‘Standards for Boundary Evidence Certificates’ prior to transactions and pr ojects to
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 125

assist the authorized officer assess the risk caused by errors and m isrepresentations in the

public record and by antiquated surveys, and maintaining up-to-date digital copies of all survey 

records to distribute through the SDMS.

Easement Identification: Easement identification must be completed pursuant to Section 17(b) 

of the ANCSA for Native corporation selections that have not been transferred. This process 

involves participation by the public, the State of Alaska and the corporations themselves.

Land Examination: On the ground land examinations are conducted to resolve conflicts 

between Native allotment claims and to settle use and occupancy matters, including trespass 

and the presence of hazardous materials.

Land Record Review: In 2004, the Acceleration Act established deadlines for ANCSA 

corporations and the State to file priorities. Throughout Alaska, millions of the same acres were 

applied for by village corporations, regional corporations and the State. As part of the 

conveyance process, the BLM reviews selections to identify conflicts and ens ure correct 

depiction in land records.

Provisions in ANCSA and the Statehood Act allow transfers of equitable title to unsurveyed 

lands through ‘Interim Conveyance’ for Native corporation selections and ‘Tentative Approval’ 

for State selections. Both types transfer right, title and interest of the Federal government but 

final patents (legal title) cannot be issued until cadastral survey of the final boundaries has been 

completed. Land pat ents are required by Federal law for completion of transfers and ar e 

required for almost all types of State and private development, financing, leasing, and disposing 

of property. Patent issuance is dependent upon survey plats and the patenting process follows 

approximately 18 m onths after field survey operations have been completed (i.e. field survey 

work completed in FY 2016 may have final title issued in early FY 2018).

A new and innovative process begun in 2014 will fulfill the BLM’s commitment to the State of 

Alaska years ahead of previously projected schedules, at reduced costs. This approach fully 

complies with the Statehood Act, is fiscally responsible, and maximizes use of modern 

technology. With this method, there are fewer days in the field, less exposure to risks and 

hazards encountered in the field including encounters with bears and performing helicopter 

landings on unimproved landing areas. The new survey products will allow the State and their 

stakeholders to locate final patent corners on-the-ground by usage of the Global Navigation 

Satellite System, with Online Positioning User Service on the National Spatial Reference 

System.

By the end of 2014, the BLM surveyed and pat ented 97.5 million acres or 65 per cent of the 

original 150 million acres (Phase 2, below). Approximately 46 million acres, or 31 percent, are 

under some form of ‘Tentative Conveyance’ but have not been surveyed (Phase 1, below). 

Additionally, about seven million acres or five percent, of the lands need to be both surveyed 

and conveyed. The chart below displays the status of all conveyances, as of the end of 2014.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 126

In 2015, the BLM plans to complete 1,000 miles of new field survey (Phase 1, above) and 

approve 3,300 miles of prior cadastral field survey (Phase 2, above.). The BLM will also 

process 20 Native allotment claim applications. Approximately 400,000 acres of Native 

corporation entitlements and one million acres of the State of Alaska entitlement will be 

patented.

The current phase of Native Corporation and S tate adjudication requires meetings to resolve 

conflicts between corporation and S tate selections so field survey instructions can be written 

with detail sufficient for future patenting. In addition, meetings between the corporations and the 

State will be coordinated by BLM personnel to resolve easement conflicts so the easements on 

unsurveyed land can be matched with easements on land that has already been patented.

The Acceleration Act provides authority to round up acreages, settle final selection entitlement 

matters, and determine land selections where lands had been withdrawn, segregated or 

relinquished. Since 2003, the BLM has conducted face-to-face meetings with Alaska Natives in 

hundreds of remote locations to obtain or clarify evidence on Native allotment claims, and with 

Native corporation representatives to discuss selection and t itle matters. B ecause it is not 

appropriate to use ‘Interim Conveyance’ and ‘Tentative Approval’ where unresolved issues 

remain, title conveyances are increasingly dependent upon field survey and survey plats for 

issuance of patents.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM will approve 1,000 miles of prior cadastral field survey and complete 700 miles 

of new field survey. T he BLM will also process 20 N ative allotment claim applications, and

 -

 10,000,000

 20,000,000

 30,000,000

 40,000,000

 50,000,000

 60,000,000

Phase 1: Not started Phase 2: Lands interim

conveyed

Phase 3: Final survey &

patented complete

1,960,812 9,953,332 

33,849,303 

5,315,795 

35,513,716 

63,695,490 

Status of All Conveyances in Alaska1 

Current Progress by Phase

Alaska Native Corporations State of Alaska

1 Data are current as of September 30, 2014.

45,763,447 total 

acres

104,525,001 total 

acres
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 127

patent acreage surveyed and platted in previous years. Approximately 600,000 acres of Native 

corporation entitlements and 800,000 acres of the State of Alaska entitlement will be patented. 

Transfer of title through ‘Interim Conveyance’ or ‘Tentative Approval’ will continue to be 

completed, as necessary, for Native corporations and the State of Alaska.

A combined total of 19,178 parcel applications were filed under the 1906 Native Allotment Act

and the Alaska Native Veteran Allotment Act of 1998. Over 18,845 of these claims have been 

closed through patent or rejection, leaving 308 applications pending. Although the 1906 Native 

Allotment Act was repealed by ANCSA, claims pending with the Department up to the time of 

repeal still must be addressed by the BLM. 

A total of 45.8 million acres of Native corporation entitlements have been identified; survey has 

been completed and patents have been issued for 33.8 million acres (74 percent), leaving 11.9 

million acres (26 percent) that still require survey and patent. The State of Alaska entitlement is 

104.5 million acres; survey has been completed and patents have been issued for 63.7 million 

acres (61 percent), leaving 40.8 million acres (39 percent) that still require survey and patent. 

The majority of the land not surveyed and pat ented is under either interim conveyance or 

tentative approval. 
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 128

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Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

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Activity: Realty and Ownership Management

Subactivity: Cadastral, Lands and Realty 

Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Cadastral, Lands & Realty 

Management

$000 [45,658] 45,658 +652 -58 +5,000 51,252 +5,594

FTE [358] 358 +0 +0 358 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Cadastral, Lands, & Realty 

Management: ($000) FTE

Transmission +5,000 +0 

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -58 +0 

Total +4,942 +0 

Other Resources Supporting Cadastral, Lands & Realty Mgmt:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

Public Survey $000 313 546 501 +0

FTE 4 9 9 +0

Reimbursable Cadastral Survey $000 8,999 7,100 7,100 +0

FTE 40 40 40 +0

Rights of Way Processing $000 12,360 16,105 14,690 +0

FTE 102 119 119 +0

Cost-Recovery Realty Cases $000 808 830 830 +0

FTE 3 4 4 +0

Notes: 

- Public Survey amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from non-federal sources (advances made by private individuals to pay the costs incidental 

to land surveys requested by them); 43 U.S.C. 759 provides for accomplishment of public surveys of whole townships through a trust fund and deposits for 

expenses deemed appropriated, 43 U.S.C. 761 provides for refunds from trust funds established in 43 U.S.C. 759 of costs in excess of expenses, and 31 U.S.C. 

1321(a) classifies the activities of "expenses, public survey work, general" and "expenses, public survey work, Alaska" as trust funds; These funds are 

appropriated on a permanent basis. More information on Public Survey is found in the Miscellaneous Trust Funds chapter.

- 2015 and 2016 Reimbursable Cadastral Survey amounts are shown as estimated transfers from the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and other 

Agencies (including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service)

- Rights of Way Processing amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from fees charged to recover certain costs of processing rights-of-ways (ROW); 

the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976, as amended (43 USC 1735) and the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by the Trans-Alaska Pipeline 

Act of 1973, Section 101 (30 USC 185) appropriates these funds on a current basis. More information on Rights of Way Processing is found in the Service 

Charges, Deposits, & Forfeitures chapter
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 130

- Cost-Recovery Realty Cases amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from fees from applicants to cover adminstrative costs for the conveyance of 

Federally-owned mineral interests, recordable disclaimers of interest, and leases, permits, and easements; Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976, as 

amended (43 USC 1735) appropriates these funds on a current basis. More information on Cost-Recovery Realty Cases is found in the Service Charges, 

Deposits, & Forfeitures chapter.

- Amount in 2014 and 2015 for Public Survey shown net of sequestration

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year for Cost-Recovery Realty Cases are found in President's Budget Appendix under the BLM section

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 bud get request for the Cadastral, Lands, and R ealty Management Program is 

$51,252,000 and 358 F TE, a program change of +$5,000,000 and 0 FTE and an i nternal 

transfer of -$58,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Transmission Corridors (+$5,000,000/0 FTE) – Aging electrical infrastructure in the West 

requires substantial upgrades to improve reliability and increase capacity. The upgrades will 

also facilitate renewable energy development in the West, including on BLM-administered public 

lands. The BLM is poised to meet these energy needs through designations of energy corridors 

in low conflict areas and siting high voltage transmission lines, substations and related 

infrastructure in an environmentally sensitive manner. 

The requested funding would position the BLM to strategically plan for the long term increased 

demand and updates to the electric grid throughout the West with an i mproved and updated 

assessment process for the development and s iting of energy corridors and r ights-of-way 

(ROWs). Strategic planning would take into consideration renewable energy development 

including wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower. Planning activities would include revising 

land use plans in coordination with Federal, State, local and tribal stakeholders; revising energy 

corridors; developing landscape-level mitigation and bes t management practices; and 

synchronizing BLM and U .S. Forest Service (USFS) land use/management plans with 

transmission planning conducted by the Western Electricity Coordinating Council. T hese 

strategic planning activities are among the goals and objectives the BLM identified in its “Smart 

from the Start” vision for responding to the increased demand for transmission corridors. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$58,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $58,000 will be transferred from Cadastral, Lands & Realty 

Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer 

will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and 

operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount 

represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview

Transmission

Facilitating efficient, responsible energy development and transmission facilities is a c ritical 

component of the BLM multiple use and sustained yield mission as stated in the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act. As the largest Federal land manager in the West, the BLM plays a 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 131

leadership role in planning for conventional and renewable energy development and corridors 

as well as siting transmission facilities. The BLM must strengthen its environmental review and 

permitting procedures as well as improve the designation of existing and future energy corridors 

in land use plans. T he BLM anticipates that the industry will continue to pursue new multijurisdictional projects across the West for distributed generation and transmission line upgrades 

and expansions, among other uses. 

To address these demands, and to strengthen the environmental review and permitting process, 

in accordance with Secretarial Order Number 3330 entitled “Improving Mitigation Policies and 

Practices of the Department of the Interior,” issued by Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell in 

October 2013, the BLM will employ a “smart from the start” approach over the next decade. This 

approach will identify areas of conflict and opportunity during early planning and follow up by 

selecting the most appropriate areas for siting transmission facilities. The BLM will establish 

high standards for collaboration with industry, States and l ocal governments, Tribes, Federal 

agencies and other stakeholders and bui ld strong functional partnerships among all entities 

engaged in permitting these transmission lines and pipelines. Better planning and permitting to 

maximize the use of corridors will help reduce the proliferation of separate ROW across the 

landscape and will be key to protecting resources and minimizing environmental impacts. The 

BLM will look for innovation, research and technology to assist in meeting these goals. 

Continuing to develop and m aintain an ex pert workforce of project managers, resource 

specialists, and managers with knowledge of electric transmission planning and operations, 

permitting construction, reclamation and mitigation techniques will be key to success of this 

effort.

Over the past several years, the BLM has made great strides in a variety of areas related to 

transmission permitting and energy corridors. Since 2010, the BLM has authorized over six 

major pipeline projects for oil, water, and natural gas totaling 1,200 miles with nearly 600 miles 

on BLM lands in Utah, Colorado, Nevada, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. The 

estimated socioeconomic impact of the six projects entails over $5.4 billion of industry 

investment and approximately 4,500 construction jobs.

 

Since 2011, the BLM has participated as a member of the Rapid Response Team for 

Transmission with the goal of improving coordination, expediting permitting and identifying 

lessons learned on seven priority pilot projects identified by the President. The BLM is lead or 

co-lead agency on four of the pilot projects. The President’s Executive Order No. 13604 on 

infrastructure further increased the emphasis on interagency collaboration in the siting and 

permitting of high voltage transmission projects. The BLM is actively coordinating with the U.S. 

Department of Energy and U SFS to review existing corridors designated pursuant to Section 

368 of the Energy policy Act of 2005. The BLM and USFS have designated priority regions in 

the western U.S. to focus on reviews to determine needed corridor revisions, additions and 

deletions. The BLM is also working with stakeholders to review and updat e interagency 

operating procedures that are required when siting projects within energy corridors designated 

pursuant to Section 368 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. The BLM is finalizing two policies for 

major transmission lines. The first will provide guidance for a pr eapplication process and the 

second provides guidance for the NEPA process.

In June 2013, the BLM deployed an eight person National Transmission Support Team 

dedicated full-time to high voltage transmission and related infrastructure projects. The BLM is 

also working to update core training courses with an increased emphasis on distance learning 

options. The BLM has taken steps to align and coordinate the activities of staff working on 
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transmission line project with staff in our Renewable Energy Coordination Offices through joint 

meetings, calls and training efforts. 

Rights-of-Way

 

The BLM grants land use authorizations for a wide variety of commercial and noncommercial 

purposes as allowed by law. Many companies, non-profit organizations, and S tate and l ocal 

governments apply to the BLM each year to obtain ROW grants to use the public lands for 

roads, pipelines, transmission lines and communication sites. Energy-related ROWs play an 

essential part in the transportation of energy sources. Cadastral surveys and ot her boundary 

services are provided to facilitate these actions and help reduce boundary disputes, trespass 

and litigation.

 

Cadastral & Lands

Through the Cadastral Survey Program, the BLM conducts the official Federal Authority 

Surveys that are the foundation for all land title records in large sectors of the United States and 

provides Federal and tribal land managers, and their adjoining non-Federal landowners, with 

information necessary for land management. Several statutes and delegations vest authority in 

the BLM to provide cadastral services for itself and t he other Federal land management 

agencies, including the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of 

Reclamation, the USFS, and other Federal and tribal entities. 

Conducting Federal Authority Surveys requires the determination of boundaries, the marking of 

corner positions with brass cap markers, posting and marking the boundary lines, and the filing 

of associated approved records in the Official United States Records System. A dditional 

support services provided by the Cadastral Survey Program include accurately positioning legal 

descriptions for timber sales, rights-of way, protection of special areas, oil and gas leases, and 

mineral leases; providing standards for boundary evidence assessments and m anagement of 

land boundary plans to reduce risks including unauthorized use; providing cadastral services 

and Geographic Coordinate Data Base services to support development of renewable energy 

projects; and updating and modernizing riparian boundaries where resources and land values 

are at a premium.

Companies, non-profit organizations, and State and local governments use the land records to 

apply to obtain ROW grants to use the public lands. The BLM uses these records to process 

ROWs for roads, pipelines, transmission lines and c ommunication sites. R OWs based on 

accurate land records play an essential role in the cost-effective development and transportation 

of energy sources by providing the certainty necessary for infrastructure building. Similarly, 

accurate land and s urvey records are essential for the development and c onstruction 

communication sites that provide equipment necessary for the transmission of television 

broadcasts and the cellular phone network, which among other important benefits, enhance 

emergency services and decrease impacts to human health and safety on s ensitive public 

lands. 

The BLM also prepares the documents required to conduct land sales, exchanges and 

withdrawals to ensure efficient and effective management of the public lands. Each record is 

stored and t racked for every authorization, review, and land withdrawal to ensure the most 

appropriate uses. The BLM works closely with the Department of Defense (DOD) to coordinate 
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the documentation of withdrawals for military purposes and coordinate records management of 

adjacent military and public lands. The BLM also manages the documents of grants of lands to 

State, local governments and non-profit organizations for recreation and public purposes.

The BLM generates the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) Data to represent land ownership 

boundaries in a coordinated, standardized digital fashion. GIS layers depend on PLSS Data as 

the base layer for many BLM processes including surface management agency, withdrawals, 

leasing, rights-of-way, sales, exchanges and stipulations.

 

In addition, the BLM is the custodial agency for land tenure records that date back to the 1800s. 

The BLM currently manages over nine million title documents as well as cadastral survey 

records from across the Nation. The General Land Office Automated Records System (GLO 

Records) is responsible for making land tenure records available on the Internet via the GLO 

Records website (http://www.glorecords.blm.gov). 

The image below illustrates the complexities of the BLM’s Land Information System. 

 BLM’s Land Information System

Cadastral Survey provides accurate location of the Public Land Survey 

System which in turn supports the BLM multiple use mandate while 

protecting the BLM’s land and resources from unauthorized use.
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Realty Management

The BLM manages the grant documents system for ROW and other use authorizations for 

public lands. ROWs are granted for many purposes, including electricity transmission, roads, 

and water pipelines. The program also prepares land tenure documents for realty activities 

including land sales, land exchanges, and withdrawals.

 

ROW assists in providing for basic access, power, and communication infrastructure needs of 

cities, towns, and rural communities. The BLM manages these governing ROW and land tenure 

documents including the tracking of new and amended ROW authorizations.

 

Land sales, exchanges and withdrawals are also conducted to ensure efficient and e ffective 

management of the public lands. Land exchanges and withdrawals are useful land management 

tools to meet the multiple use mission of the BLM. The BLM authorizes, reviews, and revokes 

land withdrawals to ensure the most appropriate uses and works closely with the DOD to 

coordinate withdrawals for military purposes, resolve issues with over-flights, and coordinate 

management of adjacent military and public lands. The BLM also administrates grants of lands 

to State, local governments and non-profit organizations for recreation and public purposes at 

reduced cost using its authority under the Recreation and Public Purposes Act.

Other Funding Sources

• Benefitting Programs & Agencies: Approximately 45 percent of all work completed by the 

Cadastral Survey Program is funded by other benefitting BLM subactivities and ot her 

benefitting agencies. 

• The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) is proposed for reauthorization in 

2016 to allow lands identified as suitable for disposal in recent land use plans to be sold 

using the FLTFA authority. FLTFA sales revenues would continue to be used to fund the 

acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands and the administrative costs associated 

with conducting sales. FLTFA was first enacted in July 2000. It provided for the use of a 

percentage of revenues from the sale or exchange of public lands identified for disposal 

under land use plans in effect as of the date of enactment to acquire inholdings within 

certain federally designated areas, or lands adjacent to those areas, which contain 

exceptional resources, and to administer the lands sale program. Of the funds used for 

acquisition, 80 percent were to have been expended in the same State in which the 

funds were generated, but 20 percent could have been expended for acquisition in any 

of the 11 other western states. Up to 20 percent of revenues from disposals may have 

been used for administration costs and other expenses. FLTFA expired in July 2010, but 

was subsequently reauthorized for one y ear, expiring in July 2011. The 2016 budg et 

proposes to reauthorize FLTFA and al low lands identified as suitable for disposal in 

recent land use plans to be sold using the FLTFA authority. The FLTFA sales revenues 

would continue to fund the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands and to cover 

the administrative costs associated with conducting sales.

• The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act of 1998 (SNPLMA) became law in 

October 1998. It allows the BLM to sell public lands within a specific boundary around 

Las Vegas, NV. The revenue derived from these land sales is split between the State of 

Nevada General Education Fund ( five percent), the Southern Nevada Water Authority 

(10 percent), and a s pecial account (85 percent) available to the Secretaries of the 
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Interior and A griculture for use throughout Nevada for parks, trails and natural areas; 

capital improvements; conservation initiatives; multi-species habitat conservation plans; 

environmentally sensitive land acquisition; and Lake Tahoe restoration projects. Other 

provisions in SNPLMA direct certain land sale and acquisition procedures and provide 

for the sale of land for affordable housing. 

• Cost Recovery: The BLM recovers costs for processing applications and monitoring 

ROW grants on public lands. Although the BLM is authorized to collect cost recovery in 

certain circumstances, some customers, such as State and local governments are not 

subject to cost recovery. C ost recovery for cadastral services is also collected as 

appropriate.

Please see the Permanent Operation Funds Chapter for more information on FLTFA, SMPLMA, 

and other land sales accounts. For more information on cost recovery efforts, please see the 

Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures Chapter.

Critical Factors

Urban growth near BLM lands is creating costly management problems, such as encroachment, 

trespass, and unauthorized recreational activities on public lands. Proactive utilization of 

cadastral surveys along to the urban interface provides boundary location to alleviate this 

emerging issue and reduce the number of lawsuits and recover revenues associated with lost 

resources and uncollected rents.

The demand for cadastral services to support energy development activities is increasing. 

Review of survey plats is a necessary step in processing Applications for Permits to Drill. 

Program staff review the plats to ensure that the construction of access roads, well pads, and 

well bottom drilling targets do not infringe on other property or mineral rights. Chain of survey 

and legal description reviews also help to determine whether land ownership and boundary 

locations are legally defensible prior to development. There is greater demand for GCDB data to 

provide accurate digital graphic portrayal of the Public Land S urvey System. The energy 

programs use this digital version of PLSS data to display all stipulations and current leases in an 

automated format. This facilitates more efficient energy development and enables public land 

managers to make more informed decisions.

With the President and the Secretary’s goals to increase renewable energy development on the 

public lands and with many States enacting renewable energy portfolio standards that require 

utility companies to increase renewable energy supplies as part of their electricity capacity, 

renewable energy right-of-way processing workload for the BLM has increased dramatically. 

Much of this work is customer and market driven which makes it difficult to predict the number of 

applications that will be filed for the various authorizations with a high level of certainty.

2016 Program Performance

The BLM plans to leverage technology in land tenure management to become more efficient in 

land use decisions and resource planning. B LM’s land record system was developed in the 

1980s and last was updated to account for the year 2000 issues. Beginning in 2015, the BLM 

will seek solutions to modernize and consolidate these existing systems, The goal is to develop 

a comprehensive system to collect, maintain and publish the official Federal land status records, 

including accurate and consistent land acreage and other statistical data used by the public and 
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Federal land management agencies. Improvements would include using authenticated data 

sources, consolidating data, and using spatial and survey data. The system will link this data to 

all relevant land records and information on land title, use, restrictions and resources. The 

system will support legal, policy and regulatory requirements and efficiently deliver key business 

products (Public Land Statistics, Master Title Plats, Historical Indices, Reports, geospatial maps 

and orthophotographs, etc.).

Also, in 2015 and 2016, the bureau will implement a new geospatial publication web service to 

replace its outdated internal and external sites. The web service will provide search, retrieve, 

display and delivery functionality for authenticated BLM mineral, land status and resource data.

In 2016, the BLM will also continue to perform the core functions of directing and app roving 

surveys, addressing public inquires on Federal land status, consulting with staff members from 

other programs to advise on boundar y, title, and g eospatial issues, providing direction and 

control for field surveys paid for by other entities, and managing the geographic coordinates of 

PLSS data. 

 

In addition, the BLM will implement the last of nine recommendations from an Office of the 

Inspector General (OIG) audit report on management of land boundaries. This report states, 

“proper survey and management of high-risk lands with antiquated surveys has the potential to 

generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from lands with valuable surface and 

subsurface resources.” In response, the BLM will continue issuing guidance to BLM State 

Offices through Instruction Memoranda directing them to identify lands with revenues lost or at 

risk due to antiquated boundary evidence and propose a plan for resolution. 

 

In addition, in response to the OIG report, the BLM has developed and implemented new 

policies to ensure that cadastral surveyors review the adequacy of boundary evidence prior to 

the approval of significant land transactions and commercial projects. These policies will ensure 

the proper collection of rents and protection of public lands and resources from unauthorized 

uses. 

 

In 2016, the BLM will also continue to focus on responsible energy development and associated 

transmission lines. Specifically the BLM will have a continued emphasis on completing timely 

environmental reviews and per mitting for the four transmission Pilot Projects identified as a 

priority by the President in October 2011. Similarly, the BLM will focus resources on 

environmental reviews and permitting of transmission lines that serve BLM’s 2016 Priority 

Renewable Energy Projects. Collectively, these priority transmission projects will replace aging 

infrastructure, enhance grid reliability, and facilitate renewable energy development while 

serving the needs of communities across the western U.S.

The BLM will continue to conduct public land sales, revoke public withdrawals, and f acilitate 

military base closures. The bureau will also review public land withdrawals and anticipates 

revoking withdrawals for 64,000 acres
Communications Site 

Management 

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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 137

Activity: Communication Site Management

Subactivity: Communication Site Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 2015 Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Communication Site 

Management

$000 2,000 2,000 +0 +0 +0 2,000 +0

Offset -2,000 -2,000 +0 +0 +0 (2,000) +0

FTE 15 15 +0 +0 15 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Communication Site Management Program is $2,000,000 and 

15 FTE.

Program Overview

The Communication Site Management Program processes applications for communications 

sites from commercial, private and g overnmental entities under Title V of the Federal Land 

Policy and Management Act of 1976 and issues right-of-way authorizations. The program 

considers requests for new sites, inspects and administers existing sites and authorizations, 

completes site management plans, and collects rental fees.

The BLM grants and adm inisters authorizations for communications sites, while working to 

protect the natural resources associated with both public and adjacent land owners. The BLM 

works to prevent unnecessary or undue degradation to public lands by promoting collocation on 

the communication site rights-of-way considering engineering and t echnological compatibility, 

national security and land use plans. The BLM also coordinates to the fullest extent possible, all 

actions under the program with State and l ocal governments, interested individuals, and 

appropriate quasi-public entities.

Demands and Trends

Prior to 1996, each user was required to have a s eparate authorization, even when users 

shared a site. In response to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the BLM implemented new 

regulations and pol icies that greatly simplified and s treamlined the authorization and 

administration of these sites. The BLM now requires only the owners of the towers or facilities to 

have a right-of-way authorization, while other users of the sites can collocate in these facilities, 

as tenants or customers, without further BLM approval.

In 1996, there were 3,313 authorized communications facilities on BLM-administered land. The 

BLM currently has over 3,800 sites authorized for separate communication use rights-of-way 

located on approximately 1,500 mountain tops. In 2014, the BLM hired and trained a second 

project manager and per formed 28 communication site audits which encompassed 138 

facilities. The BLM identified $65,500 of unreported rent, 16 unauthorized trespass facilities, 

and finalized approximately 15 c ommunication site management plans. The BLM has
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increased the collection of rental fees from $2.0 million in 1996, to $8.16 million in 2014 and an 

estimated $9.0 million in 2015. 

A significant challenge facing the BLM is ensuring that holders of communication site rights-ofway authorizations report accurate inventories of communications uses within their facilities to 

allow the Bureau to assess and c ollect the appropriate rent. B ased on recent compliance 

inspections by program administrators, it is estimated that for every dollar of rent collected, at 

least one dol lar is not collected. I n order to better manage the development and us e of 

communications sites and to mitigate the impacts on s urrounding public lands, the BLM 

develops communication site management plans, which guide users and analyze the impacts of 

the structures on the sites and the surrounding lands. These plans allow the BLM to better 

manage sites and often result in the collection of additional rent revenues. The BLM’s goal is to 

develop site management plans for all facilities with communication sites located on the public 

lands it manages.

In recent years, the BLM has focused on strengthening partnerships and improving its suite of 

BLM, interagency and industry sponsored right-of-way management courses, including the 

Communication Site Management Course, the National Lands Training for Line Officers, the 

Beginning Lands and Realty Training, and two industry meetings scheduled in Nevada. 

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM will continue to toward the goals of Executive Order 13616 on Accelerating 

Broadband on Federal Property, including developing processes to reduce the time needed for 

issuing communication use rights-of-way authorizations. Additionally, the BLM will continue to 

process applications for communications site rights-of-way, as well as applications for 

assignments, amendments, and renewals. The Bureau will also continue to emphasize site 

administration and management. The BLM expects to complete 30 to 40 final communication 

site management plans, process 170 ac tions for lease or grant issuances, rejections, 

amendments, and r enewals; process 50 ac tions for assignments, cancellations, 

relinquishments, and other administrative work; and complete 15 actions for trespass. The BLM 

will evaluate the possibility of expanding the centralized billing effort to other types of right-ofway rentals. T he BLM will train over 60 ag ency and industry personnel on t he siting and 

administration of communication uses on public land, plus train 75 line managers on their roles 

and responsibilities in the Communication Site Management Program.

In addition, the BLM will review the current communications use rental schedule as 

recommended by the Office of Inspector General in Report in its review of the Rights-of-Way 

program. In 2015, the BLM plans to publish an advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the 

Federal Register to determine if the rental schedule should be updat ed; the results of that 

review will determine the work to be performed in 2016. 
Resource Protection 

and Maintenance 

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Activity: Resource Protection and Maintenance

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Resource Mgmt Planning, 

Assessment & Monitoring

$000 37,125 38,125 +416 +0 +20,800 59,341 +21,216 

FTE 214 214 +0 +3 217 +3 

Law Enforcement $000 25,325 25,325 +270 -100 +0 25,495 +170 

FTE 131 131 +0 +0 131 +0 

Abandoned Mine Lands $000 16,687 16,987 +159 +0 +2,800 19,946 +2,959 

FTE 63 63 +0 +0 63 +0 

Hazardous Materials 

Management

$000 15,612 15,612 +204 -30 +0 15,786 +174 

FTE 94 94 +0 +0 94 +0 

Total, Resource Protection 

& Maintenance

$000 94,749 96,049 +1,049 -130 +23,600 120,568 +24,519 

FTE 502 502 +0 +3 505 +3 

The 2016 budget request for the Resource Protection and Maintenance activity is $120,568,000 

and 505 FT E. I t reflects program changes totaling +$23,600,000 and +3 FTE and i nternal 

transfers totaling -$130,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 Enacted level. 

Activity Description

The functions within the Resource Protection and Maintenance activity contribute to the 

protection and safety of public land users and environmentally sensitive resources. 

• Resource Management Planning – The land use planning function is based on 

collaboration with local communities and S tate and tribal governments, as well as on 

science-based analysis.

• Resource Protection and Law Enforcement – The Resource Protection and Law 

Enforcement subactivity provides for the protection from criminal and ot her unlawful 

activities on public lands.

• Abandoned Mine Lands – The remediation of abandoned mine lands supports core 

programs by restoring degraded water quality, cleaning up m ine waste that has been 

contaminated by acid mine drainage and hea vy metals (such as zinc, lead, arsenic, 

mercury and cadmium), remediating other environmental impacts on or affecting public 

lands, and mitigating physical safety issues.

• Hazardous Materials Management – The Hazardous Materials Management Program 

provides for the prevention, mitigation, and remediation of the effects of hazardous 

material releases and other dangers on the public lands.

The Resource Protection and Maintenance activity funds land use planning and compliance 

processes, which are required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the 

Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA).
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Activity: Resource Protection and Maintenance 

Subactivity: Resource Management Planning, 

Assessment & Monitoring

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Resource Mgmt, Planning, 

Assessment & Monitoring

$000 37,125 38,125 +416 +0 +20,800 59,341 +21,216

FTE 214 214 +0 +3 217 +3

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Resource Management, Planning, 

Assessment & Monitoring: ($000) FTE

Applied Science - Enterprise Geospatial System +7,800 +0 

Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring +5,000 +3 

Monitoring Greater Sage-Grouse Plans +8,000 +0 

Total +20,800 +3 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for Resource Management Planning, Assessment & Monitoring is 

$59,341,000 and 217 FTE, a program change of +$20,800,000 and +3 FTE from the 2015 

enacted level.

Enterprise Geospatial System (+7,800,000 /+0 FTE) The budget request includes a $7.8 

million increase in Resource Management Planning to support the deployment of the Enterprise 

Geographic Information System (EGIS), critical to help the BLM make a g enerational leap 

forward in its geospatial capabilities. The EGIS will support the adoption and implementation of 

core indicators, standardization of data and collection methods, and t he digitization of legacy 

data for inclusion in decision-making analyses. It will allow employees to seamlessly access 

and use data from every level of the organization and across units, both from their office as well 

as in the field using mobile devices. The EGIS is key in providing data management and 

analytical support to managing public lands across various priority landscape-scale initiatives, 

including the Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring Strategy, Greater Sage-Grouse Plan 

Implementation and Monitoring, Renewable and Conventional Energy Development, Rapid Ecoregional Assessments, Climate Change Adaptation, Planning 2.0 Initiative, Regional Mitigation, 

and other multiple scale resource management activities. The BLM will continue to work 

collaboratively with other federal partners to develop common data standards and m anage 

geospatial datasets used for public land management decisions. The BLM geospatial proposal 

is integrated within Interior’s growing enterprise GIS capabilities and s erves as a c ritical 

component of the Department’s corporate geospatial strategy. The Bureau’s ability to provide 

vast quantities of quality data easily will have profound organizational, cultural, and s ocial 

benefits. The EGIS will provide the capability to overlay internal and external resource datasets 

(e.g., vegetation, hydrology, and ec ological sites) with data on nat ural and hum an-induced 

stressors (e.g., wildfire, invasive species, climate change, and development), yielding robust 

and complex analyses of resource use and effects across multiple scales. The EGIS will allow
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Plan Implementation

Plan Assessment,

Inventorying & Monitoring

Plan Evaluation, Maintenance,

& Amendment

Plan Revision / Development

the BLM to continue to develop and implement core data and technology standards to support 

large-scale, science-based decision-making, while at the same time delivering critical 

information to the public for its use and enjoyment of the public lands.

Assessment, Inventory and M onitoring Strategy (AIM) (+$5,000,000 /+3 FTE) – Informed 

decision making and adaptive management require current data about the status and trend of 

terrestrial and aquatic systems and about the location and extent of natural and human-caused 

disturbances. The BLM’s Assessment, Inventory, and Monitoring (AIM) Strategy is the 

framework for this data collection. The 2016 budget request includes an increase of $5.0 million 

to facilitate implementation of the AIM strategy, which is central to meeting commitments 

outlined in the Implementation of the Western Solar Energy Plan, the Greater Sage-grouse land 

use plans, Secretary Jewell’s landscape mitigation strategy and other initiatives. 

Monitoring in Support of Greater Sage Grouse Conservation Initiative (+$8,000,000/+0 

FTE) – The 2016 budget request includes an increase of $8,000,000 to develop assessment 

and monitoring protocols using core indicators, standardized field methods, remote sensing, and 

a statistically valid study design to provide nationally consistent and scientifically defensible 

information. These protocols will be used to meet the monitoring commitments made during the 

Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation effort. These commitments include gathering information on 

terrestrial and aquatic site condition, ecological sites, special status species, treatments, 

disturbance of the public lands, fire, and land uses.

Program Overview

Resource Management Plans (RMPs) are the foundation of public land management. Planning 

and plan implementation decisions describe desired resource conditions on t he ground and 

methods to achieve desired conditions across the more than 247 million acres of BLM-managed 

public lands. Through its plan assessment, inventory and monitoring efforts, the Bureau collects 

data, which is stored in geospatially enabled databases, to determine whether the BLM is 

meeting its goals for desired condition. P lan evaluations allow the BLM to determine which 

decisions need to be revised or amended for the BLM to continue effectively managing the 

public lands. The land use planning process encourages collaboration and partnerships, which 

help the BLM determine how to manage public lands and associated resources to balance the 

needs of adjacent communities with the needs of the Nation. 

The Resource Management Planning, Assessment, and M onitoring Program uses 

interdisciplinary processes to complete the management and decision-making cycle shown and 

described further below.

BLM Planning Cycle
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Land Use Plan Revision and Development – Completion of ongoing RMP revisions and p lan 

developments is the highest priority of the program. P lanning areas without updated RMPs 

present numerous challenges to the BLM. Updated plans:

• Incorporate the best, most current science; 

• Contain sustainable decisions that are less vulnerable to legal challenge;

• Are responsive to changes in climate and conditions on the ground; 

• Include desired conditions that are relevant or desired by the public, other governmental 

entities, or industrial users; and

• Advance priorities such as energy development and transmission corridors and provide 

economic opportunities for the public

Delayed completion of planning efforts postpones critical resource management decisions and 

increases potential for litigation in planning areas. As RMP decisions are made, the program 

initiates new RMP revisions or amendments in areas where changing demands on public land 

resources have been identified. 

Sustainable Planning through the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) – This dynamic 

approach to land use planning cycles through implementation, effectiveness monitoring, and 

assessment of emerging issues such as rapid population growth and c hanging resource 

conditions. The planning cycle allows plans to remain relevant and adaptive to changing 

conditions by addressing emerging challenges and changing resource issues as they arise, 

which ensures plan durability and reduces the frequency of costly revisions. The BLM uses the 

NEPA review and a nalysis process to inform its land use planning and pr oject-level 

implementation decisions throughout the planning cycle. Through the NEPA process, the BLM 

assesses the potential environmental impacts of a pr oposed action through a r ange of 

alternatives, seeks input from stakeholders and the public, and collaborates with partners in 

Federal, State, local, and tribal government to inform its decisions.

Land Use Plan Amendments – Amendments enable the program to address significant new 

information, respond to changing land uses, consider proposals that deviate from the plan, and 

implement new policies that change land use plan decisions. Plan amendments are an 

economical means to support adaptive approaches to resource management and reduce the 

frequency of costly revisions, and they often support priority projects, such as those related to 

renewable energy and national energy infrastructure. 

Monitoring for Adaptive Management: Informed decision making and adaptive management 

require current data about the status and trends of terrestrial and aquatic systems, about the 

location and ex tent of natural and hum an-caused disturbances, and about the location and 

effectiveness of land treatments. The BLM’s AIM Strategy is the framework for this data 

collection. This strategy outlines a process for using core indicators, standardized field methods, 

remote sensing, and a statistically valid study design to provide nationally consistent and 

scientifically defensible information to determine the status of the public lands and t rack 

changes to natural resources on t he public lands over time. This strategy supports the Solar 

Programmatic EIS, the Greater Sage-Grouse Conservation Initiative, as well as other landscale

scale decisions
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Critical Factors

The BLM addresses a num ber of critical factors that drive land use planning and dec isionmaking processes. These include the following:

Land Health Stressors – Land health stressors such as invasive plant and insect infestations, 

drought, and catastrophic wildfires contribute to the loss of native animal and plant communities 

and habitat for threatened and endang ered species. Changing conditions necessitate the 

reevaluation of plans on a regular cycle. Eco-regional assessments and adaptation strategies 

for mitigating impacts of land health stressors indicate on a r egional basis whether land use 

decisions remain valid or require amendment.

Energy Demands – Increased demands for renewable and conventional energy and associated 

infrastructure affect the balance with competing uses such as recreation use, off-highway 

vehicle use, and conserving a broad range of wildlife habitat for future generations.

Expanding Populations & Community Growth – These factors challenge wildland fire 

suppression efforts in the wildland-urban interface, contribute to increased conflicts between 

recreational uses, and i ncrease demands for surface-disturbing uses such as roads, utility 

distribution lines, communication sites, sand, gravel, mineral materials sites, and publ ic 

facilities. Understanding the complex socioeconomic issues in communities adjacent to BLMadministered lands is imperative to effective land management.

Protests/Appeals/Litigation – Public land management conflicts heighten BLM’s attention to risk 

management in response to challenges over land use decisions. Litigation not directly 

associated with land use planning often affects land use planning decisions, given the broad 

scope of resource issues considered.

Means and Strategies

The BLM uses a number of means and strategies to support land use planning and decisionmaking processes. The means and strategies highlighted below support not only land use 

planning, but also provide critical information, resources, and data infrastructure used Bureauwide, and often outside the BLM by Federal, State, tribal and local partners. This information is 

necessary and valued by resource managers and specialists as they prepare project analyses

for all types of activities. These efforts include the following:

ePlanning – The ePlanning web-based application streamlines land use planning and N EPA 

processes. It enhances transparency and creates efficiencies through faster and easier public 

access to NEPA documents for review and c omment and s implified comment analysis and 

response. ePlanning is currently used for all new RMP revisions and NEPA in four States 

(Nevada, Alaska, Arizona and Idaho). In October, 2014, a comprehensive deployment strategy 

was initiated to implement ePlanning for NEPA activities across all BLM States by the end of 

2015.

Geospatial Services – The Bureau is transitioning to a landscape approach to managing public 

lands. To support that approach, the Geospatial Services program is creating an environment 

where data is managed in an integrated corporate data framework to support multiple program 

activities at multiple scales. Continued implementation of the BLM’s Enterprise Geospatial 

Strategy, through the GIS Transformation Project, supports this transition as well as various 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 144

high priority efforts such as the implementation and monitoring of the Greater Sage-Grouse 

planning effort, the Planning 2.0 initiative, regional mitigation activities, and renewable energy 

projects, while using GIS software that is consistent and i ntegrated with the Department and 

other DOI Bureaus. This transformation will also improve the management of the BLM’s 

geospatial data resources, and will enhance partnering with other Federal agencies, including 

the U.S. Geological Survey (for science) and t he U.S. Fish and W ildlife Service (for 

consultation), while supporting communication and c ollaboration with State and t ribal 

governments, as well as the public at large. By providing the infrastructure to manage and 

analyze data at multiple scales, the Geospatial Services program provides the BLM with the 

information and tools necessary to better understand the impacts of its decisions and support 

informed decision-making at all levels of the organization.

Socioeconomics – The Socioeconomics program helps resource managers weigh competing 

interests concerning access to and us e of public lands and r esources. Social and ec onomic 

conditions are changing across the West and the public is demanding a more collaborative style 

of decision-making with reliable information on the human context and consequences of BLM 

actions. The need to maximize the BLM’s return on investment is essential to achieving its 

mission, and thus measuring that return through the application of socioeconomic methods 

provides information essential for effective resource management. To provide a more complete 

picture of the benefits and c osts of the BLM’s resource management decisions, the 

Socioeconomics program is conducting a s eries of pilot studies to assess the feasibility and 

usefulness of ecosystem services methods and metrics. These approaches focus on quantifying 

the contributions of healthy ecosystems to human well-being, and the ways in which proposed 

actions may reduce or enhance these benefits. 

Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution – The Collaborative Action and Dispute Resolution 

(BLM-CADR) program provides services to support BLM’s engagement with other Federal 

agencies, tribal, State, and local governments, stakeholders, and t he public. C ollaborative 

approaches can be applied internally and externally throughout decision-making and 

subsequent challenges. Generally speaking, collaboration refers to processes and 

arrangements that facilitate two or more individuals working together to solve a set of resource 

issues. Collaborative approaches ultimately enhance relationships and successful on-theground project implementation through shared committement and r esources. The CADR 

program optimizes planning investments and provides tools and skills for future BLM leaders. 

NEPA – The BLM’s NEPA program coordinates with the Council on Environmental Quality 

(CEQ), the Interior Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance, and other Federal entities 

on NEPA policy issues across the Federal government and within the Department. The BLM 

NEPA program also develops Bureau-wide NEPA policy and guidance, coordinates with other 

BLM national programs to develop program-specific guidance, and works with the BLM National 

Training Center to identify and meet NEPA training needs. In addition, the program coordinates 

with BLM State Offices to provide advice and support for NEPA compliance in the field. The 

BLM NEPA program has developed an internal, web-based BLM Greenhouse Gas & 

Climate Change NEPA Toolkit for use in preparing NEPA documents. The program also 

evaluates NEPA compliance within BLM States. These activities contribute to sound, wellsupported Bureau planning and pr oject decisions, and pr ovide ongoing opportunities to 

strengthen working relationships with the public, stakeholder organizations, and partners in 

Federal, State, local, and tribal government.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 145

Assessment and M onitoring - The AIM Strategy is being implemented through five sets of 

interrelated projects. The first three are designed to implement West-wide monitoring that is 

coordinated, and where possible, integrated with the monitoring activities of other Federal, State 

and non-governmental partners. The West-wide projects include the BLM Rangeland 

Assessment, the BLM Western Rivers and S treams Assessment, and the BLM Grass-Shrub 

Fractional Mapping Project. Some of the Federal partners’ included in these efforts are the 

Natural Resource Conservation Service, Environmental Protection Agency, United States 

Geological Survey, and United States Forest Service. The two remaining projects are designed 

to help support immediate multi-State and field office priorities. These projects include efforts to 

monitor the effectiveness of BLM land use plans and t o determine the effectiveness of BLM 

treatments and actions. 

Public Involvement and Cooperating Agencies – The BLM involves interested members of the 

public and ot her governmental agencies—various Federal, State, local, county, and t ribal 

entities—to share technical expertise, fulfill requirements for cooperation under various laws, 

and ensure consistent management where BLM-managed lands are adjacent to those of other 

government agencies or affect the resource management of other government agencies. The 

BLM also participates in cooperating agency and c oordination training workshops with local 

government organizations to promote understanding of opportunities for local government 

participation in BLM land use planning and NEPA processes.

2016 Program Performance

Planning 2.0 – “Improving Land Use Planning” – In 2016, the BLM will finalize the Planning 2.0 

initiative, which is focused on designing a more proactive and flexible approach to planning 

across landscapes at multiple scales. As part of Planning 2.0, the BLM will complete targeted 

changes to the planning regulations (43 CFR 1601 and 1610) and issue a revised Land Use 

Planning Handbook (H-1601-1). The planning process will focus on more up-front collaboration 

with partners to produce durable decisions that readily address the rapidly changing 

environment and conditions posed by climate change, rapid growth in the urban interface with 

public lands and expanding resource development, and other stressors. Finally, the BLM will 

review, and where necessary, revise it's policy and procedures for monitoring the effectiveness 

of land use plan decisions as part of the 2.0 initiative. 

Land Use Plan Revisions – In 2016, the Resource Management Planning program will continue 

revisions on the 38 plans that are in process. This estimate takes into consideration plans that 

will be c ompleted and i nitiated in the interim. Active plan revisions are evaluated annually to 

determine progress and estimated costs for completion. Approvals to extend project schedules 

are coordinated through the Assistant Director for Renewable Resources and Planning. 

In 2015, the BLM plans to initiate four new RMP revisions. The remaining six Western Oregon 

RMP revisions will be funded by the O&C Resource Management Planning program. Since 

2001, the BLM has completed 77 plan revisions to improve the quality and effectiveness of its 

resource management. Another 50 planning projects are currently in progress and 29 plans are 

in need of revision or amendment to meet changing resource demands and conditions. 

Land Use Plan Amendments – Newly revised plans are maintained through amendments 

funded by benefitting programs. Targeted amendments address emerging challenges and 

changing resource issues, extend the useful life of a plan, and reduce the potential for litigation. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 146

In 2016, the Resource Management Planning program will continue to support high priority 

amendments, including those associated with renewable energy and transmission line projects. 

NEPA – The NEPA program will coordinate with the Department to provide and implement BLM 

national guidance on considering climate change through the NEPA and l and use planning 

processes. The NEPA program also will support BLM and Department policy development in 

other priority areas such as mitigation. In addition, the NEPA program will work with BLM’s 

National Training Center to evaluate NEPA training needs throughout the BLM and to develop 

new training as needed. 

Assessment and M onitoring - The Rangeland Assessment, the Western Rivers and S treams 

Assessment, and the Grass-Shrub Fractional Mapping Project, efforts to monitor the 

effectiveness of BLM land use plans, and e fforts to determine the effectiveness of BLM 

treatments and ac tions will be i mplemented. Additionally, the monitoring and as sessment 

protocols and core indicators developed as part of the AIM strategy will be us ed to gather 

information on terrestrial and aq uatic site condition, ecological sites, special status species, 

treatments, disturbance of the public lands, fire, and land uses within sage-grouse habitat.

Collaborative Action and D ispute Resolution – The CADR program is implementing a new 

Strategic Plan designed to: 

• Build awareness and understanding of collaboration and collaborative action both within 

and outside the BLM;

• Provide a f ramework for achieving consistency in collaborative efforts within BLM and 

with partners and stakeholders; and

• Focus on the practical application of collaborative principles and practices to meet the 

needs of the field.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 147

Activity: Resource Protection and Maintenance

Subactivity: Resource Protection and Law 

Enforcement

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Law Enforcement $000 25,325 25,325 +270 -100 +0 25,495 +170

FTE 131 131 +0 +0 131 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Law Enforcement: ($000) FTE

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands

-

100 +0 

Total -100 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Resource Protection and Law Enforcement Program is 

$25,495,000 and 131 FTEs and reflects an internal transfer of -$100,000 from the 2015 enacted 

level. 

Internal transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$100,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM 

proposes to transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National 

Conservation Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $100,000 will be t ransferred from Law 

Enforcement. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer 

will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and 

operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount 

represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of National 

Conservation Land units in recent years.

Program Overview 

Program Components

The Resource Protection and Law Enforcement Program supports the Bureau’s mission through 

the enforcement of Federal laws and r egulations related to the use, management, and 

development of public lands and resources. The objectives of the program are to:

• Provide a safe environment for public land users and employees;

• Deter, detect, and i nvestigate illegal activities, and r esolve or refer such matters to 

appropriate officials; and

• Ensure revenues owed to the government for authorized or unauthorized uses are paid.

Resource Protection and Law Enforcement Program resources:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 148

• Manage the law enforcement presence at special events and high-use recreation areas 

in order to support law enforcement needs exceeding the capacity of local field offices;

• Establish interagency agreements, partnerships, and service contracts with numerous 

State and local law enforcement agencies to secure supplemental support in the form of 

dispatch services, patrols of high use recreation areas, and assistance in the eradication 

of marijuana grown on public lands; and

• Utilize science-based methods and technology wherever possible to expand the 

capability to identify and monitor locations of illegal activity.

Critical Factors

Critical factors affecting the Resource Protection and Law Enforcement Program on public lands 

include:

• Large-scale marijuana cultivation threatens public and employee safety; while the 

associated diversion of natural water sources, the use of fertilizers, herbicides, and 

pesticides, the illegal taking of wildlife, and t he dumping of waste damages the 

ecosystems being exploited for illegal cultivation activities. 

• The smuggling of humans and controlled substances on public lands near the Southwest 

Border destroys the natural and cultural resources on these public lands and threatens 

public and employee safety.

• Population increases in urban areas located near public lands have led to corresponding 

increases in off-highway vehicle use, illegal dumping of waste, theft of mineral materials 

and native plants for private landscaping, and the ignition of wildland fires.

• Emergencies and similar unexpected developments frequently require law enforcement 

responses that cannot be planned for or anticipated.

• Partner law enforcement agencies continue to request funding assistance through 

service contracts and support agreements, particularly in counties where public lands 

are heavily impacted by both legal and illegal activties.

Demands, Trends and Resources

In 2014, the BLM saw a fifteen percent increase in the number of marijuana plants seized on 

public lands. Due to the scope of the marijuana cultivation problem on public lands and t he 

large number of Federal, State, and local agencies involved in combatting the issue, it is difficult 

to establish a di rect cause for the fluctuations seen in marijuana plant seizure statistics. 

However, several factors are believed to affect large scale marijuana cultivation on public lands, 

including:

• Increasingly effective utilization of multiagency investigation and eradication efforts 

targeting illegal activities at all levels of drug 

trafficking organizations.

• Prosecution of individuals at all levels of 

multi-state drug trafficking organizations is 

disrupting organizational structures and 

reducing cultivation and distribution 

capabilities. Marijuana plants on public lands.

Marijuana Plants on Public Lands.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 149

• Shifting weather patterns are altering the length of the growing season and the 

availability of natural water sources.

• Several State medical marijuana laws provide for the lawful cultivation of marijuana on 

private lands. Q uantities of this lawfully cultivated marijuana are known to be sold 

outside the legal trade. This unlawful sale of legally cultivated marijuana, combined with 

the public’s ability to lawfully cultivate marijuana for personal use purposes, may be 

altering levels of market supply and demand, thereby prompting fluctuations in the 

quantity of marijuana being cultivated on public lands.

2016 Program Performance

Marijuana Cultivation on Public Lands – 

The BLM plans to continue drug 

enforcement activities to include assigning 

special agents to investigate large scale 

marijuana cultivation on a full time basis in California and on a part time basis in other states to 

combat the expansion of marijuana cultivation activities; utilizing BLM rangers to conduct high 

profile patrol to detect and deter cultivation activities, eradicate marijuana cultivation sites, and 

provide security for personnel performing cultivation site rehabilitation efforts; and working with 

the Public Lands Drug Coordination Committee, under the Office of National Drug Control 

Policy, to utilize science-based methods to identify and address the environmental impacts of 

marijuana cultivation on public lands.

Southwest Borderlands – The BLM will continue to 

patrol and conduct law enforcement activities on 

public lands situated within 100 m iles of the 

Southwest Border in response to the heavy 

resource impacts and public safety concerns 

associated with illegal human and drug smuggling 

activities. The BLM continues to invest heavily in 

its Reclaim Our Arizona Monuments (ROAM) 

operation. D eveloped in response to the severe 

impacts occurring on the Bureau’s Ironwood 

Forest and S onoran Desert National Monuments, 

Operation ROAM combines the skills of BLM law 

enforcement officers with those of BLM resource 

specialists in order to improve public safety and remedy the resource damage caused by human 

and drug smuggling. This pairing of skill-sets serves to disrupt and deter smuggling operations 

and repair smuggling-related environmental damage caused by unauthorized roads and trails, 

large accumulations of trash, and concentrations of human waste.

Archaeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) Enforcement in the Four Corners Region – The 

BLM will continue to patrol and c onduct investigations in the Four Corners region of the 

Southwest to deter and detect incidents of theft and vandalism of cultural, historical, and 

paleontological resources. The BLM will prosecute suspects and provide for the proper 

curation, storage, and disposition of recovered artifacts. The BLM continues to support the 

process of repatriating hundreds of thousands of archaeological and Native American artifacts 

recovered through the “‘Cerberus Action”; a hi ghly successful multi-year investigation that 

targeted individuals suspected of looting archaeological sites and N ative American graves in 

violation of ARPA and the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. 

Marijuana Plants Seized by BLM on Public Lands

FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014

436,455 156,014 195,417 225,291

Illegal Road Created by Smuggling Activity in the 

Sonoran Desert National Monument.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 150

Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Recreation – The BLM will continue to dedicate law enforcement 

resources to the patrol of high-use 

OHV areas in order to protect sensitive 

resources and ensure the public is 

provided safe recreational 

opportunities on public lands. 

National Conservation Lands – The BLM will continue to patrol and conduct law enforcement 

activities within the National Conservation Lands in order to protect nationally significant 

resources and provide the public the opportunity to safely enjoy their public lands.

Wild Horses and Burros – The BLM will continue to enforce laws and investigate violations 

related to the harassment, unlawful removal, inhumane treatment, unauthorized destruction or 

sale of wild horses and burros.

Resource Damage, Loss and Theft – The BLM will continue to emphasize patrol, enforcement, 

and investigation actions to reduce the theft of public land resources, including mineral 

materials, timber and forest products, as well as improve production accountability and reduce 

theft of oil and gas resources. The BLM will investigate wildland fires to determine the origin 

and cause, identify responsible parties, and s eek civil enforcement or criminal prosecution in 

cases involving negligence or arson.

Off-Highway Vehicle Activity on Public Lands

FY 2011 FY 2012 FY2013 FY2014

OHV Incidents 6,427 4,067 5,164 4,662

Total Number of Incidents Reported

FY 2011 FY 2012 FY2013 FY2014

26,888 23,544 47,644 56,901

Theft, Vandalism, and Misuse of Resources Incidents Reported

FY 2011 FY 2012 FY2013 FY2014

Cultural, Paleontological & Historical Resources 72 140 153 184

Minerals 10 21 16 19

Natural Features & Other Wildland Resources 107 106 177 539

Timber, Forest Products, & Native Plants 190 279 456 634

Wild Horses and Burros 86 118 246 188

Wildland Fire Incidents Reported on Public Lands

No. of Fire Related Incidents FY 2011 FY 2012 FY2013 FY2014

698 1,053 1,341 1,691
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 151

Activity: Resource Protection and Maintenance

Subactivity: Abandoned Mine Lands

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Abandoned Mine Lands $000 16,687 16,987 +159 +0 +2,800 19,946 +2,959

FTE 63 63 +0 +0 63 +0

Notes: The Central Hazardous Materials Fund from the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, is a collaborative 

source of funding to address the goals of both the Abandoned Mine Lands and the Hazardous Materials Management 

programs. The 2015 estimated funding from the Central Hazardous Materials Fund is approximately $3.5 million. 

 

More information on the Central Hazardous Materials Fund is found in the Department of the Interior, Office of the 

Secretary, Department-wide Program Budget Justifications.

 

More information on the Central Hazardous Materials Fund is found in the Department of the Interior, Office of the 

Secretary, Department-wide Program Budget Justifications.

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Abandoned Mine Lands: ($000) FTE

Red Devil Mine Remediation +2,800 +0 

Total +2,800 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Abandoned Mine Lands Management Activity is $19,946,000 

and 63 FTE, a program change of +$2,800,000, and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level. 

Red Devil Mine Remediation (+$2,800,000/0 FTE) – The Red Devil Mine (RDM), located on 

the Kuskokwim River in Southwestern Alaska, is an abandoned cinnabar mine which produced 

mercury from 1939 thru 1971. In 2009, the BLM initiated a Remedial Investigation/Feasibility 

Study (RI/FS) of the Red Devil Mine site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, 

Compensation, and Li ability Act (CERCLA). As part of the CERCLA investigation, the BLM 

completed an R I which identified mine tailings near Red Devil Creek containing high 

concentrations of mercury, arsenic as well as antimony and t hat these metals are being 

released into the soil and water. In FY 2014, a non-time critical removal action was initiated and 

completed. This action removed mine tailings from Red Devil Creek and stabilized the stream 

channel to prevent further erosion and as sociated transport of contaminated tailings into the 

Kuskokwim River. The $2.8 million proposed increase for 2016 would be used for ground and 

surface water monitoring, Proposed Plan Development and Remedial Design/Remedial Action 

(RD/RA) development. 

Legislative Change

Reclamation Fee – To provide additional resources for the reclamation of priority abandoned 

hardrock mines, the 2016 budget proposes a new AML fee on hardrock mine production. Just 

as the coal industry is held responsible for abandoned coal sites, the Administration proposes to 

hold the hardrock mining industry accountable for the remediation of abandoned hardrock 

mines. The legislative proposal will levy an AML fee on uranium and metallic mines on both 

public and private lands. The proposed AML fee on the production of hardrock minerals will be 

collected on t he volume of material displaced after January 1, 2016. The r eceipts would be
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 152

divided between Federal and non-Federal land actions. The Secretary will disperse the share 

of non-Federal funds to each State and Tribe based on need. Each State and Tribe will select 

its own priority projects using established national criteria. The proposed hardrock AML fee and 

reclamation program will operate in parallel with the coal AML reclamation program as part of a 

larger effort to ensure the Nation’s most dangerous abandoned coal and hardrock AML sites are 

addressed by the industries that created them.

Program Overview

The Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program’s primary objective is to eliminate or minimize the 

environmental impacts as well as the physical safety hazards associated with historic hardrock 

mining activity within the National System of Public Lands (NSPL). The AML program addresses 

mine sites that were abandoned pr ior to January 1, 1981, the effective date of the BLM’s 

surface management regulations (43 CFR Subpart 3809). 

The program’s objectives are:

• Protecting public health and safety as well as reducing inherent liabilities by mitigating 

physical safety hazards and/or minimizing environmental impacts on the NSPL;

• Restoring the Nation’s watersheds impacted by abandoned mines on public lands;

• Educating the public about the potential dangers posed by abandoned mines as well as 

the actions the BLM takes to address those dangers;

• Implementing a r isk-based, watershed approach that embraces partnerships to 

effectively leverage funding and facilitate timely AML project completion; 

• Conducting inventories of yet undiscovered abandoned mine features and sites as well 

as performing the validation, recordation, and evaluations of those characteristics;

• Asserting the BLM’s lead role in the evaluation and remediation of AML sites located on 

and affecting the NSPL; 

• Implementing cost avoidance/cost recovery strategies pursuant to CERCLA;

• Restoring abandoned mine lands to productive uses including, but not limited to 

recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, renewable energy, and the preservation of 

historical/cultural resources;

• Integrating AML goals and priorities into the BLM land-use planning efforts as well as 

other BLM functions and programs; 

• Performing post-completion project monitoring to ensure the effective short and l ong 

term remediation of abandoned mine land sites.

Abandoned Mine Land Inventory

The AML program utilizes a database to record and track the thousands of AML sites and 

features within the NSPL. The Abandoned Mine Site Cleanup Module (AMSCM) currently 

contains over 84,000 features, such as physical hazards and environmental impacts, associated 

with 46,000 sites. 

 

Risk-based Prioritization

In addressing the environmental and physical safety hazards on the NSPL, the BLM places the 

greatest priority on c ompleting on-the-ground remediation at high-priority inventoried and 

characterized sites as well as newly discovered sites that pose higher risks due to population 

proximity, expansion and recreational activities in remote locations. The prioritization process 

ranks sites based on environmental and physical safety hazards and takes into account factors 

including water quality impairments and violations, watershed and other environmental impacts,
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 153

threats to public health or safety, existence of partnerships, cost avoidance/cost recovery, 

continuing/expediting existing on-the-ground projects, location, and cost efficiency.

Environmental Response and Remediation

The BLM’s environmental cleanup and remediation activities are guided by public laws such as 

CERCLA, the Clean Water Act, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act. The BLM 

uses its CERCLA authority to remediate environmental contamination on public land, prepare 

and implement emergency response contingency plans for oil and chemical spills, and recover 

costs from Potentially Responsible Parties.

Physical Safety Hazards

The majority of sites recorded in the AMSCM database contain physical hazards such as open 

mine shafts and pi ts, unstable rock, decayed mine support beams, and explosive as well as 

toxic chemicals. These physical safety hazards pose threats to humans and wildlife and are a 

high priority for the AML program. Temporary mitigation, such as fencing and signage, biological 

and archeological clearances, permanent closure, and installation of controlled access barriers 

are the most common remediation activities. 

Partnerships

Partnerships with other Federal, State, local, and tribal agencies are a vital component of the 

AML program. A ctivities include the development of agreements with States for abandoned 

mine closures, cleanup coordination, and development of joint policies and procedures. The 

BLM also enters into assistance agreements with non-governmental organizations, for example, 

with Bat Conservation International (BCI). The BCI assists the BLM in identifying abandoned 

mines that provide valuable bat habitat and helps to preserve it with bat-friendly closures.

Other Funding Sources:

In addition to the AML program funding, the BLM utilizes, in the appropriate circumstances, 

funding from the Department’s Central Hazardous Materials Fund (CHF) and the Department’s 

Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Restoration Fund. The CHF was established 

by Congress to be used for necessary expenses incurred for response actions conducted 

pursuant to the CERCLA, as amended as well as the regulatory requirements codified in the 

National Oil and H azardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan (NCP). The CHF is a 

competitive process among Department Bureaus and functions as a source of no-year funding 

for CERCLA cleanup projects and as a repository for funds recovered from potentially

responsible parties (PRP) pursuant to sections 107 or 113 o f CERCLA, 42 U .S.C.§§9607, 

9613. 

 

The purpose of the NRDA process is to restore public natural resources injured or destroyed by 

releases of hazardous substances or oil spills, and t o compensate the public, through the 

natural resource damage trustee, for losses of the natural resources that resulted from the 

releases or spills. The costs of the restoration are borne by the parties who are responsible for 

the release or spill. Response actions (CERCLA) and NRDA enforcement may be integrated to 

maximize efficiency in restoring the health, diversity and productivity of BLM-managed land.

Critical Factors 

Critical factors that impact the effectiveness of the AML Program include the following:

• The need t o support maintenance and m onitoring activities at previously remediated 

sites grows as new cleanup efforts are undertaken and c ompleted. The BLM must
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 154

• return to these sites to inspect the short and l ong term efficacy of the 

reclamation/restoration.

• The development of urban areas and related visitation has brought about growth in the 

public’s access to BLM-managed lands that were once considered remote. This 

increased ease of access by the public has resulted in an increase of exposure to the 

physical and environmental hazards associated with AML sites.

• AML restoration projects can be hi ghly complex in environmental scope and i mpact. 

Environmental analyses and s tudies are conducted to determine the extent of 

contamination and to identify restoration and remediation strategies. Typically, a 

multiple-year, phased approach is required to complete restoration/remediation activities 

due to funding limitations and study times.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the AML Program anticipates completing the following elements:

• Water quality: Remediating approximately 1800 acres to improve water quality;

• Physical Safety Hazards: Closing 900 physical safety hazards on AML;

• Inventory: Adding 2,800 new AML features to AMSCM;

• Monitoring and m aintenance: Returning to 1,300 remediated sites to check on the 

efficacy of physical safety closures and/or environmental remediation; and

• Complex Contaminated Site Cleanups–Leveraging funding with other Federal programs 

to address cleanups at large, complex sites that pose an i mminent risk to the public. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 155

Activity: Resource Protection and Maintenance

Subactivity: Hazardous Materials Management

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Hazardous Materials 

Management

$000 15,612 15,612 +204 -30 +0 15,786 +174

FTE 94 94 +0 +0 94 +0

Notes: The Central Hazardous Materials Fund from the Department of the Interior, Office of the Secretary, is a collaborative 

source of funding to address the goals of both the Abandoned Mine Lands and the Hazardous Materials Management 

programs. The 2015 estimated funding from the Central Hazardous Materials Fund is approximately $3.5 million. 

More information on the Central Hazardous Materials Fund is found in the Department of the Interior, Office of the 

Secretary, Department-wide Program Budget Justifications.

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Hazardous Materials Management: ($000) FTE

Internal Transfer to National Conservation Lands -30 +0 

Total -30 +0 

 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Hazardous Materials Management activity is $15,786,000 and 

94 FTE, and reflects an internal transfer of -$30,000 and 0 FTE.

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (-$30,000/0 FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $30,000 will be transferred from Hazardous Materials 

Management. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to 

undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer 

will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon approach to funding recurring labor and 

operational costs across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount 

represents the amount this subactivity has contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview

The Hazardous Materials Management Program ensures BLM compliance with Federal and 

State environmental regulations. The program also exercises the legal authorities granted to the 

BLM to protect human health and the environment by cleaning up hazardous waste sites. 

Additionally, the program implements Federal initiatives directed at improving environmental 

management and sustainability. Program activities include: 

• Minimizing environmental contamination on public lands;

• Reducing risks associated with environmental hazards;
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 156

• Restoring natural and cultural resources adversely impacted by oil discharges and 

hazardous substance releases;

• Correcting environmental compliance issues;

• Utilizing environmental management systems to identify, manage, and accomplish

operation sustainability objectives and targets, and other significant aspects of BLM 

operations that impact environmental performance; 

• Reducing the generation of wastes or contaminants at the source, thereby reducing the 

level of hazards to public health or the environment; and

• Partnering with the BLM Law Enforcement Program to remove illegally dumped material 

such as trash, hazardous materials, and abandoned vehicles.

The Hazardous Materials Management Program differs from the Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) 

Program. While the AML Program focuses on physical and environmental hazards associated 

with hardrock mines abandoned prior to 1981, the Hazardous Materials Management Program 

has a broader focus of environmental hazards on all public lands. Additionally, while the AML 

Program addresses both physical and environmental safety hazards at AML sites, the 

Hazardous Materials Management Program addresses environmental hazards only, but may 

support addressing environmental hazards at high-priority AML sites as well. 

Critical Factors 

Critical factors that impact the effectiveness of the program include:

• The need to provide maintenance and monitoring activities at previously remediated 

sites increases as new cleanup efforts are undertaken and completed;

• There are currently 172 sites on the Environmental Disposal Liability list which require 

some degree of remediation;

• Urban growth and development is resulting in increased public access to BLM-managed 

lands. This trend has not only increased the number of illegal dumps on public lands, but 

has also heightened the need to address contaminated sites rapidly in order to reduce 

public health and safety hazards. Increased real-estate development and property 

transfer activities also require environmental site assessments and a c adre of trained 

and certified BLM environmental professionals; and

• Illegal immigration and smuggling activities along the Arizona, New Mexico and 

California borders with Mexico cause damage to public lands, including national 

monuments and des ignated wilderness areas. Such damage includes unauthorized 

roads and t rails; cut fences; damaged vegetation; contaminated water resources; and 

large accumulations of solid and hazardous waste. 

Means and Strategies

The BLM uses the following strategies to operate the program:

• Developing, implementing, and maintaining emergency response contingency plans (i.e., 

oil and chemical spill);

• Leveraging funding with partners to respond to community needs and concerns;

• Assessing and maintaining BLM facilities to ensure compliance with environmental laws 

and regulations;

• Searching for parties responsible for contamination on public lands to seek their 

participation in remediating the site or recover costs;
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• Partnering with other environmental protection-related agencies such as the U.S. Fish 

and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers, and the U.S. Forest Service, as well as with other BLM programs, including 

the AML, Law Enforcement, and Recreation Programs; 

• Partnering with State, law enforcement, and v olunteer groups to deter and m itigate 

damage to public lands along the Southwest border from illegal immigration and 

smuggling activities;

• Using the Abandoned Mine Site and C leanup Module database to track and prioritize 

sites based on the level of risk to human health and the environment; and

• Using the HMM Special Cleanup Fund (SCF) to address the removal and remediation of 

hazardous substances (solid waste, hazardous waste and hazardous substances). The 

SCF was created as a mechanism to manage larger, high-risk hazardous material sites 

not currently eligible for other funding sources.

Other Funding Sources

In addition to program funding, the BLM utilizes, in the appropriate circumstances, funding from 

the Department’s Natural Resource Damage Assessment Restoration Fund (NRDAR), and the 

Department’s Central Hazardous Materials Fund (CHF).

The BLM uses the NRDAR Fund to identify damage to natural resources; work with the public 

and the polluters to plan restoration efforts; seek payment from the polluters for resource 

restoration costs; and restore or replace resources to pre-contamination conditions. Project 

scoping and s tart-up funds may come from Interior. Assessment funds are provided through 

Interior or negotiated with polluters. Restoration funds come from settlements with polluters, 

either through negotiations or legal action. Funds from these settlements are then used to 

restore the damaged resources at no expense to the taxpayer. Settlements often include the 

recovery of costs incurred in assessing the damages. 

The CHF includes appropriated and recovered funds, and supports response actions, remedial 

investigations, feasibility studies, and cleanup at sites contaminated by hazardous substances. 

These sites are prioritized based on human health and ecological risk, regulatory factors, and 

the level of Potentially Responsible Party involvement. Proposals are reviewed and prioritized 

first by BLM State Offices through a y early nomination process, and t hen by Departmental 

representatives. The BLM currently manages 26 CHF sites. In 2015, the CHF plans to allocate 

$3.5 million for BLM sites. 

2016 Program Performance

The program will continue to perform the following activities in fiscal year 2016:

• Complex Contaminated Site Cleanups – Leverage funding with other Federal programs to 

address cleanups at hazardous waste sites that pose imminent risk to the public;

• Environmental Compliance – Support, with the Engineering and S afety Programs, the 

performance of Compliance Assessment – Safety, Health, and the Environment (CASHE) 

audits. In 2016, CASHE audits will be performed at twenty-nine organizational units;

• Illegal Dumping Prevention - Continue prevention efforts by targeting cleanups, outreach, 

and monitoring to promote safety and mitigate environmental damage;
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• Emergency Response - Respond to and c lean up oi l spills and hazardous materials 

releases;

• Munitions and Explosives of Concern - Continue collaboration with other Department of the 

Interior Bureaus, as well as the Department of Defense, in the development of a database 

that prioritizes, tracks and monitors munitions and explosives of concern, to ensure visitor 

and employee safety and to ensure the cleanup of military training sites including Formally 

Used Defense Sites. The BLM is working with the Department to develop geo-spatial tools 

to augment the relational database. The program will also support the Lands, Realty, and 

Cadastral Survey Division in documentation of military sites in LR200 and Case Files;

• Special Cleanup Fund - Remove or remediate hazardous materials sites in Alaska, 

California, Colorado Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, Montana, and Oregon. 

• Environmental Management System - Continue implementation of the EMS in all States and 

Centers. Provide for 3rd party audits to ensure compliance with Department standards. The 

Washington Office has implemented an E MS to improve the Bureau’s sustainability 

performance as tracked on the Office of Management and Budget scorecard;

• Sustainability - Continue participation in the Department Technical Working Group in order 

to meet Department-wide sustainability goals. Also continue participation in the Bureauwide Technical Working Group to complete the annual Green House Gas (GHG) Inventory. 

In addition, develop operational controls to enhance environmental performance, including

reducing GHG emissions, energy use, and potable water use. Support State BLM projects 

initiated to meet sustainability targets set for their State operations; and

• Southwest Border Cleanup – Continue to leverage funds and resources with partners to 

conduct remediation and r estoration activities along the Southwest border.
Transportation and 

Facilities 

Maintenance 

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Activity: Transportation and Facilities Maintenance

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Annual Maint. & Ops $000 38,637 38,637 +491 -686 +500 38,942 +305 

FTE 248 248 +0 +0 248 +0 

Def. Maint. & Cap. 

Improvements

$000 26,995 26,995 +152 +0 +4,240 31,387 +4,392 

FTE 43 43 +0 +0 43 +0 

Total, Transportation & 

Facilities

$000 65,632 65,632 +643 -686 +4,740 70,329 +4,697 

FTE 291 291 +0 +0 291 +0 

The 2016 budget request for Transportation and Facilities Management is $70,329,000 and 291 

FTE, and reflects an internal transfer of -$686,000 and program increases totaling +$4,740,000 

and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level. 

Activity Description

The goals of the Transportation and Facilities Maintenance Programs are to protect employee 

and visitor safety, resource values, and publ ic investments, as well as to provide facilities 

management and public lands stewardship. To accomplish this, the BLM focuses on:

• Operating clean, safe, and fully functional facilities at recreation sites;

• Performing annual maintenance on all facilities;

• Conducting comprehensive assessments on the physical condition and regulatory 

compliance for all facilities;

• Implementing the Five-Year Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvement Plans;

• Improving capabilities to manage facilities maintenance through development of an 

automated facility asset management system; and

• Implementing property and asset management planning to accurately inventory and 

describe assets, establish appropriate levels of investment, and adopt public or 

commercial benchmarks and best practices.

Within the Transportation and Facilities Maintenance Activity, two subactivities contribute to the 

stewardship of the BLM facilities:

• Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvements

• Annual Maintenance and Operational Costs

 

Critical Factors

In the contiguous United States, two-thirds of BLM-managed lands are within a one-hour drive 

of urban areas. As population grows, public use places increasing demands on facilities and 

resources. Additionally, BLM-managed roads now experience much higher usage rates than 

when those roads were built, increasing the cost of maintaining them in a s afe condition.
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Means and Strategies

In conducting program work, the BLM adheres to the requirements of Executive Order 13327, 

"Federal Real Property Asset Management." This includes:

• Using public and commercial benchmarks and best practices;

• Employing life-cycle cost-benefit analysis;

• Providing appropriate levels of investment;

• Accurately inventorying and describing all assets; and

• Providing safe, secure, and productive workplaces. 

The BLM uses two industry standard performance measures, the Asset Priority Index and the 

Facilities Condition Index (FCI), for identifying the condition of constructed assets and targeting 

assets that can be disposed of or require additional annual maintenance or supplemental 

funding from deferred maintenance. These measures help identify the condition of constructed 

assets and determine whether the asset requires additional annual maintenance, funding from 

deferred maintenance, or if the asset should be disposed. Additional criteria used to prioritize 

projects are the Scope of Benefits, Investment Strategy, and Consequences of Failure to Act. 

The 4 criteria put emphasis on projects that:

• Repair the highest priority projects that are in the poorest condition; 

• Are clearly aligned with DOI, and bureau initiatives and strategic goals; 

• Have a pos itive return on i nvestment that leverages outside interest and/or reduces 

operation and maintenance liabilities;

• Have unacceptable risk levels if the project is not completed.

Assessment Process

The BLM conducts baseline condition assessments of recreation sites and 

administrative sites, including on-site buildings and structures; Maintenance Level 3, 4, 

and 5 r oads, bridges, dams, and major trails. T he condition assessment process 

identifies deferred maintenance needs and determines the current replacement value 

of constructed assets. Knowing the estimated cost of deferred maintenance and the 

replacement value of recreation and administrative sites allows the BLM to use the 

industry standard FCI as a method of measuring the condition and change of condition 

of facilities. 

The FCI is the ratio of accumulated deferred maintenance to the current replacement 

value (FCI = Deferred Maintenance/Current Replacement Value). It is an indicator of

the overall condition of capital assets. The general guideline is that FCI should be 

below 0.15 for a facility to be considered in acceptable condition. The Facility Asset 

Management System documents the FCI, and it is a major tool used for management 

decisions on the disposal of assets.
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Activity: Transportation and Facilities Maintenance

Subactivity: Annual Maintenance and Operational 

Costs

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Annual Maint. & Ops $000 38,637 38,637 +491 -686 +500 38,942 +305

FTE 248 248 +0 +0 248 +0

Note: - The Road Maintenance permanent mandatory appropriation is a collaborative activity of the Annual Maintenance & 

Operations program accounting for less than $100,000 in available receipts from public domain lands; for more 

information on road maintenance, see the Oregon and California Grant Lands and Permanent Operating Funds 

chapters

Other Resources Supporting Annual Maint. & Ops:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

Quarters Maintenance $000 692 669 620 -49

FTE 1 1 1 +0

Notes: 

- Quarters Maintenance amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from rent on BLM employee-occupied quarters; Section 320 of the 1985 Interior and 

Related Appropriations Act (Public Law 98-473) appropriates these funds on a permanent basis. More information on Quarters Maintenance is found in the 

Permanent Operating Funds chapter.

- Amount in 2014 and 2015 for Quarters Maintenance shown net of sequestration

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year for Quarters Maintenance are found in President's Budget Appendix under the BLM section.

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Annual Maintenance program is $38,942,000 and 248 FT E, 

and reflects an internal transfer of -$686,000 and 0 FTE and a pr ogram change of +$500,000 

and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level. 

Enhance Core Capability (+500,000/+0 FTE) – The increase will fund additional preventive 

maintenance on c onstructed assets supporting administrative, recreational, and i nfrastructure 

needs, with an emphasis in areas under greatest pressure from community growth.

Transfer to National Monuments & National Conservation Areas (NM&NCAs) (-$686,000/0 

FTE) – In 2016, the BLM proposes to transfer a t otal of $5.0 million from various MLR 

subactivities to the National Conservation Lands. Of the $5.0 million transfer, $686,000 will be 

transferred from Annual Maintenance and O perational Costs. Since its creation in 2009, the 

BLM has not had t he financial resources to undertake a systemic effort to incorporate newer
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII – 162

units into its funding structure. This transfer will create consistency, clarity and a c ommon 

approach to funding recurring labor and ope rational costs across the units of the National 

Conservation Lands. The transfer amount represents the amount this subactivity has 

contributed to the operations of the National Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview 

Program Components

The Annual Maintenance Program provides for visitor and employee safety and ensures proper 

facilities management. Funding provides for emergency, preventive, and cyclical maintenance, 

and baseline facility condition assessments. The program manages operations, facility services 

and landscape upkeep in order to maintain BLM facilities in good condition and minimize new 

deferred maintenance needs.

2016 Program Performance 

In 2014, the BLM reported 4,747 structures and 793 buildings in the Federal Real Property 

Profile. These structures consist of dams, bridges, electrical and communication systems, trails, 

and roads. In 2016, this appropriation would allow the BLM to maintain 89 to 90 percent of 

facilities at an acceptable level.
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Activity: Transportation and Facilities Maintenance

Subactivity: Deferred Maintenance and Capital 

Improvements

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Def. Maint. & Cap. 

Improvements

$000 26,995 26,995 +152 +0 +4,240 31,387 +4,392

FTE 43 43 +0 +0 43 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Deferred Maintenance & Capital 

Improvements: ($000) FTE

High-Priority Projects +4,240 +0 

Total +4,240 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvements Program is 

$31,387,000 and 43 FTE, a program change of +$4,240,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted 

level.

High-Priority Projects (+$4,240,000/0 FTE) – The requested increase will support additional 

facility repair projects that otherwise would not have been f unded. Priorities will be i dentified 

using the Department’s capital investment guidelines. The projects include sustainability 

upgrades, radio infrastructure, and bridge, dam, and facilities repairs on critical assets. 

Program Overview 

Program Components

The program:

• Improves the overall condition of BLM facilities;

• Renews aging infrastructure;

• Provides professional engineering services;

• Manages environmental and structural risks of facilities;

• Manages corrective actions identified through Compliance Assessment Safety, Health 

and the Environment Audits;

• Manages corrective actions identified for accessibility provisions;

• Manages corrective actions for improvement of energy savings; and

• Constructs facilities for visitors and employees that comply with Federal requirements. 

The program prioritizes health and safety work and mission critical assets, followed by resource 

protection, energy and s ustainability, and c ode compliance. This includes replacing and 

reconstructing existing roads, trails, bridges, recreation and administrative facilities, and 

buildings.
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Energy conservation and sustainability are primary considerations for all new projects. Projects 

incorporate the Federal Five Guiding Principles and f ollow the BLM’s Sustainable Buildings 

Implementation Plan to reduce operational costs, improve energy efficiency, and conserve 

water.6 Funding is specifically targeted to assess a building’s sustainability performance and to 

make improvements on the identified deficiencies. The BLM priority is to make every building as 

sustainable and ener gy efficient as possible. The planning of all the BLM’s Deferred 

Maintenance projects includes consideration of the possible effects climate change may have 

on the future operations of its facilities. The sites are assessed to determine if design or site 

adjustments need to be incorporated to account for possible climate change effects. 

The BLM Asset Management Plan prioritizes funding to the highest priority assets and plans the 

disposal of unneeded a ssets to attain a por tfolio of constructed assets in good physical and 

functional condition, aligned with current and projected requirements. 

In an effort to control costs and save future operational maintenance funding, every project is 

assessed to determine if space can be economized and unneeded facilities can be disposed. 

The BLM is targeting three percent of its total budget to dispose of unneeded assets and to 

align to a m ore efficient portfolio. Every new building project considers alternatives to 

consolidate current operations and space to gain the best efficiencies and monetary savings. 

The BLM categorizes deferred maintenance needs identified through condition assessments 

and other inspections into specific projects which are proposed in the Five-Year Deferred 

Maintenance and Capital Improvement Plan. To manage these projects, the BLM observes the 

following guidelines:

• For projects with estimated costs of $10 million or more, the program schedules one 

year for project planning, one year for design, and no more than two years for 

construction.

• For projects with estimated costs between $2 million and $10 million, the program 

schedules one y ear for project planning and de sign, and no m ore than two years for 

construction.

• For projects with estimated costs below $2 million, the program schedules one year for 

planning and design and one year for construction.

The Five Year Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvement Plan is updated annually using 

the Department of Interior’s planning guidance through the budget document Attachment G. 

Attachment G uses 4 categories in assessing a projects funding priority. Ultimately, Attachment 

G prioritizes a project using its condition and mission priority, those highest priority buildings in 

the worst condition are the highest priority for funding. In recent years, the BLM expanded 

planning for each new project to include the impacts of expected life cycle costs on BLM’s total 

budget. Project submissions include the estimated operation expenses, energy cost saving and 

sustainability actions, and the improvement in facility condition as a result of the project.

 

6 This policy is supported by the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (EPACT 2005), Energy Independence 

and Security Act of 2007 (EISA) and the goals of Executive Orders 13123 and 13514
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2016 Program Performance 

In 2016, the planned accomplishments in the Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvements 

Program include 69 deferred maintenance projects and nine disposal projects. The deferred 

maintenance projects include corrective actions, sustainability improvements and accessibility 

projects. The planned projects in 2016 w ill consolidate operations and dispose of unneeded 

assets in the Eastern States office, target mission critical assets in dire need o f repair and 

improve the condition of a number of bridges, recreation sites, and administrative sites that 

require maintenance requirements.
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National Conservation 

Lands

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –167

Activity: National Conservation Lands

Subactivity: National Monuments and National 

Conservation Areas

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

NMs & NCAs

$000 31,819 31,819 +461 +5,009 +11,181 

 

48,470 +16,651

FTE 241 241 +0 +20 261 +20

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for NMs & NCAs: ($000) FTE

Secretary's Conservation Vision for Excellence +11,181 +20 

Internal Transfer from other MLR subactivities +5,009 +0 

Total +16,190 +20 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the National Monuments and National Conservation Areas (NMs 

and NCAs) subactivity is $48,470,000 and 26 1 FTE. This reflects a program increase of 

+$11,181,000 and +20 FTE and an internal transfer of +$5,009,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 

enacted level. 

America’s Great Outdoors (+$11,181,000/+20 FTE) – The National Conservation Lands 

comprise 30 million acres of the most ecologically rich and c ulturally significant of lands 

managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Our nation’s newest collection of protected 

public lands—standing in stature with our National Parks, National Forests and National Wildlife 

Refuges-National Conservation Lands are part of an ac tive, vibrant landscape where people 

live, work and play. They are the mountains, hills and trails where people enjoy the outdoors, 

exercise and spend time with family and friends. American history is created within the National 

Conservation Lands with unique cultural, ecological and scientific values. These are places that 

spark the imagination. Their spacious beauty has drawn people to the West for generations. 

These landscapes of the American spirit represent an opportunity to leave something for the 

future that transcends Administrations and will span generations. 

Eleven new National Conservation Lands units have been des ignated during the current 

Administration; the latest and bol dest is the 500,000-acre Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks 

National Monument in southern New Mexico. The Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks area is 

important for its ruggedly beautiful landscape and t he significant scientific, historic, and 

prehistoric resources found there. The abundant resources testify to over 10,000 years of 

vibrant and diverse human history of many peoples. The protection of the Organ MountainsDesert Peaks area will preserve its cultural, prehistoric, and historic legacy and maintain its 

diverse array of natural and s cientific resources, ensuring that the prehistoric, historic, and 

scientific values of this area remain for the benefit of all Americans. Continuing this legacy and 

commitment to conservation requires higher levels of support than the 2015 enacted 

appropriation. The 2016 budget request supports the advancement of the President’s 

conservation initiative to reconnect Americans to the great outdoors and ensure that public 

lands reflect the diversity of our country and A merica’s rich history of leadership.
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Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –168

The 2016 budg et request includes an i ncrease of $11.2 million to support critical resource 

protection and maintenance work on the National Conservation Lands. Efforts to be undertaken 

will include eradicating invasive plants that jeopardize native species and c ontribute to 

unnatural, increasingly difficult-to-manage fire regimes; protecting equipment investments from 

weather; conducting inventories of the world-class and often endemic resources, objects, and 

values for which each NM&NCA was designated; and i mplementing resource, science and 

travel management plans. The BLM will also address additional maintenance needs, such as 

signs and kiosks, campground benches, larger trash dumpsters, bathroom facilities, and new 

access-point facilities needed to ensure the public health and safety of visitor centers. Funding 

to the visitor centers will accommodate public demand for increased hours of operation, 

program offerings and greater capacity on National Conservation Lands. 

The increase also supports critical staff positions, including dedicated managers, essential 

resources specialists, outdoor recreation planners, partnership/volunteer/youth coordinators, 

law enforcement, and s easonal park and river rangers needed t o staff visitor centers and 

manage the unique values of the units. Funds will allow the program to support geographical 

information systems technicians to implement the Director’s recreation mapping project in the 

States that will support the Secretary’s youth initiative and implement priority restoration work. 

Transfer to National Conservation Lands (+$5,009,000/+0 FTE) - In 2016, the BLM will 

transfer a total of $5.0 million from various MLR subactivities to the National Conservation 

Lands. Since its creation in 2009, the BLM has not had the financial resources to undertake a 

systemic effort to incorporate newer units into its funding structure. This transfer will create 

consistency, clarity and a common approach to funding recurring labor and operational costs 

across the units of the National Conservation Lands. The transfer amount represents the 

amount these other MLR subactivities have contributed to the operations of the National 

Conservation Lands in recent years.

Program Overview

This program encompasses the BLM’s 20 NMs, 16 NCAs, three Outstanding Natural Areas, one 

Cooperative Management and Protection Area, and one Forest Reserve. The BLM’s NMs and 

NCAs are primarily managed to conserve, protect, restore, and enhan ce America’s national 

heritage. These 9.2 million acres of public lands are often referred to as the crown jewels of the 

BLM. 

The program is unique in its management of areas established by Congress or Presidential 

proclamation for conservation purposes because it is managed under the principles of multipleuse and sustained yield. Traditional activities such as hunting, livestock grazing, and Native 

American cultural and religious uses continue throughout many of these landscapes. Oil and 

gas development also continues on some of these public lands where valid rights existed prior 

to their designation. This multiple-use approach honors the essential role these working 

landscapes have played in molding the history, culture, and economy of the western U.S. 

These special places span the breadth of BLM-managed public lands and include such diverse 

lands as the 1.2 million-acre Steese NCA, which protects two of Alaska’s most important 

caribou herds; America’s first NCA—King Range National Conservation Area, designated in 

1970 along California’s Lost Coast; Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area on t he 

Atlantic coast of Florida; and Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients NM which protects the
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greatest known density of First American archeological sites in the United States, including cliff 

dwellings, villages, kivas, shrines, agricultural fields, and r ock art, some of which are over 

10,000 years old. 

Connecting People to the Land

Because more than 64 million people live within 100 miles of BLM-managed lands in the West, 

and the elevated profile of public lands designated as NMs and NCAs, regional, national, and 

international visitors are attracted to the National Conservation Lands. Consequently, more 

people recreate on public lands than ever. The high level of visitation presents the BLM with the 

challenge of providing more intensive recreation management and law enforcement to ensure 

visitors have high-quality, diverse, self-directed recreation opportunities. For example, in 

Nevada, over 1.5 million people visit Red Rock Canyon NCA every year. 

Engaging the Next Generation

The Department of the Interior is engaging 

the next generation through the Play, Learn, 

Serve, and Work Initiative. Consistent with 

this initiative, the program engages, 

educates, and e mploys youths, veterans, 

and military families. At the Grand StaircaseEscalante NM in southern Utah, a nat ive 

plant restoration project is an innovative and 

highly regarded partnership that effectively 

connects youth to the great outdoors 

through habitat restoration. 

The BLM worked with the monument’s 

friends group to engage over 100 s tudents from the nearby Kanab High School in seed 

collection and pr opagation, invasive plant species removal, and pl anting the drought-tolerant 

native plant seedlings they had grown to restore wildlife habitat. This partnership offers handson experiences in the natural sciences to students. The BLM engages in over 50 similar 

partnerships that work to support the NMs and NCAs.

Advancing Scientific Knowledge

The NMs and NCAs serve as long-term 

reserves within an ecological landscape for 

vulnerable native plant and ani mal 

populations. Scientific data on the conditions, 

trends, and relationships of these resources 

are critical for managers when determining 

how to successfully adapt management to 

address land health stressors, such as 

climate change, changing fire regimes, the 

spread of invasive and exotic species, and 

human population growth. 

Grand Staircase Escalante NM, Utah

Grand Gulch Wilderness Study Area, Utah
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Creating Economic Opportunities

Communities surrounding the units of the National Conservation Lands derive significant 

economic benefits through tourism. The BLM, in cooperation with local communities, supports 

the creation of recreation and v isitor facilities in nearby gateway communities rather than 

building extensive facilities within the National Conservation Lands. 

In addition to the revenue generated by 

tourism, the National Conservation Lands 

also provide revenue from energy 

development as well as traditional uses such 

as ranching and mineral extraction. Las 

Cienegas NCA’s relationship with grazing 

spans generations. The BLM continues to 

work with ranchers and permittees to 

enhance grazing practices and protect natural 

resources in this spectacular part of Southern 

Arizona. In Colorado, over 80 per cent of the 

Canyons of the Ancients NM are leased for oil 

and gas development. Canyons of the 

Ancients NM continues to lead the way in development and implementation of best practices to 

balance protection of Native American cultural resources and extraction of gas from one of most 

highly-concentrated carbon dioxide fields in the Nation.

Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks NM, New Mexico
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2016 PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

The program instituted a new bureau-wide performance measure in 2014: “Percent of 

designated Monuments and NCAs inventoried for the resources, objects, and values for which 

they were designated.” T he BLM began data collection in fiscal year 2014, focusing on 

collecting baseline data for all NMs and NCAs. 

The program will focus on managing NMs and NCAs as an integral part of the BLM’s multipleuse and s ustained-yield mission, including by showcasing the accomplishments of BLM 

programs such as rangeland resources management, natural gas development, and recreation. 

Key accomplishments planned in 2016 include:

● Implementing completed land use plans for NMs and N CAs designated in the 

Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, as required by law.

● Conducting inventories for the presence of the unique resources, objects, and values 

for which NMs and NCAs were designated.

● Developing science plans for NMs and NCAs to provide a f oundation for decisionmaking.

Alaska 450 450 655 

Arizona 6,500 6,500 8,525

California 4,925 4,925 7,216

Colorado 3,200 3,200 4,977 

Eastern States 150 150 513

Idaho 2,380 2,380 2,975 

Montana/Dakotas 1,550 1,550 2,090

New Mexico 1,042 1,042 4,427

Nevada 1,275 1,275 3,025

Oregon/Washington 1,475 1,475 2,765

Utah 5,950 5,950 7,768

Subtotal, State Allocations 28,897 28,897 44,936

National Level Program Support† 2,922 2,922 3,534

Total 31,819 31,819 48,470

National Monuments & National Conservation Areas 

Funding By BLM State Office

BLM State Office 2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 

Request

Note: 2014 and 2015 State Office amounts include funds allocated to units for high priority projects

†Includes funds supporting Washington Office, National Operations Center, National Training Center, Bureau-Wide 

Administrative Support, and Fixed Costs Changes to be allocated

‡Funds supporting to high priority projects needs as determined by an annual work plan process
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● Using NMs and NCAs as outdoor laboratories for new, innovative management 

practices, including the use of livestock grazing to manage both invasive and special 

status plants, and adaptive management.

● Eradicating and c ontrolling invasive plants, conducting vegetation treatments, 

removing decommissioned roads, restoring healthy ecosystem function, and 

promoting habitat connectivity and landscape-scale ecological sustainability.

● Providing resource protection and public safety.

● Engaging communities to provide sustainable recreational experiences to visitors, 

which benefits local economies.

● Fostering partnerships, including with Friends groups, for NMs and NCAs.

● Expanding volunteer opportunities to permit more important contributions that 

volunteers make to NMs and NCAs.

● Providing highly regarded education and interpretation to the public.

● Recruiting and retaining youth for employment in conservation.
Challenge Cost Share

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Activity: Challenge Cost Share

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Challenge Cost Share $000 2,413 2,413 +3 +0 +10,000 12,416 +10,003

FTE 5 5 +0 +0 5 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Challenge Cost Share: ($000) FTE

Climate Resilient Landscapes +10,000 +0 

Total +10,000 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Challenge Cost Share Program is $12,416,000 and 5 FTE, a 

program change of +$10,000,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Climate Resilient Landscapes (+$10,000,000/0 FTE) - The increase of $10.0 million in 

Challenge Cost Share funds will be used to expand collaborative partnerships and projects that 

address the adverse impacts of climate change on publ ic resources. The BLM will prioritize 

projects using criteria developed in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 

National Park Service to conserve and restore the most vulnerable lands. Projects will invest in 

heritage resources, fish, wildlife and plants, and recreation lands that can recover quickly from 

disturbance change. The BLM will use novel, cost-effective methods maximizing the return on 

investment.

Program Overview

Program Components

The Challenge Cost Share (CCS) Program allows the BLM to partner with local organizations to 

meet Administration priorities for on-the-ground habitat, recreation and cultural resource work. 

The BLM leverages CCS funds with partners’ monies or other in-kind contributions, at a 

minimum 1:1 rate. When appropriate, CCS funds are focused in high priority areas and aligned 

with other BLM funding. Some very successful projects have recently combined upwards of 

$6.00 in partner contributions for every $1.00 of CCS funds. 

BLM partners represent a broad spectrum of organizations that work to conserve public lands, 

enrich the public’s outdoor experience, and invite rural and urban residents to explore America’s 

Great Outdoors. These organizations care about the health of local communities, recreation and 

tourism, cultural heritage, forestry, oil and gas drilling, minerals and mining, livestock grazing, 

scientific research, wildlife, interpretation and environmental education. BLM partners include: 

• Federal, State and municipal agencies;

• Recreation and social groups; 

• Non-profit organizations;

• School districts, colleges, and universities;

• Special interest groups;

• National advocacy groups; 
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• Industry, private corporations and local businesses; and

• The Girl Scouts of the USA and the Boy Scouts of America.

• 

Critical Factors

Partnerships, through programs such as CCS, are vital to the Bureau’s success. The BLM’s 

commitment to and involvement with local communities is the key to reach stakeholders and 

youth. I n turn, these successful relationships are an ef fective way to complete the following 

strategic work: 

• Survey, monitor and inventory resources;

• Restore public land health;

• Support threatened and endangered species management;

• Enhance recreational experiences;

• Manage off-highway-vehicle use;

• Provide visitor services and facilities; 

• Conduct public outreach and education projects; 

• Support emerging partnership development; and

• Increase the capacity of partners to secure more resources and accomplish more onthe-ground work.

Means and Strategies

Individual CCS projects are prioritized and selected at the local and State level by an 

interdisciplinary team of BLM State and field office personnel. That prioritized list is then 

forwarded to the National CCS Team. The National CCS Team evaluates the merit of projects 

and approves them, in coordination with BLM State office program leads. Project selection 

criteria include the project’s ability to:

• Focus funding in priority areas such as units of the National Conservation Lands and 

Healthy Landscape focal areas;

• Provide multiple program benefits;

• Restore or sustain BLM land health by accomplishing on-the-ground work that focuses 

on important habitats;

• Protect cultural and heritage resources and meet public demand for diverse recreational 

opportunities; and

• Sustain multiple valued and beneficial partnerships.

2016 Program Performance

The BLM has identified national priorities and required State and field offices to submit projects 

that meet these criteria. The National CCS Team will select the projects using the process 

described above. Selecting and implementing projects that increase the resilience of BLM lands 

and resources to climate change will be a m ajor focus of the CCS Program in 2016. The 

additional $10.0 requested in CCS, combined with the leveraging effect of working with 

partners, will supplement ongoing BLM efforts to incorporate resilience into land management 

programs and activities.

By leveraging funding from a variety of stakeholders, the CCS Program contributes to multiple 

program subactivities with over 120 program elements. Its accomplishments encompass a wide 

variety of work activities which assess, treat, and m onitor BLM lands.
Workforce and 

Organizational Support

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Activity: Workforce and Organizational Support

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Administrative Support $000 47,127 47,127 +540 +0 +3,275 50,942 +3,815 

FTE 287 287 +0 +0 287 +0 

Bureauwide Fixed Costs $000 92,901 91,010 +2,635 +0 +0 93,645 +2,635 

FTE 0 0 +0 +0 0 +0

IT Management $000 25,696 25,696 +262 +0 +0 25,958 +262 

FTE 97 97 +0 +0 97 +0 

Total, Workforce & 

Organizational Support

$000 165,724 163,833 +12,331 +0 +3,275 170,545 +6,712 

FTE 384 384 +0 +0 384 +0 

The 2016 budget request for Workforce and Organizational Support is $170,545,000 and 384 

FTE, a program increase of +$3,275,000 and 0 FTE over the 2015 enacted level. 

Activity Description

Workforce and Organizational Support funds services related to general-use automated 

systems and specified business practices not directly tied to a specific program output, such as 

human resources management, equal employment opportunity, financial management, property 

and acquisition management, and information technology management. 

Estimated Workforce and Organizational Support Costs – Section 403 of Division F of the 

2015 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 113-235) requires that the “amount and bas is of 

estimated overhead charges, deductions, reserves or holdbacks, including working capital fund 

and cost pool charges, from programs, projects, activities, and subactivities to support 

government-wide, departmental, agency, or bureau administrative functions or headquarters, 

regional, or central operations” be p resented in annual budget justifications and s ubject to 

approval by the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

Requeste

d Amount

Administrative Support 47,127 47,127 50,942 +3,815

Bureauwide Fixed Costs 92,901 91,010 93,645 +2,635

IT Management 25,696 25,696 25,958 +262

Subtotal, Direct Appropriations 165,724 163,833 170,545 +6,712

National Assessments 37,168 35,477 34,009 -1,468

State/Regional Assessments 113,415 115,116 116,843 +1,727

Subtotal, Assessments 150,583 150,593 150,852 +259

Total, Administrative Costs (Sec. 404) 316,307 314,426 321,397 +6,971

†Shown as estimated amounts for fiscal years 2014 and 2015

Administrative Costs (Section 403)†

$000 2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

Change 

from 2015
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The BLM funds the costs described in Section 403 through a c ombination of direct 

appropriations in this activity (Workforce and O rganizational Support) and pr ogram 

assessments. For 2016, the BLM estimates these requirements will be approximately $321.4 

million, a $7.0 million increase from the estimate for 2015, as shown in the table above.

Direct Appropriations – In 2016, the BLM requests $170.5 in direct appropriations for activities 

described in Section 403 in three subactivities: Administrative Support, Bureauwide Fixed Costs 

and Information Technology Management. This provides approximately 53 percent of the 

funding necessary to maintain these functions.

Program Assessments – In addition to direct appropriations, and in order to provide the level of 

funding needed to support operations, the BLM assesses its programs at both the national and 

State-office levels. These assessments provide about 47 percent of the BLM’s total Section 403 

costs. The estimated program assessments in 2016 ar e $150.9 million. These program 

assessments are conducted with the oversight and administrative management of the BLM 

Director, Executive Leadership Team, and Information Technology Investment Board. 

• National Assessments pay for administrative support, Bureauwide program activities, 

and information technology programs, many of which are mandated and/or fixed costs 

assessed by the Department through the DOI Working Capital Fund. These initiatives 

benefit all programs or all employees, and cannot be identified as benefiting any one 

program. National program assessments are prorated to program areas based upon 

funding levels and include approximately $1.0 million for the Bureau’s Priority Fund, 

which is used to assist field offices and programs with high-priority, unplanned or 

unfunded needs which arise during the fiscal year.

• State (Regional) Assessments pay costs at the State level that are not identifiable to a 

specific program output. In this way, for example, all programs within a S tate fund 

support services staff salaries. These costs are prorated to program areas based upon 

funding levels, historical costs and FTE usage.

DOI Working Capital Fund – The Department of the Interior (DOI) manages a Departmental 

Working Capital Fund (WCF) to provide services to the BLM and other DOI bureaus and offices. 

The BLM pays for these services with a c ombination of direct appropriations and pr ogram 

assessments. P rogram assessments are typically used for services that benefit the entire 

organization and s upport the DOI Strategic Plan, BLM focus areas, and D OI requirements. 

Many of these services are standard and reoccur on an annual basis, but some are fee-forservice based. The DOI and BLM have reimbursable service agreements for these services. 

The detailed tables that follow show the BLM’s portion of Departmental WCF fees for services, 

both centrally billed and direct billed, for 2014 through 2016.
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Activity: Workforce and Organizational Support

Subactivity: Administrative Support

 

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Administrative Support $000 47,127 47,127 +540 +0 +3,275 50,942 +3,815

FTE 287 287 +0 +0 +287 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Administrative Support: ($000) FTE

Health Benefits for Seasonal Employees +2,275 +0 

Enhance Core Capability +1,000 +0 

Total +3,275 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for Administrative Support is $50,942,000 and 287 FTE, a program 

change of +$3,275,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

Health Benefits for Seasonal Employees (+$2,275,000/0 FTE) – On July 29, 2014, the Office 

of Personnel Management issued a proposed rule that would expand eligibility for enrollment 

under the Federal employee health benefits (FEHB) program to certain temporary, seasonal 

and intermittent employees. This regulation would make FEHB coverage available to these 

newly eligible employees no later than January 2015. The Department developed a model to 

estimate the number of employees who would accept the new coverage and the estimated cost 

to the government. 

Enhance Core Capabilities (+$1,000,000/0 FTE) – The increased funding supports increased 

costs associated with operating the BLM’s management and support infrastructure, continuous 

improvements to internal controls and compliance to support mission assurance and 

accountability, and s upports human capital planning and w orkforce planning. The overall 

increase includes $67,000 for the Secretary’s Indian Water Rights Office (SIWRO). This 

increase will improve coordination and application of expertise across the Department, Indian 

tribes, States, and other stakeholders to reach Indian water settlements more effectively and 

expediently. The budget proposes to expand the duties and responsibilities of the SIWRO to 

achieve an integrated and systematic approach to Indian water rights negotiations that 

considers the full range of economic, legal, and technical attributes of proposed settlements. 

The budget includes funding for additional SIWRO staff to reflect the expanded duties.

Legislative Change

National BLM Foundation – The BLM proposes to establish a congressionally chartered 

foundation to help link individual Americans to their public lands. The BLM Foundation would 

raise private funds to promote the BLM’s multiple use and sustained yield mission and foster 

productive partnerships. A foundation would provide the Bureau with significant new tools to 

expand its partnerships and allow the public to support critical programs and activities for which 

they have a passion, whether that is the Wild Horse and Burro Program, the National 

Conservation Lands, habitat restoration, or others. Established as a c haritable, nonprofit 
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organization, the foundation would benefit the public by protecting and restoring natural, 

cultural, historic, and recreational resources for future generations. The BLM is unique in that it 

is the Nation’s only large land management agency without a congressionally chartered 

foundation to support its work. (Please see the Summary of Program and Legislative Changes 

for the full text of the legislative proposal.)

Program Overview

The Administrative Support Program funds the following functions:

• Executive and Management Decisions

• Legislative, Public and Regulatory Affairs and Correspondence

• Budget Formulation and Execution

• Financial Management

• Property and Acquisition Management

• Management Systems

• Human Resources

• Program and Management Evaluations

• Service First

• Equal Employment Opportunity

• Privacy

• Safety

Means and Strategies

The Administrative Support Program funds services related to management and administrative 

support that cannot be directly tied to a specific program output. The successful management 

of these services is vital to the effective use of human and capital resources within the BLM. 

The Administrative Support Program uses a combination of business process engineering and 

workforce planning strategies as the means to improve and accomplish customer service and 

effectiveness across the BLM. E ach year, the BLM conducts management and pr ogram 

evaluations to identify and acknowledge best practices, procedures and processes. The BLM 

also measures the satisfaction of external customers, partners, stakeholders, and employees to 

adhere to the requirements of Executive Order 12862 and the Government Performance and 

Results Act, and regularly evaluates performance measurements and analysis to ensure these 

measurements are in alignment with DOI’s strategic plan.

Other Funding Sources

Many of the programs funded by the Administrative Support Program contribute to multiple BLM 

activities (i.e., Equal Employment Opportunity and Service First) and are also financially 

supported by many Department and Bureau-wide subactivities that benefit from this work.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM will emphasize and assure:

• Adequate internal controls on BLM financial systems;

• Compliance with accounting standards;
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• Accountability for undelivered order funds;

• Compliance with fiscal laws and regulations;

• Proper accounting, management, and maintenance of capital assets;

• Complete quarterly financial statements, including intra-governmental eliminations;

• Improved electronic data processing; and

• Financial accountability at all levels of the organization.

The Administrative Support Program will focus on the following operations of the Bureau:

Financial Management – The BLM will continue to operate the National Operation Center to 

offer support services to a v ariety of critical programs that include fire support, uniforms, 

property, accounting, contracting, acquisition, space leasing, treasury investments, and the 

development and operation of financial, procurement, and property systems.

Improved Financial Performance – The BLM will continue to maintain an unqualified (clean) 

financial audit opinion, and make available to all employees timely and accurate financial 

information through the Financial and Business Management System (FBMS). The ability to link 

budget and performance through cost management, as well as access to financial data in real 

time, has fostered a Bureau-wide ethic of fiscal accountability. 

Performance Improvement – The BLM will continue to use the cost management information 

systems along with other management information tools to evaluate program effectiveness and 

help allocate budgetary resources across the organization to maximize performance and cost 

effectiveness.

Disposal of Personal Property – The BLM will continue to dispose of excess personal property 

to other Federal and State agencies, to donate computers and other electronics to local schools 

when possible, and to sell working capital fund vehicles and heavy equipment at auction. These 

activities have reduced overhead costs, increased visibility, improved revenue, and created fast 

sales and the transfer of monies to the BLM. Proceeds from the sale of vehicles are returned to 

the working capital fund to augment the cost of replacement vehicles.

Workforce Planning – In 2016, the BLM will continue to refine its workforce planning process to 

ensure the agency has employees with appropriate skills in the right places at the right times. 

As a result of workforce planning, the BLM has placed, and will continue to place, more 

emphasis on entry-level recruiting, career development, and diversification. For example, the 

Bureau is using the Presidential Management Fellows Program, the Pathways program for 

students and recent graduates, and other human capital management programs as viable tools 

for recruiting and filling entry-level positions and for meeting its future skill requirements. In 

addition, the BLM will continue to place greater emphasis on hiring veterans and veterans with 

disabilities through the following special hiring authorities and appointments: Veterans 

Recruitment Appointment, Veterans Employment Opportunity Act of 1998, 30 Percent or More 

Disabled Veteran, Disabled Veterans Enrolled in a VA Training Program, Schedule A Appointing 

Authority, and Veterans Preference.

Service First – The BLM will use the permanent Service First authority across the entire 

Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service in 2016. The Bureau will work to improve 

customer service and seek additional cost savings and productivity improvements. The BLM 

currently shares 61 sites with other agencies and will continue to expand on these. For more 

information on S ervice First, please see the Crosscutting Programs chapter.
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Activity: Workforce and Organizational Support

Subactivity: Bureauwide Fixed Costs

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Bureauwide Fixed Costs $000 92,901 91,010 +2,635 +0 +0 93,645 +2,635

FTE 0 0 +0 +0 0 +0

Justification of 2015 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for Bureauwide Fixed Costs is $93,645,000 and 0 FTE.

Program Overview

Bureauwide Fixed Costs funds the following:

• The Departmental Working Capital Fund (WCF) – These fixed costs are billed by the 

Department of Interior’s (DOI) Office of the Secretary and the DOI’s National Business 

Center, and categorized as two separate bills:

1. Central Bill – Mandatory services provided by the DOI Office of the Secretary 

and the DOI National Business Center.

2. Direct Bill – Primarily a fee for service bill. These are services provided under 

reimbursable agreements between the BLM and DOI.

• The Space Management program portion of the Bureauwide Fixed Costs focuses 

primarily on general purpose and warehouse space acquired through direct lease and 

General Services Administration (GSA)-provided space in federally owned or leased 

buildings.

• The Land Mobile Radio (LMR) program provides two-way radio voice services for the 

BLM. T he primary customers are wildland fire, law enforcement, and resources staff. 

The radio systems are used jointly with other Federal, State, and local agencies in 

support of wildland fire and law enforcement operations. The LMR program is working 

to join the radio network nationally among partners, cooperators, and other stakeholders 

to build a homogenous and holistic architecture.

• The Telecommunications program manages communication services critical to the day 

to day operations of the BLM. The program manages fixed-line office phones and fax, 

mobile voice and dat a devices and service contracts, video conferencing, and internal 

and external data networks service contracts, including network security. The program's 

management of the radio network supports public safety, connecting firefighters and law 

enforcement through agency and i nter-agency managed microwave radio links, base 

stations, and r adios, including contracts for satellite radios service. Communications 

(fax, print, voice, and data) during Continuity of Operations relies and these established 

efforts of the Telecommunications program. Costs for these services are funded from 

individual State/National Centers and the DOI Working Capital Fund.

• The Federal Personnel Payroll System (FPPS) monitors the costs of using and 

maintaining BLM’s personnel management systems.
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• The Mail and P ostal Costs component of this program assesses and monitors BLM’s 

mail and postal service utilization, which includes base metered postage machines, next 

day postage, and other express mail services.

• The Unemployment Insurance Costs are based upon hi storical data, paid through the 

Department's Federal Employees Compensation Account of the Unemployment Trust 

Fund to the Department of Labor, pursuant to the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 

1980. 

• The Workers Compensation amount requested for 2016 c overs costs for a 12 -month 

period and i s paid to the Department of Labor through the Department's Employee 

Compensation Fund, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 8147(b) as amended by Public Law 94-273.

Critical Factors

The critical factors in the Bureauwide Fixed Costs program: 

• The Space Management program promotes and encourages sustainability. All new BLM 

facilities comply with BLM Sustainable Building Implementation Plans, while addressing 

current and emerging needs.

• Presidential Memorandum – Disposing of Unneeded Federal Real Estate dated June 10, 

2010, emphasized the need to:

o Improve utilization of facilities through innovative space management, such as 

alternative work arrangements and telework agreements.

o Eliminate lease arrangements that are not cost effective.

o Pursue consolidation opportunities with other agencies in common asset types, 

such as data centers, office space, and warehouses.

• Department of the Interior Memorandum – Space and Fac ilities Management dated 

August 2, 2011, emphasized that real property (owned and leased) is a key aspect of the 

overall cost cutting campaign. The utilization standard for general purpose office space 

has now been set to 180 square feet per person. Opportunities for teleworking in order 

to reduce overall real property costs are encouraged. 

2016 Program Performance 

In 2016, the BLM will continue to manage the LMR Program, telecommunications, the FPPS, 

unemployment costs, mail and postal costs, the Employee Compensation Fund, and of fice 

space leasing, which is the largest of BLM’s fixed costs. 

The BLM established the following long term goals for Space Management:

• Reduce space usage whenever a reduction can be accomplished economically;

• Evaluate offices for consolidation;

• Maximize the use of existing, owned buildings and warehouses whenever possible;

• Extend existing leases, when appropriate, to allow time to prioritize long-term leasing 

actions;

• Whenever beneficial, reduce the size and change the layout of leased warehouses;

• Implement the use of high-density, storage systems for office and warehouse areas; and 

• Promote telework wherever a c orresponding reduction in leased office space would 

occur.
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Activity: Workforce and Organizational Support

Subactivity: Information Technology Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

IT Management $000 25,696 25,696 +262 +0 +0 25,958 +262

FTE 97 97 +0 +0 97 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Information Technology Management Program is $25,958,000 

and 97 FTE.

Program Overview 

The Information Technology Management Program is responsible for managing all aspects of 

information technology (IT) throughout the BLM. These responsibilities include:

• Bureauwide Policy – Planning, directing, coordinating, and evaluating IT programs, 

policies and procedures and providing guidance for the effective use of IT resources in 

support of BLM programs and services in accordance with the Clinger-Cohen Act of 

1996 and the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993;

• Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) – The Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996 and 

the E-Government Act of 2002 s ought to improve mission performance by requiring 

agencies to use a disciplined CPIC process to acquire, use, maintain and dispose of the 

BLM’s IT portfolio. CPIC is a dynamic process in which IT investments are selected and 

then continually monitored and ev aluated to ensure each chosen investment is well 

managed, cost effective, and supports the mission and strategic goals of the BLM. CPIC 

ensures that all IT investments align with BLM's mission and s upport business needs 

while minimizing risks and maximizing returns throughout the investment’s life cycle.

• Information Resources Management – Providing management and oversight over 

implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, Open Government Initiative, Section 

508 of the American Disabilities Act, IT Configuration Management, Indian Trust and the 

Records Act; ensuring that manual and el ectronic records are accessible, properly 

maintained, documented, scheduled and disposed of; and, ensuring that automated 

systems are documented and s cheduled and that records preservation orders are 

tracked and monitored to so that records are properly secured, accessible and 

retrievable to respond to court orders and requesters;

• IT Transformation Implementation – The BLM continues to pursue streamlining efforts to 

improve IT service delivery and reduce the overall costs for IT support across the BLM. 

In 2016, the BLM will have its IT support and services delivered in a consistent manner 

with a focus on customer needs. 

• Data Management and Administration – Ensuring that the information the BLM uses in 

decision making is accurate, timely, useful, and free of bias;

• National Applications – Managing national applications and systems throughout their life 

cycles of investment and ensuring successful service delivery through all phases—
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concept, design, construction, data management, operation, support and maintenance—

in order to meet business needs while ensuring system data integrity;

• Infrastructure – Providing compliant and effective technology platforms and 

environments; and

• Security – Developing security-related policies, procedures, and g uidance; providing 

technical assistance for securing major applications and general support systems; 

overseeing security compliance efforts; maintaining an inventory of systems and their 

security Assessment and A uthorization status; coordinating IT Security Education and 

Awareness efforts; and developing IT security performance measures and reports.

Other Funding Sources

Every BLM program contributes some funding for IT activities. Major investments in the BLM IT 

portfolio are funded by the programs supported by those investments. IT infrastructure 

investments are funded proportionately by all programs.

2016 Program Performance 

There are no specific performance goals for this subactivity; however, the BLM has achieved 

success in lowering the overall costs of IT by implementing dynamic approaches to respond to 

national priorities. Because the scope of the information needed to support the BLM’s mission 

is vast, the IT systems required to manage this information have grown increasingly complex. 

Information systems are used throughout the BLM to collect data on land health, water quality, 

restored ecosystems, hazardous fuels reduction, land contamination, habitat protection, cultural 

and natural heritage resources, oil and gas leases and permits, lease applications, minerals and 

grazing permits, timber sales, recreation, and financial transactions. Managing our data as a 

corporate asset will ensure the BLM has greater consistency and integration while reducing 

redundancies.

Additionally, BLM's IT Transformation initiative will continue to achieve savings through labor 

reductions, consolidation of infrastructure staff, servers and dat a centers closures, contract 

consolidations and the promotion of mobility which will allow us to reduce our overall footprint. 

IT contracts will be reevaluated through the IT Spend Plan process, resulting in maximization of 

bulk purchases to achieve additional savings and standardization. The BLM will continue its 

commitment to ensuring that information technology efforts align with Departmental initiatives 

focused on consolidation, shared services, and improving IT cost efficiency. The Bureau will 

continue to seek further centralization efforts internally, while expanding consolidation efforts by 

working with other Bureaus to share services in areas the of Data Center Consolidation, 

Geospatial, IT Acquisitions, and Application Consolidation to achieve greater cost efficiency.
Mining Law 

Administration

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Activity: Mining Law Administration

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Mining Law Administration $000 39,696 39,696 +0 +0 +0 39,696 +0

Offset -39,696 -39,696 +0 +0 +0 (39,696) +0

FTE 319 319 +0 +0 319 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for Mining Law Administration is $39,696,000 and 319 FTE. The 

budget assumes the program’s operating cost will be fully offset by revenue from mining claim 

maintenance and location fees. 

Legislative Changes

The budget includes a legislative proposal to reform hardrock mining and provide a better return 

to the taxpayer from hardrock production on Federal lands. 

This proposal institutes a leasing process under the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920 (MLA) for 

certain minerals (gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, uranium, and molybdenum) currently covered 

by the General Mining Law of 1872. After enactment, mining for these metals on Federal lands 

will be g overned by the new leasing process and subject to annual rental payments and a 

royalty of not less than five percent of gross proceeds. Half of the receipts will be distributed to 

the State where the lease is located and hal f would be depos ited to the Treasury’s General 

Fund. Pre-existing mining claims would be exempt from the change to a leasing system, but 

would be subject to increases in the annual maintenance fees under the General Mining Law of 

1872. The Department of the Interior Office of Natural Resources Revenue will collect, account 

for, and disburse the receipts.

 

The proposal also increases annual maintenance fees and eliminates the fee exemption for 

miners holding 10 or fewer mining claims. These changes discourage speculators from holding 

claims that they do no t intend to develop. H olders of pre-existing mining claims for these 

minerals could voluntarily convert their claims to leases. The legislation would provide a 

mechanism for royalty relief under certain situations, in the manner currently set out in the MLA.

Program Overview 

Program Components

The BLM Mining Law Administration Program is responsible for providing access to locatable 

mineral resources in an environmentally responsible manner. Locatable minerals are those 

governed by the General Mining Law of 1872, and i nclude gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, 

uranium, and molybdenum. To provide access to these mineral resources, the BLM administers 

mining claims, manages on the ground activities, and collects location and annual maintenance 

fees. The BLM also processes notices for exploration and plans of operations for exploration 

and production of these minerals. Reclamation plans are evaluated and financial guarantees 

are required to ensure adequate reclamation that meets the requirements of Federal law. The
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –196

BLM inspects operations governed by notices and plans of operation to ensure compliance with 

all applicable laws and regulations. The BLM takes enforcement actions when the terms and 

conditions of an operation have been violated. Finally, the BLM is responsible for conducting 

mineral examinations to determine valid existing rights under the mining laws.

The General Mining Law of 1872

The BLM, through the Mining Law Administration program, is responsible for managing 

exploration and development of locatable minerals available on public lands under the General 

Mining Law of 1872, and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976. Since 1993, 

claimants have been required to pay an annual maintenance fee for each mining claim and site 

in lieu of performing assessment work as previously required under the General Mining Law of 

1872. The BLM is required by statute to adjust these fees every five years, or more frequently if 

determined reasonable, to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index published by the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the 2015 assessment year, maintenance and location fees were 

increased. Maintenance fees were increased from $140 to $155, and location fees, required for 

all new claims in addition to the maintenance fee, were increased from $34 to $37 per claim. 

These fees were last adjusted in 2009. 

In 2014, the BLM implemented the Mining Claim Maintenance Fee P ayment Portal so that 

mining claimants could begin paying their annual maintenance fee payment online starting with 

the 2015 assessment year. Based on the initial filings, the portal has proven to provide 

claimants an efficient and secure means of paying their maintenance fee online. The BLM has 

also realized benefits by having the data on the claim interface with and update the lands record 

system (LR2000), which eliminates the need to manually process the payments and manually 

update the LR2000 system. The BLM is considering ways to expand use of the payment portal 

and realize increased efficiencies in other programs.

Critical Factors

Filing of new mining claims in the Mining Law Administration Program is commodity pricedependent. Prices for all of the major commodities have been declining since their peak in 2011. 

For example, gold reached a hi gh of $1,875 per ounce, in September, 2011 and av eraged 

$1,167 per ounce for November, 2013, a decline of 38 percent. This is true during the same 

time period for other major commodities for which mining claims are located, including silver (-

67 percent), platinum (-36 percent), and c opper (-33 percent). This commodity slump has 

impacted mining claim location activity on public lands. The number of mining claims recorded 

for the 2014 assessment year has declined 13 percent since 2013 and 19 percent from 2012. 

Correspondingly, the revenue from mining claim maintenance and location fees has declined 13 

percent from 2013. As gold is the top commodity explored for and produced on public lands, 

mining claim trends regarding quantity and revenue roughly correlate to gold commodity prices

as demonstrated by the two charts below.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –197

 

*The above chart is based upon the most recent data. The new and total mining claims illustrate the numbers as reported in the 

Public Land S tatistics (PLS) for the indicated fiscal years. T he 2014 claim data was derived from preliminary PLS data and is 

subject to change. Data for 2015 and 2016 are projections.

The mining industry's domestic activity levels are dependent upon c ommodity prices. 

Companies engaged in exploration are known in the industry as junior mining companies and

0

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1400

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0

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20

30

40

50

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1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Millions ($)

$/Troy oz.

Revenue ($) Gold Price

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1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Gold $/oz.

Mining Claims - Thousands

New Mining Claims Total Mining Claims Gold Price

 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –198

require millions in venture capital. These companies do not own mines, have no regular 

revenue streams, and rely significantly on investor financing. These companies invest millions 

locating mining claims and exploring public lands. When commodity prices are in decline, 

investment dollars are hard to find, and junior mining companies begin to cut costs usually 

leading to a r eduction in mining claims. This sector of the industry is the most sensitive to 

commodity pricing and is likely responsible for the decline in the number of active mining claims 

seen in 2013 and 2014. If the industry activity decreases or remains flat, further decline in 

mining claim numbers and associated revenue should be expected. 

Mining claims found to have no mineral values or interest on the part of the mining claimants 

typically lapse due t o nonpayment of maintenance fees by the claimant or are sold. Lapse 

claims hold no rights and may be relocated by another claimant. Mining claims found to be of 

interest will continue to see on t he ground activity by the claimants and or operators as they 

seek to confirm the presence of a mineral deposit. During a market downturn, mining claimants 

will likely evaluate and release any unfavorable holdings. Also the number of new mining claim 

locations may decrease due to the lack of exploration investment. The degree to which mining 

claim revenue will be i mpacted will depend on the length and t he severity of the declining 

markets. Mining claim location and maintenance trends will likely continue to follow market 

trends.

Mining claim location for technology metals remains stable despite declines in other 

commodities. Although no current “rush” exists, the BLM is experiencing continued interest 

from the mining industry to locate and discover domestic supplies of these minerals. Technology 

minerals form the building blocks of technology-dependent industries, such as electronics, 

automotive and ener gy. T hese minerals include but are not limited to, rare earths, lithium, 

indium, germanium, vanadium, graphite and cobalt.

While new mining claims have decreased, the BLM continues to experience a workload for 

processing plans of operations for new, large scale mines. The inspection workload for existing 

operations also continues and the funding provided through this program is important to allow 

the BLM to maintain capability and capacity to ensure activities are done in an environmentally 

sound and sustainable manner.

Other Funding Sources

The Mining Law Administration program is primarily funded through this subactivity, in which the 

appropriation is offset by maintenance and location fees. Since 1994, Congress, through its 

appropriations acts, has tied Mining Law Administration funding to revenue collected by the 

program. The funds made available by Congress are reduced by amounts collected by the 

Bureau and credited to this appropriation. 

In addition, under the authorities of 43 U.S.C. 1474 and 1734(a), the BLM retains the collected 

processing fees from mining claim recordation actions and m ineral patent adjudication to 

recover the full cost of processing these documents. A revised fee schedule was promulgated 

in November 2005. The Mining Claims Revenue chart shows the recent history of mining 

claims and m ining claim revenue. The processing fees for recording a new mining claim, 

annual filings, transfers of interest, amendments to previously recorded documents, deferments 

of assessment, and pr otests increased in June of 2009 and a gain at the end o f 2014. In 

addition, the BLM charges a processing fee, on a case by case basis, for proposed mining plans 

of operations requiring an environmental impact statement. A processing fee is also applicable 

to validity examinations or common variety examinations and associated reports performed in
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –199

connection with a patent application, 43 CFR 3809.100 (withdrawn lands) or 43 CFR 3809.101 

(common variety determinations) on a case-by case basis.

*The above chart is based upon the most recent data. The new and total mining claims illustrate the numbers as reported in the 

Public Land S tatistics (PLS) for the indicated fiscal years. T he 2014 claim data was derived from preliminary PLS data and i s 

subject to change. The revenue estimates for 2014 and earlier are based upon the amounts credited to the MLR appropriation and 

the amounts deposited in the hardrock mining claim maintenance fee Treasury account. Data for 2015 and 2016 are projections.

2016 Program Performance 

In 2016, the BLM will:

• Provide access to locatable mineral resources while ensuring that mining operations 

follow BLM’s regulations and cause no unnecessary and undue degradation;

• Conduct inspection and enforcement to ensure compliance with all applicable Federal 

regulations for all mining and exploration activities authorized by the mining laws on 

public lands;

• Record and adjudicate existing mining claims and new mining claim locations; and 

• Continue working with State agencies to streamline multiple agency processes and 

minimize the time necessary to authorize exploration and development activities. 

The BLM expects the inspection workload to remain steady in 2016. Output for 2015 and 2016 

is expected to rebound to pre-furlough levels. The focus of the inspection program is on 

exploration and mining sites with on-going operations; sites where reclamation earthwork has 

been completed and the BLM and the operator are waiting for re-vegetation success are a lower 

priority for inspection.

$0

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1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016

Revenues - Millions

Mining Claims - Thousands

Fiscal Year

Mining Claim Revenue

New Mining Claims Total Mining Claims Revenue ($)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –200

The average processing time of Plans of Operations decreased from 26 months in 2013 to 17 

months in 2014. The rolling 3-year average for average processing time is 19 months. The BLM 

will continue to work with industry and internally explore opportunities to find efficiencies to 

reduce the average processing times of Plans of Operations.
Budget Schedules

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –201

Budget Schedules

Account Symbol and Title

14X1109

Management of Lands and Resources

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Land resources 0011 256 250 250

 Wildlife and fisheries 0012 67 54 65

 Threatened and endangered species 0013 22 23 23

 Recreation management 0014 69 70 70

 Energy and minerals 0015 132 122 122

 Realty and ownership management 0016 74 84 84

 Resource protection 0017 99 104 106

 Transportation and facilities maintenance 0018 66 74 76

 Workforce and organizational support 0020 159 160 163

 Challenge Cost Share 0026 3 3 8 

 National Monuments & NCA 0030 32 33 40

Total direct obligations 0799 979 977 1,007

 Management of Lands and Resources 

(Reimbursable)

0801 21 28 28

 Communication site rental fees 0802 2 2 2

 Mining law administration 0803 41 39 39

 APD fees 0804 31 33 0

 Cadastral reimbursable program 0805 8 9 9

 Inspection fees 0806 0 0 15

 Grazing fees 0807 0 0 8

Total reimbursable obligations 0899 103 111 101

Total new obligations 0900 1,082 1,088 1,108

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 154 145 187

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations 1021 47 47 40

 Unobligated balance (total) 1050 201 192 227

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, discretionary:

 Appropriation 1100 957 970 1,067

 Appropriation, discretionary (total) 1160 957 970 1,067

 Appropriation [Regular] 1160-40 938 951 1,048

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1160-50 507 528

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 444 451

 Appropriation [Protected:Conserving Fish and 

Wildlife - Climate Change]

1160-40 16 16 16

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1160-50 0 0

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 16 16

 Appropriation [WHB Sterilization R&D] 1160-40 2 2 2

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1160-50 2 2
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –202

Account Symbol and Title

14X1109

Management of Lands and Resources

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Appropriation [Homeland Security] 1160-40 1 1 1

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1160-50 1 1

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 0 0

 Spending authority from offsetting collections, discretionary:

 Offsetting collections (Mining law and Comm 

Sites)

1700 42 42 42

 Offsetting collections (Economy Act) 1700 8 38 38

 Offsetting collections (APD fees) 1700 33 33 0 

 Offsetting collections (Inspection fees) 1700 0 0 48

 Offsetting Collections (Other) 1700 0 0 17

 Change in uncollected payments, Federal 

sources

1701 -14 0 -50

 Spending auth from offsetting collections, disc 

(total)

1750 69 113 95

 Spending authority from offsetting collections 

[Mining Law and Telecomm Fees, and Permits to 

Drill]

1750-40 83 75 43

 Baseline Program [Mining Law and Telecomm 

Fees, and Permits to Drill]

1750-50 75 42

 Spending authority from offsetting collections 

[Economy Act]

1750-40 0 38 39

 Spending authority from offsetting collections 

[User Fee: Inspection fees]

1750-40 0 0 48

 Spending authority from offsetting collections 

[Grazing Fees]

1750-40 0 0 17

 Spending authority from offsetting collections 

[other]

1750-40 -14 0 -52

 Spending authority from offsetting collections 

[other]

1750-50 0 0

 Spending authority from offsetting collections, mandatory:

 Spending auth from offsetting collections, mand 

(total)

1850 0 0 0

 Budget authority (total) 1900 1,026 1,083 1,162

Total budgetary resources available 1930 1,227 1,275 1,389

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 145 187 281

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 383 393 327

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 1,082 1,088 1,108

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -1,025 -1,107 -1,150

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations, 

unexpired

3040 -47 -47 -40

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 393 327 245

 Uncollected payments:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –203

Account Symbol and Title

14X1109

Management of Lands and Resources

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Uncollected pymts, Fed sources, brought forward, 

Oct 1

3060 -64 -50 -50

 Change in uncollected pymts, Fed sources, 

unexpired

3070 14 0 50

 Uncollected pymts, Fed sources, end of year 3090 -50 -50 0 

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 319 343 277

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 343 277 245

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Discretionary:

 Budget authority, gross 4000 1,026 1,083 1,162

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new discretionary authority 4010 756 846 903

 Outlays from discretionary balances 4011 269 261 247

 Outlays, gross (total) 4020 1,025 1,107 1,150

 Offsets against gross budget authority and 

outlays:

 Offsetting collections (collected) from:

 Federal sources 4030 -31 -38 -38

 Policy Program [Mining Law, Comm Sites, 

APD Fees]

4033-41 -52 -75 -42

 Baseline Program [Mining Law, Comm Sites, 

APD Fees]

4033-71 -75 -42

 Policy Program [Inspection Fees] 4033-41 0 0 -48

 Policy Program [Grazing Fees] 4033-41 0 0 -17

 Offsets against gross budget authority and 

outlays (total)

4040 -83 -113 -145

 Policy Program - Computed Total 4050-20 14 0 50

 Policy Program [Inspection Fees] 4050-41 0 0 48

 Policy Program [Grazing Fees] 4050-41 0 0 17

 Policy Program [Text] 4050-41 14 0 -15

 Budget authority, net (discretionary) 4070 957 970 1,067

 Outlays, net (discretionary) 4080 942 994 1,005

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 957 970 1,067

Outlays, net (total) 4190 942 994 1,005

Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unavailable balance, SOY: Offsetting 

collections

5090 4 4 4

 Unexpired unavailable balance, EOY: Offsetting 

collections

5092 4 4 4
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –204

Account Symbol and Title

14X1109

Management of Lands and Resources

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 2004-01 938 948 1,045

 Outlays 2004-02 926 977 988

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 356 356 356

 Other than full-time permanent 11.3 17 17 17

 Other personnel compensation 11.5 14 14 14

 Total personnel compensation 11.9 387 387 387

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 127 127 127

 Benefits for former personnel 13.0 1 1 1

 Travel and transportation of persons 21.0 13 13 13

 Transportation of things 22.0 2 2 2

 Rental payments to GSA 23.1 21 21 21

 Rental payments to others 23.2 31 31 31

 Communications, utilities, and miscellaneous 

charges

23.3 19 19 22

 Printing and reproduction 24.0 3 3 5

 Advisory and assistance services 25.1 11 11 15

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 157 157 162

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 57 57 62

 Operation and maintenance of facilities 25.4 12 12 17

 Operation and maintenance of equipment 25.7 16 14 19

 Supplies and materials 26.0 23 23 24

 Equipment 31.0 17 17 17

 Land and structures 32.0 9 9 9

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 73 73 73

 Subtotal, obligations, Direct obligations 99.0 979 977 1,007

Reimbursable obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 50 51 51

 Other than full-time permanent 11.3 2 2 2

 Other personnel compensation 11.5 2 2 2

 Total personnel compensation 11.9 54 55 55

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 18 18 17

 Travel and transportation of persons 21.0 2 3 2

 Rental payments to others 23.2 3 3 2

 Communications, utilities, and miscellaneous 

charges

23.3 2 2 2 

 Advisory and assistance services 25.1 1 2 1

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 7 7 6

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 4 5 4

 Operation and maintenance of equipment 25.7 2 3 2 

 Supplies and materials 26.0 2 3 2
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VII – Management of Lands and Resources Page VII –205

Account Symbol and Title

14X1109

Management of Lands and Resources

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Equipment 31.0 2 3 2

 Land and structures 32.0 2 3 2

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 4 4 4

 Subtotal, obligations, Reimbursable obligations 99.0 103 111 101

 Total new obligations 99.9 1,082 1,088 1,108

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 5,157 5,179 4,959

Reimbursable civilian full-time equivalent 

employment

2001 734 734 829

Allocation account civilian full-time equivalent 

employment

3001 2,188 2,208 2,209

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-1109] 1000 1,067,466

Land Acquisition

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII –1 

Land Acquisition

Appropriations Language

For expenses necessary to carry out sections 205, 206, and 318(d) of Public Law 94–579, 

including administrative expenses and acquisition of lands or waters, or interests therein, 

[$19,746,000]$38,000,000, to be derived from the Land and Water Conservation Fund and to 

remain available until expended. (Department of the Interior, Environment, and R elated 

Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015.)

 

Note: The 2016 request amount of $38,000,000 is updated from the amount included in the Appendix, 

Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2016.

Appropriations Language Citations

1. For expenses necessary to carry out sections 205, 206 and 318(d) of Public 

Law 94-579, including administrative expenses

Section 205 aut horizes the Secretary to acquire by purchase, exchange, donation, or eminent 

domain, public lands or interests. Eminent domain may only be invoked to secure access to 

public lands if the lands are confined to a narrow corridor and serve a purpose. This section 

does not expand or limit the Secretary’s authority to acquire land by eminent domain within the 

boundaries of the National Forest System. Acquisitions must support the mission of the 

Department and have associated land-use plans. 

Section 206 provides authority for the Secretary to dispose of a public tract of land by exchange 

if it serves the public interest well. The Secretary may accept title to any non-Federal land or 

interests in exchange for such land which he or she finds proper for transfer out of Federal 

ownership and which are located in the same State as the non-Federal land or interest to be 

acquired. For the purposes of this subsection, unsurveyed school sections which, upon survey 

by the Secretary, would become State lands, shall be considered as "non-Federal” lands. The 

values of the lands exchanged by the Secretary need to be equal, or if they are not equal, the 

values will be equalized by the payment of money to the grantor or to the Secretary concerned 

as the circumstances require. 

Section 318 authorizes the Secretary to use the Land and Water Conservation Fund to acquire 

public lands as described in section 205. 

2. including administrative expenses and acquisition of lands or waters, or 

interests therein, $38,000,000, 

This language provides the Secretary with authority to use $38,000,000 in appropriated funds to 

acquire lands or waters or pay administrative expenses to carry out the mission of the program.

3. to be derived from the Land and Water Conservation Fund 

The language specifies that funding appropriated for land acquisition activities would be derived 

from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which was enacted by Congress in 1965. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII –2 

The Act designated that a portion of receipts from offshore oil and gas leases be placed into a 

fund annually for State and local conservation, as well as for the protection of our national 

treasures (parks, forest, and wildlife areas). 

4. and to remain available until expended.

The language makes the appropriations to the account available on a no-year basis. This type 

of account allows the BLM a valuable degree of flexibility needed to support multi-year land 

acquisitions, agreements and purchases.

Appropriation Language Citations and Authorizations

Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976 

(FLPMA) (Pub. L. 94-579, 

Sec. 101 et seq.; 43 

U.S.C. 1701 et seq.)

Provides authority for acquisition (Pub. L. 94-579, Sec. 205, 

206; 43 U.S.C., 1715, 1716) of lands or interests in lands by 

purchase, exchange, donation, or eminent domain, when it is 

consistent with the mission of the Department and with land 

use plans (Pub. L. 94-579, Sec. 205(b); 43 U.S.C., 1715(b)); in 

exercising this authority, appropriations from the Land and 

Water Conservation Fund may be used to purchase lands 

which are primarily of value for outdoor recreation purposes 

(Pub. L. 94-579, Sec. 318(d); 43 U.S.C., 1748(d)).

Federal Land Transaction 

Facilitation Act of 2000 

(FLTFA) (Public Law 106-

248) 

Provided authority for the use of receipts from disposal actions 

by the BLM to purchase inholdings and lands adjacent to 

federally designated areas containing exceptional resources, 

as defined in FLTFA, from willing sellers with acceptable titles, 

at fair market value, to “promote consolidation of the ownership 

of public and pr ivate lands in a manner that would allow for 

better overall resource management administrative efficiency, 

or resource allocation.” The 2010 Supplemental Appropriations 

Act (P.L. 111-212) reauthorized FLTFA for one year, expiring in 

July 2011. 

Land and Water 

Conservation Fund Act of 

1965, as amended (16 

U.S.C. 460l-4 et seq.)

Authorizes planning, acquisition, and development of needed 

land and water areas and facilities; in exercising this authority, 

appropriated funds from the LWCF may be used for such 

acquisition to assist in preserving, developing, and assuring 

accessibility for the benefit of present and future citizens. 

Wild and Scenic Rivers 

Act of 1968, as amended 

(16 U.S.C. 1271 et seq.)

Authorizes the Secretary to exchange or dispose of suitable 

Federally-owned property for non-Federal property within the 

authorized boundaries of any federally-administered 

component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, 

1277(d). Similar exchange authority is contained in The 

National Trails System Act of 1968, as amended 16 U.S.C. 

1241et seq.).

Wilderness Act of 1964 

(16 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.)

Authorizes the Secretary to acquire privately owned property 

within the boundary of any area designated as a component of 

the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII –3 

National Trails System 

Act of 1968, as amended 

(16 U.S.C. 1241-1249)

Authorizes the Secretary to acquire lands or interests in lands 

included in the right-of-way selected for a National Historic, 

National Recreation, or National Scenic Trail; by written 

cooperative agreement, donation, purchase (with donated or 

appropriated funds), or exchange.

Other Other acts such as, the King Range National Conservation 

Area Act of 1970, as amended (16 U.S.C. 460y); San Pedro 

Riparian National Conservation Area Act, in Arizona (16 U.S.C. 

460xx); Arkansas-Idaho Land Exchange Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-

584); Utah School Lands Act (P.L. 103-93); Steens Mountain 

Cooperative Management and Protection Act of 2000 ( 16 

U.S.C. 460nnn, P.L. 106-399; and California Desert Protection 

Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-433), authorize the Secretary to enter 

into acquisitions, including purchase, donation, land exchange.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII –Land Acquisition Page VIII –4 

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Land Acquisitions - 15,949 - 16,226 +0 - +0 - +18,158 - 34,384 - +18,158

Emergencies, Hardships and Inholdings - 1,616 - 1,616 +0 - +0 - +0 - 1,616 - +0 

Acquisition Management 10 1,898 10 1,904 +96 - +0 - +0 10 2,000 - +96 

Total, Land Acquisition 10 19,463 10 19,746 +96 - +0 - +18,158 10 38,000 - +18,254

Change from 

2015 Enacted 

Summary of Requirements

(dollars in thousands)

2014 Actual 2015 Enacted

Fixed 

Cost

Transfers Program 

Changes 

Requested 

Amount 

2016 President's Budget

Note: The total of $19,463,000 does not include +$700,000 for Fire Repayments.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII –Land Acquisition Page VIII –5 

Fixed Cost Changes and Projections 2015 Total 

or Change

2015 to 2016 

Change

Change in Number of Paid Days - +22

Pay Raise +57 +71

Seasonal Federal Health Benefit Increase - -

Employer Contribution to FERS 42 3

Justification of Fixed Costs and Internal Realignments

Land Acquisition

(Dollars In Thousands)

This column reflects changes in pay associated with the change in the number of paid days between 2015 and 2016. total 

paid days for FY 2016 is 262 which is one day (+1) increase from FY 2015 paid days of 261. FTE hours for FY 2016 is 2096.

The change reflects the salary impact of a programmed pay raise increases. This estimate relects one quarter (OctoberDecember) of the programmed pay raise for 2015. This estimate reflects three quarter (January - September) of the 

programmed pay raise for 2016.

The change reflects changes in the fixed cost portion of the Seasonal Health Benefits Model. Remaining costs associated 

with offering Health Benefits to seasonal employees are reflected as program changes in the Administrative Support 

subactivity.

 The change reflects the directed increase of 0.5% in employer's contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement 

System. This estimate captures an increase of 0.5% to FY2016 employer contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement 

Service (FERS). The FY2015 FERS contribution assumption was 13.2%. The FY2016 level is 13.7%. The baseline for 

these estimates is the FY2014 pay actuals.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII –Land Acquisition Page VIII –6 

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Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 7

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Land Acquisitions $000 15,949 16,226 +0 +0 +18,158 34,384 +0 

FTE 0 0 +0 +0 0 +0

Emergency & Hardships $000 1,616 1,616 +0 +0 +0 1,616 +0 

FTE 0 0 +0 +0 0 +0

Acquisition Management $000 1,898 1,904 +96 +0 +0 2,000 +96 

FTE 10 10 +0 +0 10 +0 

Total, Land Acquisition $000 19,463 19,746 +96 +0 +18,158 38,000 +96 

FTE 10 10 +0 +0 10 +0 

The 2014 total of $19,463,000 does not include +$700,000 for Fire Repayments

Other Resources Supporting Land Acquisitions:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

Permanent Land Acquisition $000 0 0 55,397 +55,397

Notes:

In addition, the Administration will submit a legislative proposal to permanently authorize annual funding without further appropriation from the Land and Water 

Conservation Fund

The 2016 budget proposes to fund the Land Acquisition program with an appropriation from the 

Land and Water Conservation Fund at a total level of $38,000,000 and 10 FTE, a program 

change of +$18,158,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level. 

Activity Description

 

The BLM is authorized to acquire intermingled and adj acent non-Federal lands through 

purchase, exchange, and donation for specified public benefits. Consolidation of the public 

lands through land acquisition increases management efficiency in pursuing land management 

goals such as maintaining open space, providing opportunities for environmentally responsible 

recreation, preserving natural and c ultural heritage resources, restoring at-risk botanical, 

fisheries and wildlife resources, and maintaining functioning ecosystems. The BLM’s Land 

Acquisition program utilizes Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) monies for Land 

Acquisition, Emergencies, Hardships, and Inholdings, and Acquisition Management. 

In addition to acquiring land by purchase with LWCF appropriated funds, the BLM acquires land 

by exchange. When an exchange is proposed, every attempt is made to equalize values 

between the lands coming into Federal ownership and the lands leaving Federal ownership. In 

those instances where land values are not equal, the BLM attempts to equalize land values by 

decreasing or increasing the land leaving Federal ownership. In certain instances where values 

are not equal and there is no available land in Federal ownership to equalize values, a cash 

payment can be made to the exchange proponent. This cash payment, an equalization 

payment, cannot exceed 25 percent of the difference between the values of the lands coming 

into Federal ownership and the lands leaving Federal ownership. 

Activity: Land Acquisition
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 8

Major Components of BLM’s Land Acquisition Program

($000) 2014

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016

Discretionary Mandatory

Land Acquisition - Core Projects 3,820 5,000 10,442 15,299

Land Acquisition - Collaborative Projects 12,129 9,226 19,942 29,598

Total Land Acquisition Project Funding 15,949 14,226 30,384 44,897

Sportsman/Recreational Access 2,000 4,000 6,000

Acquisition Management 1,898 1,904 2,000 3,000

Emergencies, Hardships, & Inholdings 1,616 1,616 1,616 1,500

Total BLM Land Acquisition Funding 19,463 19,746 38,000 55,397
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 9

Activity: Land Acquisition

Subactivity: Land Acquisition

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Land Acquisitions $000 15,949 16,226 +0 +0 +18,158 34,384 +18,158

FTE 0 0 +0 +0 0 +0

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Land Acquisitions: ($000) FTE

High-Priority Projects +18,158 +0 

Total +18,158 +0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Land Acquisitions program is $34,384,000, a program change 

of +$18,158,000 and 0 FTE from the 2015 enacted level.

High Priority Projects (+$18,158,000 / 0 FT E) - In 2016, the BLM will acquire high priority 

acquisition projects in the core and collaborative landscape planning land acquisition programs. 

The 2016 c ore program is $10.4 million and w ill fund nine of BLM’s highest priorities. The 

collaborative landscape-planning component builds on ef forts begun in 2011 to invest 

strategically in interagency landscape-scale conservation projects while continuing to meet 

bureau-specific programmatic needs. The Department of the Interior and t he U.S. Forest 

Service (USFS) collaborated extensively to develop a pr ocess to more effectively coordinate 

land acquisitions with government and local community partners to achieve the highest priority 

shared conservation goals. The 2016 r equest includes a t otal of $19.9 million for four 

collaborative landscapes consisting of nine projects. Within this total, the BLM includes $9.2 

million for the Upper Rio Grande landscape, $5.8 million for the High Divide landscape, $2.6 

million for the Rivers of the Chesapeake landscape and $2.3 million for projects that are part of 

the National Trails System landscape. The 2016 request also includes a total of $4.0 million to 

benefit Sportsmen/Recreational access, a pr ogram change of +$2.0 million from the FY2015 

enacted level.

Legislative Change

Permanent Appropriation: Permanent Land Acquisition – The Department of the Interior will 

submit a l egislative proposal to permanently authorize annual funding, without further 

appropriation or fiscal year limitation for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). Starting 

in 2017, $900 million annually in permanent funds would be available. During the transition to full 

permanent funding in 2017, the budget proposes $900 million in total LWCF funding in FY 2016, 

comprised of $500 million in permanent and $400 million discretionary funds. The amounts 

requested include the authorized levels for the Department of the Interior and the Department of 

Agriculture.

In 2016, the budget requests $38.0 million in discretionary funds for Federal land. The mandatory

proposal includes $55.4 million for Federal land acquisition.Land acquisition funds are also used 

to secure access for the American public to their Federal lands. Concurrent with the America’s 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 10

Great Outdoor initiative, these funds will invest in acquisitions to better meet recreation access 

needs by working with willing landowners to secure rights-of-way, easements or fee simple 

lands that provide access or consolidate Federal ownership so the public has unbroken spaces 

to recreate, hunt, and fish. BLM will focus $4.0 million in discretionary funding and $6.0 million 

in mandatory funding towards projects to acquire access for sportsmen/recreation access.

Program Overview

The Land Acquisitions Program promotes the conservation of natural landscapes and resources 

by consolidating public lands through purchase, exchange and donation to increase 

management efficiency and preserve areas of natural, cultural, and recreational importance. 

Acquisition projects occur within or adjacent to nationally-designated management units, 

including National Monuments, National Conservation Areas, Wilderness, National Wild and 

Scenic Rivers, National Scenic Trails, and National Historic Trails, as well as in BLM-designated 

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern and Special Recreation Management Areas. Land 

acquisition funding is also necessary to acquire small parcels of land or access easements 

through these lands to provide public access to landlocked BLM lands. The BLM estimates 23 

million acres (or nine percent) of BLM-managed public lands lack public access or have 

inadequate public access, primarily due to checkerboard land ownership patterns. Securing and 

improving public access to these lands will serve various recreational activities, including 

hunting and fishing. 

The BLM utilizes funding from other sources such as from the Southern Nevada Public Land 

Management Act and other land sale authorizations. The Budget includes a legislative proposal 

to reauthorize the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) and allow lands identified 

as suitable for disposal in recent land use plans to be sold using FLTFA authority. FLTFA sales 

revenues would continue to be used to fund the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands 

and the administrative costs associated with conducting sales, which would provide funding for 

land acquisition as well. These legal authorities are described in the Lands and Realty 

Management section of the Management of Lands and R esources chapter, and various land 

sale accounts are described in the Permanent Operation Funds chapter.

The national Collaborative Landscape Planning (CLP) priority projects contained in this 

document reflect the collaborative efforts between the Departments of Interior and Agriculture in 

specific focal areas. As part of the landscape program, Interior bureaus collaborated 

extensively with the USFS and with government and local community partners to plan projects 

to achieve the highest priority shared landscape-scale conservation goals. An interagency team 

of BLM, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and USFS experts identified a 

number of ecosystems throughout the Nation where high priority shared conservation goals 

could be ac hieved based on e xisting locally-driven conservation efforts. T he prospective 

projects were evaluated according to criteria that included:

• Process: ensure proposals are community-driven, collaborative, and cost-effective;

• Outcome: ensure proposals contribute to informed, science-based, important local 

landscape-scale outcomes, so that Federal resources strategically achieve land 

management objectives;

• Urgency: ensure funding decisions acknowledge where funds must be spent sooner 

rather than later to achieve outcomes or prevent harm, versus areas where outcomes 

could be achieved even if funding were postponed; and,
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Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 11

• Contribution to National/Regional priorities: ensure outcome goals contribute to 

regional and national priorities.

After analyzing the results of this process, bureau directors advised the Secretary on the 

development of the final CLP acquisitions to be incorporated in the integrated land acquisition 

lists.

Mandatory Appropriation: Permanent Land Acquisition - The Department of the Interior’s FY 

2016 budget request proposes a multi-year strategy leading to full and mandatory funding for 

the LWCF. Mandatory funding would help to fulfill the commitment of LWCF: a fair return of the 

profits from developing the Nation’s offshore oil and gas resources to improve and increase the 

availability of outdoor opportunities for all Americans. The FY 2016 mandatory request through 

LWCF would provide an additional $55.4 million for BLM land acquisition activities, for a total of 

$93.4 million between discretionary funding and the mandatory proposal. The complete listing of 

proposed projects would cover the top 25 BLM priorities, located in 12 States.

The joint Interior-Agriculture National Selection Committee identified a number of ecosystems 

throughout the Nation where high priority shared conservation goals can be achieved based on 

existing locally-driven conservation efforts. Through the rigorous merit based evaluation 

process, eight ecosystems were selected for inclusion in the 2016 budget. The BLM is involved 

in seven of those landscapes including the Upper Rio Grande, High Divide, Rivers of the 

Chesapeake, National Trails System, Florida-Georgia Long Leaf Pine, Pathways to the Pacific, 

and Northern California Coastal.

Investing now in these ecologically important but threatened landscapes will ensure that they 

remain resilient in the face of development pressures and global climate change. Smart 

investment in strategic conservation in these landscapes will prevent further ecosystem decline 

or collapse, which is expected to preclude the need for future investments in restoration. 

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM has plans for 18 acquisition projects (nine core and nine collaborative) in ten 

States using discretionary funding. With mandatory funding, the BLM has plans for 15 

acquisition projects (five core and ten collaborative) in 9 States. These acquisitions will 

strengthen the BLM’s efforts to preserve wildlife habitat and wilderness, conserve and protect 

cultural and historic resources, retain open space, and enhance public recreation opportunities 

in the western U.S. in perpetuity. The BLM will utilize innovative methods to acquire lands, 

including conservation easements, leveraged purchases, and t he purchase of development 

rights where these methods meet management objectives and l andowner needs. Planned 

acquisitions for 2016 are listed on the following page. The subsequent pages include maps of 

the acquisition projects and project descriptions.

The following lists of proposed land acquisition projects is the current set of land acquisition 

priorities that has been vetted and approved by the BLM and Departmental leadership to meet 

the high priority programmatic needs during fiscal year 2016. 
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2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Emergency & Hardships $000 1,616 1,616 +0 +0 +0 1,616 +0

FTE 0 0 +0 +0 0 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Inholding, Emergency and Hardship program is $1,616,000. 

Program Overview

The Inholding, Emergency and Hardship program allows the BLM to promote conservation of 

natural landscapes and resources by consolidating privately owned land with publicly owned 

land when properties become available on short notice and would not remain available unless 

immediate action is taken. T he availability of funds for Inholding, Emergency, and H ardship 

purchases permits timely actions to alleviate hardships and prevent adverse land use that may 

conflict with management objectives for adjacent public lands. The BLM’s parcels targeted for 

purchase with these funds, although typically small and generally inexpensive, conserve and 

protect cultural and hi storic resources, permit retention of increasingly limited open s paces, 

preserve wildlife habitat and w ilderness, enhance public recreation opportunities, and a re 

strongly supported for Federal acquisition by local communities.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM will respond to field requests for Inholding, Emergency and Hardship funding 

as they are submitted for consideration on a case-by-case basis. The Bureau will continue to 

focus on acquisitions that conserve and protect cultural and historic resources, retain open 

space, preserve wildlife habitat and wilderness, and enhance public recreation opportunities in

the western U.S. in perpetuity

Activity: Land Acquisition

Subactivity: Emergencies, Hardships, and Inholdings
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 51

Activity: Land Acquisition

Subactivity: Acquisition Management

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Acquisition Management

$000 1,898 1,904 +96 +0 +0 

 

2,000 +96

FTE 10 10 +0 +0 10 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Acquisition Management program is $2,000,000 and 10 FTE.

Program Overview

The Acquisition Management program completes the administrative tasks necessary for the 

Land Acquisition program to acquire land funded through the Land and Water Conservation 

Fund. Acquisition Management program funds are used for title research, appraisal, appraisal 

review, project planning, boundary surveys, relocation, taxes, escrow, closing, coordination with 

BLM multi-resource programs, and coordination with local governments and private parties.

The BLM closely monitors funds spent for processing costs associated with the purchase of 

land and interests in land. Processing costs typically range between $50,000 and $100,000 per 

project, depending on the complexity of title searches and appraisals, boundary surveys, the 

number of parcels contained in each purchase, costs associated with the purchase of 

conservation easements, and other factors. Close communication with field offices and close 

monitoring of funds spent, allows the BLM to allocate the appropriate amount of funding to each 

office.

The Acquisition Management program receives assistance from dozens of third-party partners 

such as the Audubon Society, the Conservation Fund, the Nature Conservancy, the Trust for 

Public Land and t he Wilderness Land Trust. These partners continually assist local 

communities and the BLM in supporting the acquisition and management of specific properties 

for cultural, recreational and wildlife values and to preserve open space. While the majority of 

these partners support acquisition of lands through grassroots political advocacy and long-term 

conservation management, some regional and national partners directly assist the BLM by 

becoming transactionally involved in the purchase of fee and conservation easement property 

interests. Approximately 80 percent of BLM purchase transactions are completed with the 

assistance of these third-party conservation partners. This assistance is a major cost savings 

for the BLM.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the BLM will complete the administrative tasks necessary to acquire fee or easement 

interests in lands designated for purchase under the Land Acquisition program.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 52

Budget Schedules – Current Law

Account Symbol and Title

14X5033

Land Acquisition

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Land acquisition 0001 11 14 16

 Acquisition management 0002 2 2 2

Total new obligations 0900 13 16 18

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 16 23 27

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, discretionary:

 Appropriation (special or trust fund) 1101 19 20 38

 Appropriations transferred from other accts [014-

1125]

1121 1 0 0 

 Appropriation, discretionary (total) 1160 20 20 38

 Appropriation [Protected Conserving New 

Lands-LWCF]

1160-40 20 20 38

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1160-50 1 1

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 19 20

 Appropriation [Text] 1160-40 0 0 0 

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 0 0

Total budgetary resources available 1930 36 43 64

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 23 27 46

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 1 6 7

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 13 16 18

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -8 -15 -24

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 6 7 1

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 1 6 7

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 6 7 1 

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Discretionary:

 Budget authority, gross 4000 20 20 38

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new discretionary authority 4010 3 5 9 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 53

Account Symbol and Title

14X5033

Land Acquisition

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Outlays from discretionary balances 4011 5 10 15

 Outlays, gross (total) 4020 8 15 24

 Budget authority, net (discretionary) 4070 20 20 38

 Outlays, net (discretionary) 4080 8 15 24

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 20 20 38

Outlays, net (total) 4190 8 15 24

 Physical assets:

 Major equipment:

 Purchases and sales of land and structures for Federal use:

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 1340-01 20 20 38

 Outlays 1340-02 8 15 24

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 1 1 1

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 3 5 6 

 Land and structures 32.0 9 10 11

 Total new obligations 99.9 13 16 18

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 10 10 10

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-5033] 1000 38,000
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 54

Budget Schedules - Proposal

Account Symbol and Title

14X5033

Land Acquisition

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Land acquisition 0001 0 0 30

 Acquisition management 0002 0 0 4

Total new obligations 0900 0 0 34

Budgetary resources:

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Appropriations transferred from other accts [014-

5005]

1221 0 0 56

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 0 0 56

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 0 0 56

 Appropriation [LWCF] 1260-40 0 0 56

Total budgetary resources available 1930 0 0 56

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 0 0 22

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 0 0 0

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 0 0 34

 Outlays (gross) 3020 0 0 -6

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 0 0 28

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 0 0 0

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 0 0 28

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 0 0 56

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 0 0 6

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 0 0 56

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 0 0 6

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 0 0 56

Outlays, net (total) 4190 0 0 6

 Physical assets:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter VIII – Land Acquisition Page VIII - 55

Account Symbol and Title

14X5033

Land Acquisition

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Major equipment:

 Purchases and sales of land and structures for Federal use:

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 1340-01 0 0 56

 Outlays 1340-02 0 0 6

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 0 0 10

 Land and structures 32.0 0 0 24

 Total new obligations 99.9 0 0 34

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 0 0 0 

Oregon and California 

Grant Lands

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 1

Oregon and California Grant Lands

Appropriations Language

For expenses necessary for management, protection, and dev elopment of resources and for 

construction, operation, and m aintenance of access roads, reforestation, and ot her 

improvements on the revested Oregon and C alifornia Railroad grant lands, on ot her Federal 

lands in the Oregon and California land-grant counties of Oregon, and on adj acent rights-ofway; and ac quisition of lands or interests therein, including existing connecting roads on o r 

adjacent to such grant lands; [$113,777,000] $107,734,000, to remain available until expended: 

Provided, That 25 percent of the aggregate of all receipts during the current fiscal year from the 

revested Oregon and C alifornia Railroad grant lands is hereby made a charge against the 

Oregon and C alifornia land-grant fund and shall be transferred to the General Fund in the 

Treasury in accordance with the second paragraph of subsection (b) of title II of the Act of 

August 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181(f)). (Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related 

Agencies Appropriation Act, 2015.) 

Appropriations Language Citations 

1. For expenses necessary for management, protection, and development of resource 

and for construction, operation, and maintenance of access roads, reforestation, and 

other improvements

This language provides authority to use appropriated funds provided for the BLM to carry out 

the mission of the Oregon and California Grant Lands program. The BLM manages these lands 

for forest diversity and sustainability while providing multiple-use benefits and services to local 

communities and the public. Activities focus on forest management, watershed health, wildlife 

and fisheries habitat improvement, recreation opportunities, cultural resources protection, and 

infrastructure maintenance.

2. on the revested Oregon and California Railroad grant lands, on other Federal lands in 

the Oregon and California land-grant counties of Oregon, 

The BLM manages resources on public domain under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy 

and Management Act of 1976. Programs conducted on certain O&C grant lands within National 

Forests are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and managed with USFS 

funds. The USFS returns receipts generated from activities on these lands to the BLM for 

payment to counties in accordance with the Act. 

3. and on adjacent rights-of-way and acquisition of lands or interests therein, including 

existing connecting roads on or adjacent to such grant lands;

The O&C appropriation supports the acquisition of easements, road-use agreements for timber 

site access, and the design of access roads for general resource management purposes. 

 

4. $113,777,000 to remain available until expended
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

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This language provides authority to use $113,777,000 in appropriated funds to carry out the 

mission of the program. The language makes the funding no-year, available for expenditure in 

any year after the appropriation. This type of account allows BLM a valuable degree of flexibility 

needed to support multi-year contracts, agreements and purchases.

5. Provided, That 25 percent of the aggregate of all receipts during the current fiscal 

year from the revested Oregon and California Railroad grant lands is hereby made a 

charge against the Oregon and California land-grant fund and shall be transferred to 

the General Fund in the Treasury in accordance with the second paragraph of 

subsection (b) of title II of the Act of August 28, 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181(f)). 

The 2016 budget request reflects the continuation of BLM’s Oregon and California Grant Lands 

existing authorities within the Office of the Secretary.

Authorizations

The Oregon and California Grant Lands Act of 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181) provides for 

conservation, management, permanent forest production, and sale of timber from revested 

Oregon and California (O&C) grant lands and reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road (CBWR) 

grant lands located in western Oregon.

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976, 43 U.S.C. 1701 et seq., as 

amended, provides for the public lands to be g enerally retained in Federal ownership; for 

periodic and systematic inventory of the public lands and their resources; for a review of existing 

withdrawals and c lassifications; for establishing comprehensive rules and r egulations for 

administering public land statutes; for multiple use management on a sustained yield basis; for 

protection of scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air and atmospheric, water 

resource, and a rchaeological values; for receiving fair market value for the use of the public 

lands and their resources; for establishing uniform procedures for any disposal, acquisition, or 

exchange; for protecting areas of critical environmental concern; and f or recognizing the 

Nation's need for domestic sources of minerals, food, timber, and fiber from the public lands, 

including implementation of the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970. 

The Federal Land Policy and Management Act applies to all public lands that include the 

O&C grant lands by definition (Sec. 103(e)). However, Sec. 701(b) of FLPMA (43 U.S.C. 1701

note) provides that if any provision of FLPMA is in conflict with or inconsistent with the O&C Act

and Coos Bay Wagon Road Act, insofar as they relate to management of timber resources and 

disposition of revenue from lands and resources, the latter Acts will prevail. In addition, many 

other Federal statutes regarding natural resource management and pr otection apply to the 

management of the O&C and CBWR grant lands in western Oregon.

The Act of May 24, 1939 (53 Stat. 753) relates to the disposition of funds from the CBWR grant 

lands located in western Oregon. 

The Timber Protection Act of 1922 (16 U.S.C. 594) provides for the protection of timber from 

fire, insects, and disease.
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Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 3

The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-393)

authorizes stabilized payments to O&C and C BWR Counties for 2001 t hrough 2006. Each 

county that received at least one payment during the eligibility period (1986-1999) received an 

amount equal to the average of the three highest 50-percent payments and safety net payments 

made for the years of the eligibility period. The payments were adjusted to reflect changes in the 

Consumer Price Index. The Act expired in 2006. The final payments for 2006 w ere made in 

2007, consistent with the Act.

P.L. 110-28 provided one addi tional year of payments to O&C grant lands and C oos Bay 

Wagon Road counties.

Sec. 601. of P.L. 110-343 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination 

Program provided an extension and ramping down of payments to the O&C grant lands and the

Coos Bay Wagon Road counties through fiscal year 2011. 

P.L. 112-141 – Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) provided an 

extension of one year of Secure Rural School payments to O&C grant lands and C oos Bay 

Wagon Road counties.

P.L. 113-40 – Helium Stewardship Act of 2013 provided an extension of one year of Secure 

Rural School payments to O&C grant lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road counties. 

Public Land Order 5490, dated February 12, 1975, reserved all public lands in and west of 

Range 8 East of the Willamette Meridian and all lands within that area which hereinafter 

become public lands for multiple use management, including sustained yield of forest resources 

in connection with intermingled revested Oregon and California Railroad Grant Lands and 

reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands. 

Healthy Forest Restoration Act (P.L. 108-148) authorizes the BLM and the U.S. Forest 

Service to conduct hazardous fuels reduction projects on federal land in wildland-urban 

interface (WUI) areas and on certain other federal lands using expedited procedures.

Land Conveyance to Douglas County, Oregon, (P.L. 108-206) authorized conveyance to 

Douglas County, Oregon, of approximately 68.8 acres of BLM-managed land in Douglas County 

in order to improve management of and r ecreational access to the Oregon Dunes National 

Recreation Area. 

Forest Ecosystem Health & Recovery Fund, (P.L. 102-381) authorized quick response to fire 

and reforestation of forests damaged by insects, disease, and fire and activities designed to 

reduce the risk of catastrophic damage to forests in addition to responding to damage events. 

Funds in this account are derived from the Federal share (defined as the portion of receipts not 

paid to the counties under 43 U.S.C. 1181f and 43 U.S.C. 1181-1 et seq., and P.L. 106-393) of 

receipts from all BLM timber salvage sales and all BLM forest health restoration treatments 

funded by this account. T he authority to make deposits and t o spend from this fund was 

provided in the 2010 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-88, 123 STAT. 2906) and was 

scheduled to expire at the end o f fiscal year 2015. The 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act 

(Section 117) extended this authority through 2020.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 4

Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Funds (PL 104-134 - Section 327 of the Omnibus 

Consolidated Rescissions and Appropriations Act of 1996.) established initial funds for the 

USFS and the BLM using revenues generated by timber sales released under Section 2001(k) 

of the 1995 S upplemental Appropriations for Disaster Assistance and R escissions Act. The 

legislation directs that 75 percent of the subsequent pipeline fund be used to fill each agency’s 

timber sale “pipeline” and that 25 percent of the pipeline funds be used to address maintenance 

backlog for recreation projects on BLM and USFS lands after statutory payments are made to 

State and local governments and the U.S. Treasury.

Stewardship Contracting (Sec. 347 of Public Law 105-277, as amended by Public Law 

108-7 and Public Law 113-79) permanently authorizes the BLM, via agreement or contract as 

appropriate, to enter into stewardship contracting projects with private persons or other public or 

private entities to perform services to achieve land management goals for the national forests 

and the public lands that meet local and rural community needs. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 5

 FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Western Oregon Resources Management

Forest Management 261 33,447 261 33,447 +305 - - - - 261 33,752 - +305 

Reforestation & Forest Development 134 23,851 134 23,851 +172 - - - - 134 24,023 - +172 

Other Forest Resource Mgmt 271 36,985 271 36,985 +263 - - -24 -3,753 247 33,495 -24 -3,490 

Resource Mgmt Planning 51 7, 140 51 7, 140 +20 - - -10 -3,175 41 3, 985 -10 -3,155 

Total, Western Oregon Resource Management 717 101,423 717 101,423 +760 - - -34 -6,928 683 95,255 -34 -6,168 

Info. & Resource Data Systems 11 1, 923 11 1, 772 +14 - - - - 11 1, 786 - +14 

Transportation & Facilities Maintenance

Annual Maintenance - - - - - - - - - - - - +0 

Annual Maintenance & Operations 68 10,063 68 9, 517 +85 - - - - 68 9, 602 - +85 

Subtotal, Western Oregon Trans & Facilities Maint 68 10,063 68 9, 517 +85 - - - - 68 9, 602 - +85 

Construction & Acquisition 3 310 3 312 +12 - - - - 3 324 - +12 

NMs & NCAs 5 748 5 753 +14 - - - - 5 767 - +14 

Total, Oregon & California Grant Lands 804 114,467 804 113,777 +885 - - -34 -6,928 770 107,734 -34 -6,043 

 Requested 

Amount 

Summary of Requirements

(dollars in thousands)

2014 Actual 2015 Enacted

2016 President's Budget

 Change from 2015 

Fixed Enacted 

Cost

 Transfers Program Changes 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 6

Other Fixed Cost Changes and Projections 2015 Total 

or Change

2015 to 2016 

Change

Change in Number of Paid Days - +134

Pay Raise +343 +424

Seasonal Federal Health Benefit Increase - -

Employer Contribution to FERS 5,270 +327

The change reflects the directed increase of 0.5% in employer's contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement System. 

This estimate captures an increase of 0.5% to FY2016 employer contribution to the Federal Employee Retirement Service 

(FERS). The FY2015 FERS contribution assumption was 13.2%. The FY2016 level is 13.7%. The baseline for these 

estimates is the FY2014 pay actuals.

This column reflects changes in pay associated with the change in the number of paid days between 2015 and 2016. total 

paid days for FY 2016 is 262 which is one day (+1) increase from FY 2015 paid days of 261. FTE hours for FY 2016 is 2096.

The change reflects the salary impact of a programmed pay raise increases. This estimate relects one quarter (OctoberDecember) of the programmed pay raise for 2015. This estimate reflects three quarter (January - September) of the 

programmed pay raise for 2016.

The change reflects changes in the fixed cost portion of the Seasonal Health Benefits Model. Remaining costs associated 

with offering Health Benefits to seasonal employees are reflected as program changes in the Administrative Support 

subactivity.

Justification of Fixed Costs and Internal Realignments

Oregon and California Grant Lands

(Dollars In Thousands)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 7

Appropriation Description

The Oregon and C alifornia (O&C) grant lands appropriation provides for management of the 

revested O&C Railroad grant lands and the reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road (CBWR) grant 

lands. The BLM manages these lands for forest diversity and sustainability while providing an 

array of multiple-use benefits and services to local communities and the public (see discussion 

under each activity and subactivity). As mandated by the O&C Act of 1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181), 

these lands are managed for timber production under the principle of sustained yield. Activities 

focus on forest management including commodity production; watershed health and productivity 

including soil and water restoration projects; wildlife and f isheries habitat improvement; 

recreation opportunities; cultural resources protection; and infrastructure maintenance.

The BLM manages 2.4 million acres of O&C grant lands, CBWR lands, and intermingled public 

domain lands with this appropriation. The BLM manages resources on public domain land (10 

percent of the area) under the provisions of the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 

1976. Programs conducted on certain O&C grant lands within National Forests are under the 

jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and managed with USFS funds (often refered to 

as Controverted O&C Lands). The USFS returns receipts generated from activities on t hese 

lands to the BLM for payment to counties in accordance with the Act. The five budget activities 

of the O&C appropriation are summarized below. Through these activities, the BLM implements 

resource management plans (RMP) and supports resource activities on the O&C and CBWR 

grant lands under the BLM’s jurisdiction.

• Western Oregon Construction and Acquisition provides for the acquisition of 

easements, road-use agreements for timber site access, and the design of access roads 

for general resource management purposes. 

 

• Western Oregon Transportation and Facilities Maintenance provides for 

maintenance activities for the transportation system, office buildings, warehouse and 

storage structures, shops, greenhouses, and recreation sites. This program’s efforts 

maintain the transportation system necessary for effective implementation of the RMPs. 

Road maintenance activities help to reduce or eliminate negative impacts of poor road 

conditions on aquatic and fisheries resources, including Pacific salmon and other 

resident and anadromous fish populations in the Northwest. 

• Western Oregon Resources Management provides for planning, preparing, offering, 

administering and m onitoring timber sales; maintaining the sustainability of forest 

resources and t imber harvest through reforestation, development, and r estoration 

techniques; managing and monitoring wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and 

rangeland resources; and maintaining or improving water and air quality. 

• Western Oregon Information and Resource Data Systems provides for the 

acquisition, operation, and maintenance of the automated data support systems required 

for the management of the O&C grant lands. The focus of this program is to make data 

operational for monitoring and adaptive management; and for developing and analyzing 

activity plans, such as timber sales and habitat management plans.

 

• Western Oregon National Monuments and National Conservation Areas provides 

for the management of National Monuments and National Conservation Areas and other 

similar Congressionally designated areas in western Oregon. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 8

O&C LANDS IN WESTERN OREGON

(ACRES)

BLM-Managed Lands 

O&C Grant Lands 2,084,796 

CBWR Lands 74,547 

Public Domain Lands 239,500

 Total – BLM 2,398,843 

U.S. Forest Service-Managed Lands 

Controverted O&C Lands 462,678 

Special Act O&C Lands 29,721 

 Total - U.S. Forest Service 492,399 

Additional Funding Methods

In addition to the O&C Grant Lands appropriation, two Permanent Appropriations, the Timber 

Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund and t he Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund, are 

available for use and d o not require annual appropriation action. These are the outlined in 

Permanent Operating Funds, 2016 Budget Justifications. 

Management of Oregon and California Grant Lands

The BLM manages 2.4 million acres of O&C and CBWR lands in western Oregon. The BLM has 

practiced sustainable forest management, as outlined in the O&C Act of 1937, which includes a 

provision for the western Oregon counties to receive shares of timber sale receipts. In the late 

1970's, USFS researchers observed a rapid decline in the populations of the Northern Spotted 

Owl, a species associated with old-growth forests. In 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

(FWS) listed the Northern Spotted Owl as threatened under the Endangered Species Act of 

1973, citing loss of old-growth habitat. The BLM modified management of forested lands to 

conserve the old-growth forests , reducing the annual timber sale volumes and thus reducing 

receipts to counties.

Soon after the listing of the owl, President Clinton convened a g roup of scientists called the 

Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team. Their Assessment report in 1993, led to the 

development of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) in 1994; the NWFP amended BLM and 

USFS land use plans within the range of the Northern Spotted Owl. This plan set out land use 

allocations, standards and guidelines for management designed to contribute to the recovery of 

Northern Spotted Owls and marbled murrelets and to produce a p redictable and s ustainable 

level of timber sales. Under the NWFP, agencies are required to survey and manage for rare, 

uncommon, or little known species of plants and animals.

The BLM has managed the O&C lands under the NWFP since 1994. The change in 

management resulting from the NWFP has not been without controversy. The BLM’s Western 

Oregon Districts continue to receive protests, appeals, and litigation on individual timber sales 

as well as on other larger programmatic issues.

In 2009, the Western Oregon Plan Revisions (2008 Records of Decision), finalized in 

December, 2008, were withdrawn by the Secretary. He determined the process was legally 

flawed, having failed to complete consultation under the Endangered Species Act. The decision 

to withdraw the 2008 R ecords of Decision was accompanied with the direction to revert to 

managing the O&C lands under the Northwest Forest Plan (1995 Records of Decision/RMP). 

Since 2009, the BLM has subsequently designed a timber sale program of work consistent with 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 9

the 1995 Records of Decision, Northwest Forest Plan, the Endangered Species Act, and other 

laws and regulations. Forest restoration is one of the goals of the NWFP, and is emphasized 

where appropriate in the context of the timber sale planning process. The BLM resource 

management plans continue to be litigated from both conservation and industry groups, 

resulting in a complicated and changing legal framework under which managers must 

implement projects.

In October 2009, former BLM Director Abbey and t he late FWS Director Sam Hamilton 

convened the interdisciplinary Western Oregon Task Force. The t ask force, composed of 

experts across a r ange of resource disciplines, from the BLM, the FWS, the National Marine 

Fisheries Service and the USFS, examined the Western Oregon Plan Revisions process and 

the long-standing challenges of managing the forests for multiple goals. The task force issued 

recommendations that the BLM and other Federal agencies have been working on in order to 

find new approaches for forest management.

In December 2010, the Secretary initiated a plan applying the principles of ecological forestry as 

suggested by Doctors Norm Johnson and Jerry Franklin, on BLM lands. This ongoing initiative 

explores ways to restore ecological processes and address economic issues on O&C lands. As 

of December 2014, the BLM has completed a number of forestry ecological pilot timber sales 

and continues to offer additional timber sales in various western Oregon Districts. The projects 

seek to:

• Demonstrate a landscape level approach to forest ecosystem restoration that includes 

active management;

• Restore functional and sustainable ecological conditions in Federal forests;

• Allow recovery for threatened species; and 

• Provide needed employment opportunities. 

The FWS is assisting in development and review of the ecological forestry efforts. The BLM is 

using a variety of means to inform and involve stakeholders to stimulate collaboration with 

public stakeholders.

In June 2011, the FWS issued their Revised Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl, and 

in November 2012, issued the final Critical Habitat Rule for the Northern Spotted Owl. Both the 

Recovery Plan and the final Critical Habitat Rule emphasize maintenance and enhancement of 

Northern Spotted Owl habitat and do not preclude active forest management, where 

appropriate, to increase stand resiliency, reduce hazardous fuels, and promote ecological 

diversity. The BLM is incorporating the new Critical Habitat Rule and Recovery Plan into outyear timber sale planning.

In February 2012, the BLM announced new planning efforts for the six West-side Oregon 

Resource Management Plans. The BLM expects to release the Draft EIS for public comment in 

the spring of 2015 w ith an ant icipated completion date for signing the Record of Decision 

scheduled for spring of 2016. The present RMPs were signed in 1995. The new RMPs will 

analyze management of the different resources and incorporate new information including the 

2011 Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan and 2012 Final Critical Habitat Rule. The U.S. Forest 

Service Oregon and Washington National Forests within the Northwest Forest Plan region are in 

the very initial planning phase to revise their National Forest Plans.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 10

Timber Harvest Targets and Volumes

The long-term annual timber target or allowable sale quantity (ASQ) from O&C lands and as 

declared in the six Resource Management Plans (RMPs) is 203 million board feet (MMBF). 

Although volume offered from the reserve land use allocations does not count towards the ASQ 

target, it does contribute towards meeting the BLM’s annual performance target; achieving 

ecological objectives in reserve areas through active management; and contributing to the 

needs of rural communities. The NWFP timber targets and accomplishments displayed in the 

tables below are for the BLM-managed lands in both western Oregon and northern California, 

even though timber activities in northern California are funded by other appropriations.

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

M

M

B

F

O&C Volume Offered for Sale 

2001-2014 

ASQ - 203
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 11

BLM O&C WESTERN OREGON AND CALIFORNIA ALLOWABLE 

SALE QUANTITY – TOTAL VOLUME OFFERED UNDER THE 

NWFP

BLM NWFP Area Timber Volume Targets

Year

Allowable Sale 

Quantity Target Total Volume Offered

OR CA Total OR CA Total

1995 118 15 133 127.3 22.8 150.1

1996 180 2.5 182.5 189.7 5.8 195.5

1997 211 2.5 213.5 212 10.2 222.2

1998 211 2.5 213.5 257.5 0.4 257.9

1999 203 2.5 205.5 61.7 3.1 64.8

2000 203 2.5 205.5 69.2 0.7 69.9

2001 203 1 204 56.4 0.1 56.5

2002 203 1 204 162.5 0.4 162.9

2003 203 1 204 162.7 0 162.7

2004 203 1 204 140 0.1 140.1

2005 203 1 204 198.2 7.7 205.9

2006 203 1 204 200.6 0.6 201.2

2007 203 1 204 195.6 3.2 198.8

2008 203 1 204 236.0 0.8 236.8

2009 203 1 204 202 0.8 202.8

2010 203 1 204 233 0.8 233.8

2011 203 1 204 197 1.8 198.8

2012 203 1 204 206.4 0.5 206.9

2013 203 1 204 204.9 0.0 204.9

2014 203 1 204 239.4 .2 239239.6

2015 est. 203 1 204 214 1.0 215

2016 est. 203 1 204 203 1.0 204

Note: Timber volumes displayed include BLM-managed lands in California managed 

within the area of the NWFP, even though activities are funded by BLM 

appropriations other than O&C funds. 

O&C Revenues and Receipts

The BLM derives timber receipts used for O&C payments from the harvest of timber on O&C 

lands managed by the BLM, and c ontroverted O&C grant lands under the jurisdiction of the 

USFS. In addition, the BLM derives receipts from CBWR and Public Domain lands in western 

Oregon as well. 

While the projected timber receipts in 2016 are lower than those projected for 2015, timber sale 

receipts have risen significantly as the economy recovers from the Great Recession and 

associated construction decline. The large increase in 2014 is reflective of the large amount of 

salvage volume sold and harvested in 2014 as well as improving market conditions. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 12

TIMBER RECEIPTS FOR WESTERN OREGON BLM LANDS 

(Million $)

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 

est.

2016

est.

O&C Grant Lands

Regular Sales 13.0 14.2 9.7 11.6 11.5 17.3 30.2 22.0 19.0

Salvage Sales 4.3 5.5 3.2 2.7 4.3 4.0 4.5 4.5 4.5

Subtotal 17.3 19.7 12.9 14.3 15.8 21.3 34.7 26.5 23.5

CBWR Lands

Regular Sales 0.3 0.2 .8 0 1.0 2.2 3.3 2.0 1.0

Salvage Sales 0.1 0 0 0 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.2

Subtotal 0.4 0.2 0.8 0.1 1.2 2.4 3.4 2.2 1.2

Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund

PD, O&C, and CBWR 9.,8 4.5 4.3 3.9 3.8 2.4 4.3 2.0 2.8

Stewardship Contract Excess Proceeds

PD, O&C, and CBWR 0 0.2 0 0.1 0.3 0.05 0.1 0.0 0.0

Total Receipts 27.60 24.6 18.0 18.3 21.1 26.1 42.5 30.7 27.5

Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund

The Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund (the Pipeline Fund) was established under Section 

327 of the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and A ppropriations Act of 1996. The Act 

established separate funds for the USFS and t he BLM, using revenues generated by timber 

sales released under Section 2001(k) of the 1995 Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster 

Assistance and Rescissions Act, which directs that 75 percent of the Pipeline Fund be us ed to 

fill each agency’s timber sale “pipeline” and t hat 25 per cent of the Pipeline Fund be us ed to 

address maintenance backlog for recreation projects on BLM and USFS lands after statutory 

payments are made to State and local governments and the U.S. Treasury.

At the end of 2014, the balance in BLM’s Pipeline Fund was approximately $8.5 million. The 

BLM has implemented a spend-down plan to bring the Pipeline Fund balance down to 

approximately $5.0 million by the end of 2015. This carryover balance generally offsets irregular 

annual deposits caused by fluctuations in timber market conditions and purchasers opting on 

which year to harvest their 1-3 year timber sale contracts. A balance at the end of the year 

allows continued use of the Pipeline Fund to meet the Pipeline Fund’s annual objective of 

rebuilding and m aintaining the timber sale pipeline. Receipts, deposits and c umulative 

expenditures are described in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter. 

Payments to the O&C Counties

Timber harvest levels have dropped significantly from the historical levels of the late 1980s and 

early 1990s. The traditional payment formulas defined in Title II of the Oregon and California 

Grant Lands Act of 1937, U.S.C. 43 1181f, (50 Stat. 876, Title II) were modified to account for 

these declines and provide fiscal predictability to the O&C counties.

Receipts from public domain lands within the O&C grant lands are distributed to the State of 

Oregon (four percent), the General Fund of the U.S. Treasury (20 percent), and the 

Reclamation Fund (76 percent), except those generated through projects funded by the Forest 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications 

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 13

Ecosystem Healthy Recovery Fund and the Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund, which are 

deposited into those accounts. 

Under the Secure Rural Schools and Community SelfDetermination Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-393), the annual 

payments to the 18 O&C counties were derived from any 

revenues, fees, penalties, or miscellaneous receipts 

(exclusive of deposits to any relevant trust fund, or 

permanent operating funds such as the Timber Sale 

Pipeline Restoration or the Forest Ecosystem Health and 

Recovery funds) received by the Federal government from 

activities by the BLM on O&C lands, and to the extent of 

any shortfall, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise 

appropriated. The Secure Rural Schools Act of 2000 

provided that, for 2001-2006, each payment to eligible 

counties would be an amount equal to the average of the 

three highest payments made during fiscal years 1986-

1999. For each payment made by the BLM under the law, 

the full payment amount would be adjusted for inflation. 

The Secure Rural Schools Act of 2000 expired in 2006 and 

final payments for 2006 were made in 2007, consistent with 

the Act. Public Law 110-28 provided payments for one 

additional year. In October 2008, Congress enacted 

Section 601 of Public Law 110-343, which extended the 

Secure Rural Schools Act of 2000. Public Law 110-343

provided an extension of payments to the O&C grant lands 

and the Coos Bay Wagon Road counties through fiscal 

year 2011. As in the prior act, payments were to be made 

for the year prior. The payments for 2008 through 2010 are 

described in the law as “transition” payments, and are a 

declining percentage of the payments made in 2006; the 

payment in 2009 (for 2008) is 90 percent of the amount 

paid in 2006, the payment in 2010 (for 2009) is 81 percent, 

and the payment in 2011 (for 2010) is 73 percent. The 

payments made to counties in 2012 (for 2011) used a 

formula based on several factors that include acreage of 

Federal land, previous payments, and per capita personal 

income. More information on these payments is contained 

in the Miscellaneous Permanent Payments chapter. 

Since the Secure Rural Schools Act of 2000, the BLM has worked collaboratively with the five 

western Oregon Resource Advisory Committees, to review over 1,000 restoration projects and 

implement over 600 of them totaling over $43.0 million dollars. 

In 2012 and 2013, the Secure Rural Schools Act was reauthorized for one year under PL 112-

141 (2012 payments made in 2013) and PL 113-40 (2013 payments made in 2014). The total 

SRS payment made in fiscal year 2013 was $38,008,975.11 and the total SRS payment made in 

fiscal year 2014 was $39,630,137.85.

PAYMENT TO WESTERN OREGON 

COUNTIES (MILLION $)†

Year O&C

Lands

CBWR

Lands

Total 

Payment

1994 $78.6 $0.6 $79.2

1995 75.8 0.6 76.4

1996 73.0 0.6 73.6

1997 70.3 0.6 70.9

1998 67.5 0.5 68.0

1999 64.7 0.5 65.2

2000 61.9 0.5 62.4

2001 0.0 0.0 0.0

2002 108.7 1.0 109.7

2003 109.6 1.0 110.6

2004 110.9 1.0 111.9

2005 112.3 1.0 113.3

2006 114.9 1.0 115.9

2007 116.3 1.0 117.3

2008 115.9 1.0 116.9

2009 104.5 0.9 105.4

2010 94.0 0.8 94.8

2011 84.7 0.7 85.5

2012 39.7 0.3 40.0

2013†† 37.7 0.3 38.0

2014 39.3 0.3 39.6

2015

††† 18.0 0.2 18.2

†Payments reflect the fiscal year the 

payments were made in.

††BLM made 94.9% of payments for FY 

2013, reserving approximately $2.04 million 

against sequestration

††† Payments based upon 1937 Act for O&C 

lands and 1939 Act for CBWR lands -

Payments subject to 7.3% sequester. CBWR 

payments are estimated as payments are still 

pending 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page IX - 14

The 2016 Budget includes a legislative proposal to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools Act 

with mandatory funding through the U.S. Forest Service. The proposal includes a five-year 

reauthorization, starting with the payments for fiscal year 2015. This SRS proposal revises the 

allocation split between the three portions of the program from the current authority emphasizing 

enhancement of forest ecosystems, restoration and i mprovement of land health and w ater 

quality and the increase of economic activity. For more information on this proposal, see the

USFS 2016 Budget Justification.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 15

 

Activity: Western Oregon Acquisition 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Construction & Acquisition $000 310 312 +12 +0 +0 324 +12

FTE 3 3 +0 +0 3 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Change

The 2016 Budget Request for the Western Oregon Acquisition Program is $324,000 and 3 FTE. 

Activity Description

The Western Oregon Acquisition Program uses appropriated funds to acquire and protect 

access to public lands in western Oregon, providing access to BLM timber sales and other 

activities associated with managing Oregon and C alifornia (O&C) lands. The BLM estimates 

that nearly 5,000 separate tracts of O&C lands require some form of access for proper 

management. The BLM obtains access by purchase of perpetual easements, acquisition, or 

condemnation. Acquisition funding is also used to manage the historical reciprocal rights-of-way 

agreements, and acquire additional lands or interests in lands needed for infrastructure 

development including recreation sites, administrative sites, and transportation facilities.

The BLM has many long-standing (since the 1950s) reciprocal right-of-way agreements with 

surrounding and ad jacent private landowners allowing reciprocal use of each owner’s roads. 

Access to western Oregon O&C lands is dependent upon the continual upkeep of these long 

standing reciprocal rights-of-way agreements. As adjacent private lands change ownership, 

existing agreements need to be c ontinuously negotiated and upda ted. The BLM prioritizes 

reciprocal right-of-way agreements based upon both private requests and land management 

needs. Generally, right-of-way agreements necessary to meet timber management performance 

measures for the BLM and adjacent private harvesting plans receive the highest priority, while 

access to recreational and key administrative facilities also receive high priority.

Other Funding Sources – Timber haul roads, or “fee roads” negotiated under reciprocal rightof-way agreements are maintained using both appropriated funds and road maintenance fees 

collected from commercial users and deposited into a permanent account for road maintenance.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the Western Oregon Acquisition Program proposes to:

• Complete up to 20 new reciprocal right-of-way agreements, amendments, or 

assignments; and

• Complete uploading historic 1950s reciprocal O&C ROW agreement data into an 

electronic and G IS database that facilitates analysis for 14,000 miles of roads, 

expedites analysis of third party ROW agreements, and depicts public access via 

GIS.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 16

 

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015 

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Annual Maintenance & 

Operations

$000 10,063 9,517 +85 0 0 9,602 +85 

FTE 68 68 +0 +0 68 +0 

Transportation & Facilities 

Maintenance

$000 10,063 9,517 +85 +0 +0 9,602 +85 

FTE 68 68 +0 +0 68 0 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for Western Oregon Transportation and Facilities Maintenance 

program is $9,602,000 and 69 FTE.

Activity Description

In 2014, under the Interior, Environment, and Related Appropriations (P.L. 113-76), the O&C 

Deferred Maintenance function was transferred to the Management of Lands and Resources, 

Deferred Maintenance and Capital Improvements Subactivity, leaving only the Annual 

Maintenance and Operations Program in the Transportation and Facilities Maintenance Activity.

Activity: Western Oregon Transportation and 

Facilities Maintenance
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 17

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Annual Maintenance & 

Operations

$000 10,063 9,517 +85 +0 +0 9,602 +85

FTE 68 68 +0 +0 68 +0

Other Resources Supporting Annual Maintenance & Operations:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

Road Maintenance $000 3,103 2,530 2,530 +0

FTE 10 10 10 +0

Notes: 

- Road Maintenance amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from provisions for amortization of road costs in contracts and by cooperative financing 

with other public agencies and with private agencies or persons, or by a combination of these methods; 43 USC 1762(c), which provides the authority to acquire, 

construct, and maintain roads within and near the public lands to permit maximum economy in harvesting timber from such lands tributary to such roads and at 

the same time meet the requirements for protection, development, and management of such lands for utilization of the other resources thereof. appropriates 

these funds on a permanent basis. More information on Road Maintenance is found in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter

- Amount in 2014 and 2015 for Road Maintenance shown net of sequestration

- Road Maintenance is used on both Oregon and California Grant Lands and Public Domain Forestry Lands

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year for Road Maintenance are found in President's Budget Appendix under the BLM section

- The Road Maintenance appropriation is also a collaborative activity of the MLR Annual Maintenance & Operations program, accounting for less than $100,000 

in available receipts from public domain lands

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for Western Oregon Annual Maintenance and Operations program is 

$9,602,000 and 69 FTE.

Program Overview

The Operations and A nnual Maintenance Program 

maintains the BLM’s investment in the transportation 

network, preserves public safety, and minimizes 

environmental impacts, especially related to water quality 

and soil erosion, and provides for functional utilities and 

other services at visitor and administrative sites 

supporting O&C grant land functions. BLM-managed 

roads serve commercial, administrative, and l ocal 

government functions. They also serve public land users 

by providing for timber haul, school bus and emergency 

routes, and ac cess to private, local, State, and Feder al 

lands. The types of facilities maintained by the BLM in 

western Oregon include:

Activity: Western Oregon Transportation and 

Facilities Maintenance

Subactivity: Annual Maintenance & Operations

Program Process Improvements

Periodic maintenance reviews are 

performed within each district to assure 

the maintenance work meets or exceeds 

district expectations and is within 

established budgets. Districts are also 

required to complete annual Maintenance 

Operation Plans (MOP’s) to show their 

planned work. C osts can then be 

monitored against the planned targets by 

WO, state, and d istrict program leads to 

determine the effectiveness of the 

maintenance program.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 18

 

• Sixty-five administrative sites with 162 buildings served by 230 separate mechanical, 

plumbing and electrical systems;

• One hundred and seventy recreation sites with 350 buildings, served by trash collection, 

sanitation facilities, and safe drinking water;

• Three dams; and

• A system of 14,200 miles of roads, including 131 miles designated as Back Country 

Byways, 324 m iles of trails, along with related structures including 410 br idges, 586 

major culverts, and multiple retaining walls and subsurface drainage systems. 

Critical Factors

The following factors can impact program performance:

• Natural disturbances (heavy winter rains, windstorms, wildfires) which alter 

maintenance priorities, requiring changes to planned work; and

• State of Oregon Parks and Recreation surveys indicate that public use of BLM’s 

recreational facilities and the roads accessing them is increasing. 

Maintenance priorities are established at the district and field office level annually using a MOP. 

This prioritization is based on roads and facilities that are essential to the districts and have the 

highest impact on t he health and s afety of employees, contractors, and the general public. 

Emergency repair work that is identified as high priority is completed as soon as funding is 

available.

Other Funding Sources

Most O&C roads and trails used by the public are maintained using appropriated funds. Timber 

haul roads, or “fee roads,” are maintained using both appropriated funds and road maintenance 

fees that are collected from commercial users and deposited into a permanent operating fund 

for road maintenance.

Recreation facility maintenance activities are partially funded by the O&C Recreation 

Management Program, use fees, and the O&C National Monuments and National Conservation 

Areas subactivity. Eighteen of 170 O&C recreation sites participate in the Recreation Site Fee 

program.

2016 Program Performance

The BLM will continue to emphasize maintenance on hi gh-priority facilities, particularly those 

that have the greatest public exposure and use. In 2016, the Western Oregon Operations and 

Annual Maintenance Program proposes to complete routine annual maintenance at 275 

recreation sites, 88 bridges, 175 BLM administrative buildings, and 45 B LM non-building sites. 

In addition, over 14,000 miles of roads will be assessed to prioritize where 2,000 miles of annual 

road maintenance will occur in 2016. Annual routine maintenance will also include upkeep of

wells, sanitation facilities, and trails to reduce public health and safety risks and provide positive 

recreational experiences.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 19

 

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Forest Management $000 33,447 33,447 +305 +0 +0 33,752 +305 

FTE 261 261 +0 +0 261 +0 

Reforestation & Forest 

Development

$000 23,851 23,851 +172 +0 +0 24,023 +172 

FTE 134 134 +0 +0 134 +0 

Other Forest Resource 

Mgmt

$000 36,985 36,985 +263 +0 -3,753 33,495 -3,490 

FTE 271 271 +0 -24 247 -24 

Resource Mgmt Planning, 

Assessment, and 

Monitoring

$000 7,140 7,140 +20 +0 -3,175 3,985 -3,155 

FTE 51 51 +0 -10 41 -10 

Total, -Western Oregon 

Resource Management

$000 101,423 101,423 +760 +0 -6,928 95,255 -6,168 

FTE 717 717 +0 -34 683 -34

Other Resources Supporting Forest Management:

2014 Actual 2015 

Estimate

2016 

Estimate

Change 

from 2015

Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund $000 4,524 3,601 6,396 +2,795

FTE 48 48 48 +0

USFS Forest Pest Control $000 310,000 606,000 500,000 -106,000

FTE 0 0 0 +0

Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration $000 2,991 2,218 2,180 -38

FTE 23 23 23 +0

Notes:

- Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from the federal share of receipts from all BLM timber 

salvage sales, and from BLM forest health restoration treatments funded by this account; 43 USC 1736a appropriates these funds on a permanent basis. More 

information on Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund is found in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter. Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund 

is used on both Oregon and California Grant Lands and Public Domain Forestry Lands.

- USFS Forest Pest Control amounts are shown as estimated transfers. More information on USFS Forest Pest Control is found in the U.S. Forest Service 

budget Justifications. USFS Forest Pest Control is used on both and Public Domain Forestry Lands.

- Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration amounts are shown as new budget authority derived from revenues generated by timber sales released under Section 

2001(k) of the 1995 Supplemental Appropriations for Disaster Assistance and Rescissions Act, which directs that 75 percent of the fund be used to fill the BLM's 

timber sale pipeline and that 25 percent of the fund be used to address the maintenance backlog for recreation projects on BLM land; Section 327 of the 

Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-134) appropriates these funds on a permanent basis. More information on Timber Sale 

Pipeline Restoration is found in the Permanent Operating Funds chapter. Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration is used on lands in Oregon that are managed under 

the Northwest Forest Plan. The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriation Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-134), Section 327, states that the 

Secretary of the Interior shall establish a Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Fund, of which 75 percent shall be available for preparation of timber sales and 25 

percent shall be available to expend on the backlog of recreation projects on lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management, without fiscal year 

limitation or further appropriation.

- Amount in 2014 and 2015 for Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund and Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration shown net of sequestration

- Actual and estimated obligations, by year for Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration are found in President's Budget Appendix under the BLM section

Activity: Western Oregon Resources Management
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 20

 

The 2016 budget request for the Western Oregon Resources Management activity is 

$95,255,000 and 683 F TE, a pr ogram change of -$6,928,000 and -34 FTE from the 2015 

enacted level.

Activity Description

The Western Oregon Resources Management activity provides for the management of 2.4 

million acres of Oregon and California (O&C) and Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands, and 

intermingled Public Domain lands. This program’s objectives are to:

• Restore and maintain the ecological health of forested watersheds; 

• Provide well-distributed blocks of late-successional and old-growth forest habitat to 

benefit threatened, endangered and other sensitive species;

• Provide recreational opportunities to a growing number of users; and 

• Provide a sustainable supply of timber and other forest products.

The BLM designs landscape level solutions to address resource management challenges which 

includes applying active forest management to maintain and r estore forest landscapes and 

terrestrial and aq uatic habitat to increase resiliency to disturbance factors such as wildfire, 

insects and climate change. The BLM works collaboratively with Federal, State, local, and tribal 

partners, as well as public stakeholders and individuals during the planning and implementation 

of active forest management treatments to address timber production, fuels reduction, species 

habitat considerations and restoration opportunities.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 21

 

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Forest Management $000 33,447 33,447 +305 +0 +0 33,752 +305

FTE 261 261 +0 +0 261 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Western Oregon Forest Management Program is $33,752,000 

and 261 FTE. 

Program Overview

The Western Oregon Forest Management Program includes costs associated with 

management, maintenance and enhancement of forests on the public lands, including the O&C 

Grant lands, the Coos Bay Wagon Road lands, and Public Domain land within western Oregon, 

except for activities directly related to reforestation and forest development. 

Critical Factors 

Compliance with the six 1995 western Oregon Resource Management Plans, the 1995 

Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP), the 2011 Northern Spotted Owl Recovery Plan, the 2012 

Northern Spotted Owl Critical Habitat Plan, Survey and Manage guidance, and court orders 

remain critical factors to the success of the program. The BLM continues to collaborate with 

Federal, State, and local governmental agencies as well as Tribes and other stakeholders in 

project-level National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) development and c onsultation to 

support efforts to meet performance targets for timber offered. Additionally, the BLM is engaged 

in the resolution of pending protests, appeals and litigation of timber sale contracts that permit 

the actual offering and harvesting of timber. Within existing regulations, the BLM is looking for 

efficiencies in streamlining the administrative review process with the strategy and objective of 

resolving project level issues early in the planning process.

Means and Strategies 

 

Within the framework of the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the Clean Water Act, the O&C Act, 

and the NWFP, the program provides a sustainable source of timber, protects watersheds, and 

contributes to conservation, restoration, species recovery, and ec onomic stability. The BLM 

develops forest management projects using landscape and watershed approaches to determine 

the suite of treatment activities. Work continues in coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife 

Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to implement active forest 

management prescriptions. The BLM continues to implement and monitor timber sales that 

incorporate the ecological principles suggested by Doctors Norm Johnson and J erry Franklin 

and initiated by the Secretary in December of 2010. Lessons learned are being applied to 

subsequent timber sales that apply the ecological principles on O&C lands. The components of

the Forest Management program include:

Activity: Western Oregon Resources Management

Subactivity: Forest Management
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 22

 

• Forest landscape planning and project level NEPA development;

• Forest inventory and monitoring;

• Trespass prevention and investigation;

• Maintenance of existing right-of-way agreements;

• Maintenance and restoration of late-successional and old-growth forest structure;

• Resolving protests, appeals, and litigation;

• Sales of timber and other forest and vegetative products; and

• Maintenance and dev elopment of the national Forest Resource Information System 

databases to assure data integrity including the interfacing of the Timber Sale Information 

System and Collection and Billing System.

The Forest Management Program cooperates with the USFS in the Integrated Vegetation 

Management Group to support projects that overlap USFS and BLM lands.

Other Funding Sources

In addition to the O&C Grant Lands appropriation, two Permanent Operating Funds are 

available for use on O&C lands. These are the Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund and the 

Forest Ecosystem Health and R ecovery Fund ( FEHRF) as described in the Permanent 

Operating Funds chapter of the Budget Justification. Public Law 113-235 reauthorized the 

FEHRF through 2020.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the O&C Forest Management Program proposes to:

 

• Offer at least 203 million board feet (MMBF) of timber for sale;

• Inventory and Monitor 9,000 acres of forest and woodland vegetation;

• Offer 7,000 tons of biomass through firewood permits and stewardship contracts through 

a combination of the Forest Management Program and Forest Development Program; 

and

• Harvest 180-200 MMBF of volume from 10,000+ acres under contract from the current 

and previous year’s operational timber sales (normal 3-year contracts).
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 23

Activity: Western Oregon Resources Management

Subactivity: Reforestation and Forest Development

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Reforestation & Forest 

Development

$000 23,851 23,851 +172 +0 +0 24,023 +172

FTE 134 134 +0 +0 134 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Western Oregon Reforestation and Forest Development 

Program is $24,023,000 and 134 FTE.

Program Overview 

The Reforestation & Forest Development Program includes costs associated with reforestation, 

intermediate stand management and forest health treatments in young growth forest stands on 

the Public Lands in western Oregon. This program provides for forest restoration and 

sustainable and per manent forest production through active management to achieve healthy 

and productive watersheds. 

Program Components

The focus areas for the Western Oregon Reforestation and Forest Development Program 

include:

• Forest regeneration and restoration activities of commercial and non-commercial forest 

lands that establish young stands and restore habitat in riparian and other reserve areas;

• Intermediate stand management activities in young growth forests that promote forest 

growth, health, value enhancement, fuel hazard reduction and structure development to 

provide for future timber harvest, biomass utilization, habitat requirements, and fire recovery; 

• Treatments to control the spread of forest pathogens and destructive insects;

• Forest monitoring and adaptive management assessments that inform active forest 

management to achieve stand objectives and provide for the sustainable harvest of timber;

• Non-native and noxious weed management;

• Forest inventory, data acquisition, and consolidation of data storage and retrieval 

capabilities to facilitate coordination with other programs; and

• Cooperative research on developing technologies and management activities with other 

Federal and State resource management agencies and universities.

Critical Factors

 

The Reforestation and Forest Development Program is implementing the Cooperative 

Landscape Conservation Adaptation Initiative that incorporates climate change management 

planning and carbon sequestration. The BLM participates with the Adapting Forests To Climate 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 24

Change Task Force that is a cooperative project to addresses how forest managers will modify 

seed zones in response to future climate conditions.

The BLM continually assures that landscape-level planning and project-level NEPA compliance 

work is integrated into and analyzes the full suite of reforestation and forest development 

treatments and restoration needs in the analysis areas. As part of the overall process, the BLM 

works with external and internal stakeholders to ensure that program goals are achieved.

Means and Strategies 

The BLM uses the following strategies in western Oregon reforestation and forest development:

• Employing emerging technologies such as Light and D etection and R anging (LiDAR) to 

provide better, more cost-effective information for decision makers;

• Supporting the Secretarial forestry ecological pilot projects by developing site-specific 

prescriptions, modeling, and monitoring;

• Supporting the Cooperative Landscape Conservation strategy through work with the USFS 

to study the potential for assisted migration of Douglas-fir in response to future climate 

conditions;

• Balancing workforce and operational capacity to prepare and administer service contracts, 

stewardship contracts, and agreements to reforest and implement high-priority forest 

development treatments;

• Implementing intermediate stand management activities using a v ariety of authorities 

including stewardship contracts, service contracts, and timber sale contracts to offer 

biomass, reduce hazardous fuels, improve forest health, and e nhance growth in young 

growth stands, achieving multiple resource objectives;

• Working with the USFS, the Oregon Department of Forestry, the Oregon Department of 

Agriculture, and Oregon State University to treat and m onitor sudden oak death in Curry 

County, Oregon in accordance with a federally mandated quarantine zone;

• Engaging in several collaborative efforts to maintain and enhance ecosystem function, such 

as the Medford Small Log Collaborative, Tillamook Watershed restoration projects, and 

Klamath Falls small diameter log and juniper utilization; and

• Improving efficiencies, and where appropriate, taking advantage of The Good Neighbor and 

Stewardship Contracting authorities.

2016 Program Performance 

In 2016, the Reforestation and Forest Development Program will:

• Assure that post-fire reforestation efforts continue as harvesting of salvage timber sale 

areas continues; 

• Treat a total of approximately 14,000 acres of matrix and forest reserve forests to assure 

adequate growth and habitat development; 

• Monitor over 40,000 acres post-treatment; 

• Inventory over 30,000 acres of forest or woodland vegetation; 

• Inventory over 20,000 acres for the presence of invasive or noxious weeds; 

• Treat over 5,000 acres of noxious and invasive weeds or pathogens, including the fungus 

involved in sudden oak death; 

• Produce 1,000 pounds of Improved Seed from western Oregon seed orchards; and 

• Summarize use of LiDAR technology and its cost-effective benefits for decision makers.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 25

 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

 2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Other Forest Resource 

Mgmt

$000 36,985 36,985 +263 +0 -3,753 33,495 -3,490

FTE 271 271 +0 -24 247 -24

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Other Forest Resource 

Management: ($000) FTE

Reduce Core Capability -3,753 -24 

Total -3,753 -24 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 bud get request for the Western Oregon Other Forest Resources Management 

Program is $33,495,000 and 247 FTE, a program change of -$3,753,000 and -24 FTE from the 

2015 enacted level. 

Reduce Core Capability (-$3,753,000) – A decrease of $3.8 million will reduce a range of 

activities, including inventory and m onitoring, rangeland health assessments and restoration 

projects, and ac tivities in support of recreation, soil, water, and ai r. Some cost savings are 

expected by primarily thinning stands less than 80 years old, where less pre-disturbance 

surveys are needed.

Program Overview

The O&C Grant Lands Other Forest Resources Management Program includes funding for four 

programs critical to effective multiple-use management across BLM lands in western Oregon: 

Rangeland Management; Recreation Management; Soil, Water and A ir Management; and 

Wildlife and Fish Habitat Management.

In western Oregon, the BLM addresses public demand for recreation, clean water and 

productive soil, while managing for the sustained yield timber production as required by the 

Oregon and California Act of 1937. Additionally, this program provides the necessary funding to 

support fish and w ildlife environmental clearances related to this management of BLM 

forestlands in western Oregon. This program supports species and habitat management and 

associated data collection, aquatic restoration for clean water and f ish habitat, as well as the 

timber sale program in the form of surveys, clearances, interdisciplinary team participation, and

environmental assessment preparation. In turn, the Forest Management Program supports 

active forest habitat management within the reserve land use allocations designed to benefit fish

and wildlife species in the long term.

Activity: Western Oregon Resources Management

Subactivity: Other Forest Resources Management 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 26

Critical Factors

• Rangeland Management – Coordination with permittees, private landowners, county, State 

and Federal agencies to integrate best management practices and mitigation measures to 

reduce the spread of noxious weeds. Utilize approved herbicides and mechanical means to 

improve habitat.

• Recreation Management – Recreational interest and use is increasing on BLM lands. Look 

for opportunities to accommodate increasing demand. Until new RMPs are completed, use 

available public input and i nformation and av ailable transportation management plans to 

guide, prioritize and address public recreational needs; (e.g. construction and maintenance 

of recreational facilities and sites, access needs via roads and trails, promoting the America 

Great Outdoor initiative as well as youth activities, managing various special use permits).

• Soil, Water, and Air Management – Coordination with County, State, and Federal agencies 

to assure compliance with the regulatory framework. Address climate change concerns at 

the appropriate scale. 

• Fish and Wildlife Management – Coordination with regulatory agencies to complete 

necessary surveys to assess biological impacts in support of proposed forest management 

activities. Coordinate implementation at the appropriate scale to meet Endangered Species 

Act, Clean Water Act, and other regulatory requirements.

Means and Strategies

The Other Forest Resources Management Program uses collaborative cooperative 

conservation principles, engaging commodity users, private groups, local communities, 

government agencies, and other stakeholders when planning and implementing management 

activities.

BLM biologists in western Oregon consult closely with their FWS and NMFS counterparts to 

implement an array of forest management and other resource restoration projects. The BLM, in 

collaboration with the FWS and the NMFS, has been m onitoring various fish and w ildlife 

populations as part of on-going regional studies to assist in making informed decisions. The 

BLM works with the USFS to implement an interagency Special Status Species Program and 

Clean Water Act compliance activities that extend across administrative boundaries. Applying 

the concept of Service First and sharing skills accommodates an interagency approach toward 

resource conservation. Partnering improves administrative efficiencies, and decreases the cost 

of program administration. In the Soil, Water and Air Management Program, key partnerships 

with the USFS, the EPA, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality have contributed 

toward administrative streamlining, restoration prioritization, and water quality standard updatesall of which contribute to the BLM’s role as a Designated Management Agency under the Clean 

Water Act.

The BLM also partners with The Nature Conservancy, NatureServe, and l ocal watershed 

councils to share data and planning strategies that extend across private, State, and Federal 

jurisdictions. Additionally, the management of invasive species benefits from coordination with 

other landowners and l and management agencies to control the spread of noxious weeds in 

high-priority habitats. Eradication efforts focus on rapid detection and a n early response and 

prevention, including seeking approval for the use of additional and more effective herbicides.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 27

The Soil, Water and A ir Management Program in western Oregon is focused on des igning 

projects and implementing BLM Water Quality Restoration Plan objectives. These objectives 

emphasize the protection of drinking water sources, improvement of aquatic species habitat, 

restoring of water quality, and i mproving aquatic and r iparian conditions while incorporating 

stakeholder input and involvement in development of program priorities. The program involves 

long-term coordination and collaboration with the fisheries and riparian management programs 

of multiple agencies and landowners. The program is tasked with managing for soil stabilization, 

health and pr oductivity; impacts from invasive species to riparian and u pland habitat; upland 

forest and rangeland health; habitat for sensitive species; and the Bureau’s wild and scenic 

rivers.

Much of the work involves assessment, monitoring, and restoring of watersheds to comply with 

the Clean Water Act and t he Safe Drinking Water Act. This is accomplished through 

development and implementation of restoration projects and activities defined within the context 

of water quality restoration plans, which support the State of Oregon’s Total Maximum Daily 

Loads program. 

Additionally, the program funds studies necessary to establish in-stream flows that are required 

to support wild and s cenic river outstandingly remarkable values; work to obtain or maintain 

Federal reserve water rights, and inter-agency agreements with the U.S. Geological Survey and 

Oregon State University to develop flow and w ater quality monitoring data necessary for 

developing NEPA planning documents.

 

2016 Program Performance 

The Rangeland Program consists of 95 grazing allotments (52 active and 43 vacant) covering 

about 352,000 acres of the Medford District, and 11 allotments covering about 14,400 acres in 

the Klamath Resource Area, Lakeview District. Nine allotments in the Medford District providing 

2,714 Animal Unit Months of forage are partially or completely within the Cascade-Siskiyou 

National Monument. In 2016, the O&C Rangeland Management program proposes to:

• Issue 5-6 grazing allotment permits/leases;

• Maintain 49 grazing use authorizations;

• Complete 15 shrub, grassland, woodland and forest projects related to range 

management;

• Monitor 5 grazing allotments;

• Inspect 8 grazing allotments for compliance; and

• Complete 3 Land Health Evaluations.

The America’s Great Outdoors Initiative continues to be a focus in 2016. The O&C Recreation 

Management program promotes and ex pands outdoor recreation opportunities for youth and 

supports the Secretary’s Youth in the Great Outdoors Initiative. Another high priority will be 

improving public access and protecting resources through Comprehensive Travel and 

Transportation Management. The BLM will manage rivers and t rails to protect their special 

values, minimize user conflicts, promote a quality recreational experience in a preferred setting, 

and promote public safety. In 2016, the O&C Recreation Management Program proposes to:

• Inventory Recreation Resources on over 2,000 acres; 

• Assess 200 Linear Miles of Recreation Resources;
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 28

• Assess 45 Nationally Designated Rivers and Trails;

• Prepare 3 Recreation Activity Plans;

• Process 275 Commercial and Group Special Recreation Permits;

• Issue and Manage over 40,000 Recreation Use Permits;

• Evaluate Recreation Areas on over 12,000 acres; and

• Monitor over 250 acres of Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas.

The O&C Soil, Water, and Air Management program supports the Energy Policy Act of 2005 

through involvement in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission re-licensing process. 

In 2016, the O&C Soil, Water and Air Management Program proposes to: 

• Inventory over 100 water resources;

• Monitor air resources/climatic conditions at over 10 sites; and

• Monitor over 100 water resources. 

The Western Oregon Wildlife and Fish Habitat Program combines habitat management and 

habitat restoration actions for fish, wildlife and botany with inventory and monitoring for key 

species of management concern. Management for, and monitoring of, specific habitat conditions 

to meet the requirements of the NWFP and the latest Survey and Manage guidance are critical 

elements of the program. The program supports the Forest Management and the Reforestation 

and Forest Development Programs through pre-disturbance surveys, project level NEPA 

analysis and appropriate consultation of proposed treatments. The program is responsible 

under the NWFP, the Endangered Species Act and Bureau policies for inventorying, monitoring 

and managing habitat for 68 f ederally endangered or threatened species and 632 B ureau 

sensitive fish, wildlife and plant species.

Specific wildlife management emphasis includes a partnership with the FWS to monitor northern 

spotted owl populations. Fisheries management emphasis is on continued cooperation with the 

Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board, watershed councils and the NMFS to improve habitat 

for Pacific salmon species.

Some work is focused on i dentifying priority watersheds from a l andscape perspective to 

increase effectiveness of restoration efforts in contributing to recovery of listed salmonids. 

Identifying priority watersheds in conjunction with other Federal and State partners allows for 

identification of areas with overlapping priorities and the opportunity to form partnerships that 

leverage additional resources.

In 2016, the O&C Wildlife and Fish Habitat Management program proposes to: 

• Inventory over 150 miles of streams and riparian areas; 

• Inventory over 40,000 acres of wildlife and plant habitat; 

• Implement 45 species recovery and conservation actions; 

• Monitor over 50 acres of lake and wetland habitat; 

• Monitor 2,000,000 acres of terrestrial habitat; and

• Monitor over 600 species populations
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 29

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Resource Management 

Planning

$000 7,140 7,140 +20 +0 -3,175 3,985 -3,155

FTE 51 51 +0 -10 41 -10

Summary of 2016 Program Changes/Internal Transfers for Resource Management Planning: ($000) FTE

Reduction in anticipation of completion of plans -3,175 -10 

Total -3,175 -10 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Western Oregon Resource Management Planning Program is 

$3,985,000 and 41 FTE, a program change of -$3,175,000 and -10 FTE from the 2015 enacted 

level.

Planned Completion of Six Resource Management Plans (-$3,175,000) –The BLM plans to 

complete the six revised RMPs in Spring 2016. As the final environmental impact statements 

are released and dec isions are signed, the program’s emphasis will be t o support plan 

implementation with continued collaboration both internally and externally.

Program Overview

The Western Oregon Resource Management Planning Program emphasizes the development, 

implementation, and maintenance of Resource Management Plans for BLM-managed land in 

western Oregon communities. The program supports implementation of NEPA by providing a 

network of planning experts who provide oversight and ex tensive advice and r eview of the 

various NEPA documents to assure compliance with the existing Resource Management Plans.

The BLM has been m anaging western Oregon lands for 20 y ears under the existing 1995 

RMPs. Continuation of complex environmental, economic and social issues have challenged the 

1995 RMPs ability to meet the balance of human and env ironmental outcomes originally 

envisioned at that time. In February of 2012, Secretary Salazar announced the beginning of a 

new resource management planning process and on March 9, 2012, a N otice of Intent was 

published in the Federal Register to formalize the initiation of the new plans.

Program Components

The new RMPs for Western Oregon will determine how the BLM-administered lands in western 

Oregon will be m anaged in the future to further the recovery of threatened and endang ered 

species, provide for clean water, restore fire-adapted ecosystems, produce a sustained yield of 

timber products, provide for recreation opportunities, and meet tribal concerns. The new RMPs 

will:

Activity: Western Oregon Resources Management

Subactivity: Resource Management Planning
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 30

• Assure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including, but not limited 

to, the O&C Act, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act, the Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act; 

• Facilitate completing the subsequent environmental assessments, categorical exclusions, 

and determinations of NEPA adequacy as appropriate for project implementation; and

• Provide critical analysis to respond to protests, appeals, or litigation.

Critical Factors

Within its regulatory guidance, the BLM is actively engaging all stakeholders to ensure dialogue, 

collaboration, transparency, and overall support for the new plans. 

Means and Strategies

The Means and Strategies the BLM is engaging to gain support for the final Record of Decision 

include: 

Consultation - On June 18, 2013, the BLM, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), and 

National Marine Fisheries Service signed an ESA Consultation Agreement that outlined a vision 

on how the consultation would work for the new RMP revision process. Consultation meetings 

among the agencies are continuing throughout the RMP revision process so the Biological 

Assessments and Biological Opinions can be completed soon after the release of the Proposed 

RMP/Final EIS. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the Environmental Protection Agency are 

also participating in the meetings to provide insight, and to integrate the consultation work with 

those aspects of the RMPs that involve those particularly agencies.

Incorporation of New Information - The RMP revisions will incorporate new information, 

science, and r egulatory requirements into the analysis that was not available or has been 

modified since the 1995 RMPs were signed. Not exclusive of other new information, two key 

issues that are incorporated into the RMP revisions are the 2011 Northern Spotted Owl 

Recovery Plan and 2012 final Critical Habitat rule.

In 2011, the FWS finalized the Recovery Plan for the Northern Spotted Owl. Subsequently in 

2012, the Critical Habitat rule for the Northern Spotted Owl was finalized. The Resource 

Management Plans identified in the Purpose and Need the necessity to provide for the 

conservation and r ecovery of threatened and endangered species. The RMPs are using this 

new information in formulating alternatives to avoid actions that jeopardize the continued 

existence of listed species.

Scoping / Listening Sessions - A number of public outreach meetings have been held to 

encourage dialogue with community partners, cooperating agencies, Federal and S tate 

agencies, and the public. To date, the following formal public outreach efforts have been made 

throughout western Oregon:

• Eight initial public scoping meetings from May 16th – June 5th 2012. 

• Four recreation outreach workshops from January 29th – February 5th 2013.

• Four community listening sessions from December 3rd – December 18th 2013.

• Eight Planning Criteria and Preliminary Alternatives Meeting from March 3rd – March 17th

2014.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 31

Cooperating Agencies Advisory Group - The BLM is fully utilizing the Cooperating Agency 

process in the RMP revision process. Presently, the BLM has 27 different Cooperating Agencies 

from State, local, tribal, and the Federal government working closely with them to assure 

communication and under standing, identify common goals and obj ectives, and enhanc e the 

quality of BLM’s management of public lands. The Cooperating Agencies have formed four 

specific work groups to assist the BLM in the planning process, focused on: terrestrial, aquatic, 

social-economic, and tribal issues. The Cooperating Agencies are actively engaged in assisting 

the BLM with alternative development, effect analysis, and outreach.

Staffing, Neutral Facilitation, External Contracting Analysis - Internally, western Oregon 

has a core staff of eight employees working exclusively on preparing the draft and final EIS. In 

addition to a core staff, an interdisciplinary team of 22 Oregon State Office and D istrict staff 

throughout western Oregon is providing key input and analysis to support the plan revisions. 

Externally, the BLM has contracted out different operational aspects of the plan including: 

neutral party facilitation; socioeconomic analysis; vegetation modeling; northern spotted owl 

habitat and demographic response modeling; and recreation demand analysis.

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, the Western Oregon Resource Management Planning Program plans to:

• Release the final EIS and sign the Record of Decision in Spring 2016; 

• Provide support and guidance for implementing new RMPs; and

• Address any follow-up issues associated with new RMPs.
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Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 32

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Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 33

Activity: Western Oregon Information and Data 

Systems 

Subactivity: Western Oregon Information 

Systems Operation and Maintenance

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Info. & Resource Data 

Systems

$000 1,923 1,772 +14 +0 +0 1,786 +14

FTE 11 11 +0 +0 11 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 bud get request for the Western Oregon Information Systems Operation and 

Maintenance Program is $1,786,000 and 11 FTE. 

Program Overview

This program deploys hardware and software necessary to implement Resource Management 

Plans, develop and maintain data sets supporting decision making, and provides technology to 

facilitate management decisions utilizing programs such as mobile geographic information 

system (GIS) and i nternet mapping services. This program manages infrastructure, including 

workstations, networks, Web services and software applications, and ensures system security, 

integrity and reliability.

Means and Strategies

The BLM instituted corporate spatial data standards to ensure GIS data integrity, facilitate 

integration with partners, and implement Web-based collaboration and mapping tools to 

enhance access and communication. In 2016, the BLM will continue to centralize management 

of IT support services. Efforts will continue under Service First to align the GIS functions and 

leverage BLM and U.S. Forest Service (USFS) data resources to reduce costs to both agencies, 

facilitate knowledge transfer, and standardize data and procedures.

Other Funding Sources

Public Domain Forest Management funding in the Management of Lands and R esources 

Appropriation also supports the maintenance and dev elopment of the suite of Forest 

Management databases within the Forest Information Database Systems.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 34

2016 Program Performance

In 2016, western Oregon’s BLM Information Technology program proposes to support the 

following:

• Operations and maintenance for various State and national applications (software) to 

monitor multiple resource data including fish and w ildlife populations and s ites, 

recreational use and permits, special status species, cultural information, forest 

inventory, hydrology and riparian information, transportation network, and o ther 

databases. 

• Assure the interface transition between the Collection and Billing System and the Timber 

Sale Information System continues to meet both national and user requirements.

• Coordinate Information Technology needs with the need to update components of the 

Forest Resource Information System focusing on:

o Integrating BLM’s forest inventory system (MICROSTORM and FORVIS) into a 

single national forest inventory system

o Updating the Special Forest Products database including looking at information 

technology needs to transition to an on-line permit system.

• Remote sensing support to facilitate resource management and analysis.

• Regular upgrading and/or replacement of computer hardware (i.e. personal computers,

radios, phones, storage.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 35

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

NMs & NCAs $000 748 753 +14 +0 +0 767 +14

FTE 5 5 +0 +0 5 +0

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Western Oregon National Monuments & National Conservation 

Areas Program is $767,000 and 5 FTE.

 

Program Overview

The Cascade Siskiyou National Monument (CSNM) in southwestern Oregon and the Yaquina 

Head Outstanding Natural Area (YHONA) located in the central coast near Newport, Oregon, 

are the two units that comprise the Western Oregon National Monuments and National 

Conservation Areas program. These are both units of the BLM National Conservation Lands.

Critical Factors

In support of the NCL goals, in 2016 the BLM will focus on these critical factors: 

• Law Enforcement Presence and Visibility — Law enforcement is a key factor in ensuring 

visitor safety and protecting fragile or rare geologic, archeological, paleontological, and 

biological resources. Threats include vandalism of natural features, archeological sites, 

facilities, and theft of irreplaceable archeological and paleontological resources.

• Critical Inventories and Monitoring Programs — Inventories define the critical resource 

values representative of each unit’s uniqueness, and the information provided is 

essential to the development and implementation of management plans.

• Restoration — Both CSNM and Y HONA are home to a variety of ecosystems. These 

areas contribute to protection and r estoration of native plant and an imal communities, 

including riparian habitats, corridors, and migration routes, to sustain and conserve 

public land resources affected by climate change, altered fire regimes, and i nvasive 

species.

• Comprehensive Travel and Transportation Management — Unmanaged recreation use 

continues to impact resources in the monuments through increased erosion, vegetative 

damage, spread of weeds and invasive plants, and impacts to wildlife habitat.

• Visitor and Community Education — Interpretation and environmental education improve 

visitor experiences, providing information about the cultural, ecological, and scientific 

values of units and the BLM’s balanced resource mission.

Activity: Western Oregon National Landscape 

Conservation System

Subactivity: National Monuments & National 

Conservation Areas
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 36

• Maintenance and Operations of Recreation Facilities – The program supports a number 

of education and v isitor centers along with other facilities to enhance the visitor 

experience in the natural setting.

• Supporting Soda Mountain Wilderness Stewardship Plan Implementation – The BLM will 

continue to implement the new plan, including activities such as decommissioning former 

roads, conducting roads-to-trails projects, removing unneeded grazing management 

facilities and other human infrastructure, and other “re-wilding” projects.

Means and Strategies

Both the CSNM and t he YHONA work with volunteers, partners, and c ommunities. The BLM 

works closely with the public to ensure that recreation in these units meets the needs of user 

groups while remaining compatible with the values for which each unit was designated.

2016 Program Performance

To fulfill the goals of the NLCS program at CSNM and YHONA, the BLM will:

• Manage monuments and conservation areas to conserve, protect, and restore the values for 

which they were designated, as guided by each unit’s enabling legislation or proclamation;

• Manage valid existing rights and compatible uses;

• Support and encourage scientific study and r esearch, while ensuring that research 

methodologies conserve and protect resources;

• Develop and maintain partnerships with local, State, Federal, and t ribal government 

agencies, as well as scientists, local communities, public land users, non-governmental 

organizations, and the public; and

• Recognize gateway communities as vital links to monuments and conservation areas and 

where practical, locate developed recreation and interpretive facilities adjacent to NLCS 

lands.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 37

Budget Schedules

Account Symbol and Title

14X1116

Oregon and California Grant Lands

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Western Oregon Maintenance 0002 1 1 5

 Western Oregon Resource Management 0004 116 115 100

 Western Oregon Data Systems Operation & 

Management

0005 2 2 2

 Western Oregon National Monuments & NCA 0006 1 1 1

Total new obligations 0900 120 119 108

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 4 5 0

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations 1021 7 0 0

 Unobligated balance (total) 1050 11 5 0

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, discretionary:

 Appropriation 1100 114 114 108

 Appropriation, discretionary (total) 1160 114 114 108

 Appropriation [O&C] 1160-40 114 114 108

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1160-50 76 79

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 38 39

 Appropriation [Text] 1160-40 0 0 0

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 0 0 

Total budgetary resources available 1930 125 119 108

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 5 0 0

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 46 44 49

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 120 119 108

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -115 -114 -112

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations, 

unexpired

3040 -7 0 0

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 44 49 45

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 46 44 49

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 44 49 45

Budget authority and outlays, net:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter IX – Oregon & California Grant Lands Page Page IX - 38

Account Symbol and Title

14X1116

Oregon and California Grant Lands

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Discretionary:

 Budget authority, gross 4000 114 114 108

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new discretionary authority 4010 83 84 80

 Outlays from discretionary balances 4011 32 30 32

 Outlays, gross (total) 4020 115 114 112

 Budget authority, net (discretionary) 4070 114 114 108

 Outlays, net (discretionary) 4080 115 114 112

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 114 114 108

Outlays, net (total) 4190 115 114 112

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 2004-01 114 114 108

 Outlays 2004-02 115 114 112

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 49 49 47

 Other than full-time permanent 11.3 5 5 5

 Other personnel compensation 11.5 2 2 2 

 Total personnel compensation 11.9 56 56 54

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 18 18 16

 Travel and transportation of persons 21.0 1 1 1 

 Communications, utilities, and miscellaneous 

charges

23.3 4 4 3

 Printing and reproduction 24.0 1 1 1

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 20 20 15

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 4 4 5 

 Operation and maintenance of facilities 25.4 3 3 2

 Operation and maintenance of equipment 25.7 3 3 3

 Supplies and materials 26.0 3 3 2

 Equipment 31.0 1 1 1

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 6 5 5

 Total new obligations 99.9 120 119 108

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 804 804 770

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-1116] 1000 107,734
Range Improvements

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 1

Range Improvements

Appropriations Language 

For rehabilitation, protection, and acquisition of lands and interests therein, and improvement of Federal 

rangelands pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Land Policy Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 

1751), notwithstanding any other Act, sums equal to 50 percent of all moneys received during the prior 

fiscal year under sections 3 and 15 of the Taylor Grazing Act (43 U.S.C. 315(b), 315(m)) and the amount 

designated for range improvements from grazing fees and mineral leasing receipts from Bankhead-Jones 

lands transferred to the Department of the Interior pursuant to law, but not less than $10,000,000, to 

remain available until expended: Provided, That not to exceed $600,000 shall be available for 

administrative expenses. (Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations 

Act, 2015.) 

Appropriations Language Citations 

1. For rehabilitation, protection, and acquisition of lands and interests therein, and 

improvement of Federal rangelands pursuant to section 401 of the Federal Land 

Policy Management Act of 1976 (43 U.S.C. 1751), 

The language provides authority for the Secretary to direct on-the-ground range rehabilitation, 

protection and improvements to Federal range lands, including seeding and r eseeding, fence 

construction, weed control, water development, and fish and wildlife habitat enhancement.

2. notwithstanding any other Act, 

The provisions of this language supercede any other provision of law.

3. sums equal to 50 per cent of all moneys received during the prior fiscal year under 

sections 3 and 15 of the Taylor Grazing Act (43 U.S.C. 315(b), 315(m)) 

Section 3 of the Taylor Grazing Act concerns grazing permits issued on public lands within the 

grazing districts established under the Act. Receipts from grazing on section 3 l ands are 

distributed three ways: 50 percent goes to range betterment projects, 37.5 percent remains in 

the US Treasury, and 12.5 percent is returned to the State. 

Section 15 of the Taylor Grazing Act concerns issuing grazing leases on public 

lands outside the original grazing district boundaries. The receipts from grazing on section 15 

public lands are distributed two ways: 50 per cent goes to range betterment projects and 50 

percent is returned to the State. 

4. and the amount designated for range improvements from grazing fees and m ineral 

leasing receipts from Bankhead-Jones lands transferred to the Department of the 

Interior pursuant to law, 

The Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937 authorized and directed the Secretary of 

Agriculture to purchase low production, privately owned farmlands. These lands were later 

transferred to the Department of the Interior for use, administration, or exchange under the 

applicable provisions of the Taylor Grazing Act. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 2

5. but not less than $10,000,000, 

If grazing receipts are less than $10 million, the balance of the $10 million appropriation comes 

from the General Fund

6. to remain available until expended: 

The language makes the funding no-year, available for expenditure in any year after the 

appropriation. This type of account allows BLM a valuable degree of flexibility needed to 

support multi-year contracts, agreements and purchases.

7. Provided, That not to exceed $600,000 shall be available for administrative expenses. 

The provision limits the amount of funding in this appropriation that can be used 

for administrative expenses to $600,000.

Appropriations Language Citations and Authorizations 

Section 401 of Federal Land Policy & Management Act (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1751), as 

amended by the Public Rangelands Improvement Act of 1978 (43 U.S.C. 1901-1905),

provides that 50 per cent of all monies received by the U.S. as fees for grazing domestic 

livestock on public land under the Taylor Grazing Act (43 U.S.C. 315) and the Act of August 28, 

1937 (43 U.S.C. 1181d) shall be credited to a separate account in the Treasury and made 

available for the purpose of on-the-ground range rehabilitation, protection, and improvements, 

including, but not limited to, seeding and reseeding, fence construction, weed control, water 

development, and fish and wildlife habitat enhancement.

Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 (43 U.S.C 315) as, amended by the Act of August 28, 1937 (43 

U.S.C. 1181d), authorizes the establishment of grazing districts, regulation, and administration 

of grazing on the public lands, and improvement of the public rangelands. It also authorizes the 

Secretary to accept contributions for the administration, protection, and improvement of grazing 

lands, and establishment of a trust fund to be used for these purposes.

7 U.S.C. 1010 (the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act of 1937), provides that the Secretary of 

Agriculture is authorized and directed to develop a program of land conservation and utilization 

in order to correct maladjustments in land use, and t hus assist in controlling soil erosion, 

conducting reforestation, preserving natural resources, protecting fish and wildlife, developing 

and protecting recreational facilities, mitigating floods, preventing impairment of dams and 

reservoirs, conserving surface and subsurface moisture, protecting the watersheds of navigable 

streams, and protecting the public land, health, safety, and welfare; but not to build industrial 

parks or establish private industrial or commercial enterprises.

Executive Orders 10046, et al., provide that land under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of 

Agriculture under the provision of §32 of the Bankhead Jones Farm Tenant Act is transferred 

from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior for use, administration, or 

exchange under the applicable provisions of the Taylor Grazing Act.

30 U.S.C. 355, provides that all mineral leasing receipts derived from leases issued under the 

authority of the Mineral Leasing Act for Acquired Lands of 1947 shall be pai d into the same 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 3

funds or accounts in the Treasury and shall be distributed in the same manner as prescribed for 

other receipts from the lands affected by the lease. The intention is that this act shall not affect 

the distribution of receipts pursuant to legislation applicable to such lands.

Federal Noxious Weed Act of 1974, as amended (7 U.S.C. 2814), provides for the 

designation of a lead office and person trained in the management of undesirable plants; 

establishes and funds an undesirable plant management program; completes and implements 

cooperative agreements with State agencies; and establishes integrated management systems 

to control undesirable plant species.

The Annual Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Acts, provide that a minimum amount is appropriated, that the appropriation 

shall remain available until expended, and that a maximum of $600,000 is available from this 

appropriation for BLM administrative expenses.

Under the provisions of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 

and the Budget Enforcement Act of 1990, this account is classified as a current, mandatory 

account.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 4

 FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Public Lands Improvements 30 7,590 30 7,582 +0 - - - +597 30 8,179 - +597 

Farm Tenant Act Land Improvements 5 1,690 5 1,688 +0 - - - +133 5 1,821 - +133 

Administrative Costs - [557] - [600] +0 - - - [+43] - [600] - [+43]

Range Improvements 35 9,280 35 9,270 +0 - - - +730 35 10,000 - +730 

Notes:

 Requested 

Amount 

- 2014 amount for Range Improvements includes 7.2% sequester and the 2015 amount includes 7.3% sequester pursuant to Section 254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as 

 amended.

- Change in Range Improvements between 2015 and 2016 reflects the change in available appropriations between 2015 and 2016 due to sequester in 2015, not a request for an increase in appropriated funds.

Summary of Requirements

(dollars in thousands)

2014 Actual 2015 Enacted

2016 President's Budget

 Change from 2015 

Fixed Enacted 

Cost

 Transfers Program Changes 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 5

Appropriation: Range Improvements

 2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 President's Budget Change 

from 

2015

Fixed 

Costs Transfers Program Changes

Requested 

Amount

Public Lands 

Improvements

$000 7,590 7,582 +0 +0 +0 8,179 +0

FTE 30 30 +0 +0 30 +0 

Farm Tenant Act Land 

Improvements

$000 1,690 1,688 +0 +0 +0 1,821 +0

FTE 5 5 +0 +0 5 +0 

Administrative Costs $000 [570] [600] +0 +0 +0 [600] [+0]

Range Improvements $000 9,280 9,270 +0 +0 +730 10,000 +730

FTE 35 35 +0 +0 35 +0 

Notes: 2014 amount for Range Improvements includes sequester of 7.2% and 2015 amount 7.3% 

sequester pursuant to Section 254 of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act 

of 1985, as amended.

Change in Range Improvements between 2015 and 2016 reflects the change in available 

appropriations between 2015 and 2016 due to sequester in 2015, not a request for an increase 

in appropriated funds. 

 

Justification of 2016 Program Changes

The 2016 budget request for the Range Improvement Account is $10,000,000 and 35 FTE. 

Program Overview

Program Components

The Range Improvement Account functions as the primary support program for Rangeland

Management and is used to construct on-the-ground projects, such as vegetation management 

treatments, fencing, and wildlife-livestock water developments.

These funds are used to improve land health and resource conditions, facilitating the production 

of a wide variety of ecosystem goods and services, such as high quality water. Areas identified 

through land health evaluations are prioritized at the district level for funding. Examples of areas 

not achieving rangeland health standards could be r iparian areas functioning at-risk with a 

downward trend, areas with unacceptable plant community composition including areas invaded 

by noxious and i nvasive weeds or other invasive species, or areas with unnaturally high 

amounts of exposed soil that would be subject to accelerated erosion.

Healthy landscapes in the West today are at greater risk due t o more intense and extended 

droughts, increasing wildfire frequency, and continuing migration of invasive species. Range 

Improvement funds also provide field offices with the flexibility to address changing resource 

conditions such as drought, wildfire, newly listed species, critical habitat, and candidate species 

such as sage-grouse.

 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 6

Installation of a cattleguard, in cooperation with the Colorado Parks and Wildlife, is used to provide access to the 

Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area and prevent livestock from getting out onto the highway.

Means and Strategies

• The BLM uses funding from the Range Improvement Account in addition to funding from 

other programs and contributions from permittees and partner organizations to support 

rangeland health. The amount of funding the BLM is able to leverage from partners and 

stakeholders is a factor used to help prioritize projects for funding. 

• Other workload priorities such as wildfire, droughts, floods, and l itigation can affect the 

BLM’s ability to complete range improvement projects.

• Project prioritization is based on r esource issues, such as protection of sensitive species 

through management of sage-grouse habitat, reduction of wildfire risks through the 

management of fuel loads, and c oordination with post-fire rehabilitation efforts to help 

manage the spread of invasive or noxious weeds.

Funding for the Range Improvement Appropriation

Fifty percent of grazing fees collected on public lands, or $10.0 million, whichever is greater, is 

appropriated annually into the Range Improvement Account. Funding is distributed to the BLM 

grazing districts according to where the receipts were collected. This funding remains available 

until exhausted and i s to be us ed for on-the-ground projects, principally for improving public 

lands not achieving land health standards.

Please refer to the Collections chapter for information on grazing fees collected on public lands.

Grazing Fees

Grazing fees are set each year under the authority of FLPMA and t he Public Range 

Improvement Act. The fee for 2014 was $1.35 per Animal Unit Month (AUM), as announced on 

January 31, 2014. The fee for 2015 will be announced in late January 2015. A portion of the 

grazing fees are deposited into the Treasury and 50 percent of the fees are appropriated to the 

BLM in this Range Improvement Account for the purposes described in this chapter.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 7

These fees do no t fund the Rangeland Management Program, and they also differ from the 

proposed grazing permit administrative fee. More information on the Rangeland Management 

Program and t he proposed cost recovery measure can be f ound in the MLR appropriation 

section.

2016 Program Performance 

In 2016, the focus and priorities of the Range Improvement Account will remain as described in 

the overview section. It is estimated that approximately 18,000 acres would receive vegetation 

treatment, 300 new structural projects would be constructed, 250 existing projects would be reconstructed/maintained and 50,000 acres of weed treatment would be completed.

A windmill powered well is used to improve livestock distribution in Colorado in an area 

without a reliable water source.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 8

Budget Schedules – Current Law

Account Symbol and Title

14X5132

Range Improvements

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Public Lands Improvements 0001 7 8 8

 Farm Tenant Act Lands Improvements 0002 1 1 1

Total new obligations 0900 8 9 9 

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 3 4 4

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Appropriation (General Fund) 1200 3 3 3

 Appropriation (special or trust fund) 1201 7 7 7

 Appropriations and/or unobligated balance of 

appropriations temporarily reduced

1232 -1 -1 0

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 9 9 10

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 9 9 10

 Appropriation [Indefinite] 1260-40 4 2 2

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 0 0

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 2 2

 Appropriation [Special Fund, Indefinite] 1260-40 6 8 8

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 3 3

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 5 5

 Appropriation [Text] 1260-40 0 0 0 

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 0 0

 Effects of 2014 sequester 1260-40 -1 -1 0

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 -1 0 

Total budgetary resources available 1930 12 13 14

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 4 4 5

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 6 4 6

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 8 9 9

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -10 -7 -10

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 4 6 5 

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 6 4 6
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 9

Account Symbol and Title

14X5132

Range Improvements

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 4 6 5

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 9 9 10

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 4 4 4

 Outlays from mandatory balances 4101 6 3 6 

 Outlays, gross (total) 4110 10 7 10

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 9 9 10

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 10 7 10

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 9 9 10

Outlays, net (total) 4190 10 7 10

 Physical assets:

 Major equipment:

 Other physical assets:

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 1352-01 9 9 10

 Outlays 1352-02 10 7 10

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 2 2 2

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 1 1 1

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 1 1 1 

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 1 1 1

 Supplies and materials 26.0 1 1 1

 Land and structures 32.0 1 1 1

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 1 2 2

 Total new obligations 99.9 8 9 9

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 35 35 35

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-5132] 1000 10,000
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter X – Range Improvements Page X - 10

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Service Charges, 

Deposits and 

Forfeitures 

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 1

SERVICE CHARGES,

DEPOSITS AND FORFEITURES

Appropriations Language 

For administrative expenses and other costs related to processing application documents and 

other authorizations for use and disposal of public lands and resources, for costs of providing 

copies of official public land documents, for monitoring construction, operation, and termination 

of facilities in conjunction with use authorizations, and for rehabilitation of damaged property, 

such amounts as may be collected under Public Law 94–579 (43 U.S.C.1701 et seq.), and 

under section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 185), to remain available until expended: 

Provided, That, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary of section 305(a) of Public Law 

94–579 (43 U.S.C. 1735(a)), any moneys that have been or will be received pursuant to that 

section, whether as a result of forfeiture, compromise, or settlement, if not appropriate for refund 

pursuant to section 305(c) of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1735(c)), shall be av ailable and m ay be 

expended under the authority of this Act by the Secretary to improve, protect, or rehabilitate any

public lands administered through the Bureau of Land Management which have been damaged 

by the action of a resource developer, purchaser, permittee, or any unauthorized person, 

without regard to whether all moneys collected from each such action are used on the exact 

lands damaged which led to the action: Provided further, That any such moneys that are in 

excess of amounts needed to repair damage to the exact land for which funds were collected 

may be used to repair other damaged public lands. (Division F—Department of the Interior, 

Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015)

Appropriations Language Citations

1. For administrative expenses and other costs related to processing application 

documents and other authorizations for use and disposal of public lands and 

resources, 

This language provides authority to recover costs associated with the processing of documents 

related to Rights-of-Way (ROW) and energy and minerals authorizations required to dispose of 

public lands and resources. These funds are deposited in the Service Charges, Deposits, and 

Forfeitures account and used by BLM for labor and ot her expenses of processing these 

documents. Only those costs directly associated with processing an application or issuing a 

ROW grant are charged to an individual project. 

2. for costs of providing copies of official public land documents,

The BLM performs certain types of realty work on a cost-recoverable basis. Regulations 

promulgated pursuant to FLPMA allow the BLM to collect from applicants the costs associated 

with providing copies of public land documents.

3. for monitoring construction, operation, and termination of facilities in conjunction 

with use authorizations, 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 2

The BLM performs certain types of realty work on a cost-recoverable basis. Regulations 

promulgated pursuant to FLPMA allow the BLM to collect from applicants the costs of 

monitoring construction, operation and termination of facilities.

4. and for rehabilitation of damaged property, 

The BLM performs certain types of realty work on a cost-recoverable basis. Regulations 

promulgated pursuant to the FLPMA allow the BLM to collect from applicants the costs of 

monitoring rehabilitation and restoration of the land. 

5. such amounts as may be collected under Public Law 94–579 (43 U.S.C.1701 et seq.),

This language authorizes the BLM to collect amounts for activities authorized by FLPMA

6. and under section 28 of the Mineral Leasing Act (30 U.S.C. 185),

This language authorizes the Secretary to issue Rights-of-Way and other land use 

authorizations related to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Rights-of-Way applicants and permittees 

are to reimburse the U.S. for all costs associated with processing applications and monitoring 

pipeline construction and operations.

7. to remain available until expended:

The language makes the funds deposited into the account available on a no-year basis. This 

type of account allows BLM a valuable degree of flexibility needed to support multi-year 

contracts, maintenance, construction, operations, and rehabilitation of public lands.

8. Provided, That, notwithstanding any provision to the contrary of section 305(a) of 

Public Law 94–579 (43 U.S.C. 1735(a)), 

This provision authorizes BLM to collect for land damaged by users who have not fulfilled the 

requirements of contracts or bonds. 

9. any moneys that have been or will be received pursuant to that section, whether as a 

result of forfeiture, compromise, or settlement, if not appropriate for refund pursuant 

to section 305(c) of that Act (43 U.S.C. 1735(c)), 

This language authorizes the Secretary to issue a refund of the amount in excess of the cost of 

doing work to be made from applicable funds. 

10. shall be available and may be expended under the authority of this Act by the 

Secretary to improve, protect, or rehabilitate any public lands administered through 

the Bureau of Land Management which have been damaged by the action of a 

resource developer, purchaser, permittee, or any unauthorized person, without regard 

to whether all moneys collected from each such action are used on the exact lands 

damaged which led to the action:

This language authorizes the Secretary to use funds to improve, protect, or rehabilitate public 

lands that were damaged by a develop or purchaser even if the funds collected were not 

damages on those exact lands.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 3

11. Provided further, that any such moneys that are in excess of amounts needed to 

repair damage to the exact land for which funds were collected may be used to repair 

other damaged public lands.

If a funding excess exists after repair has been made to the exact land for which funds were 

collected or forfeited, then the BLM may use these funds to improve, protect, or rehabilitate any 

damaged public land.

Appropriation Language Authorizations

Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 1976, as 

amended (43 U.S.C. 1735)

Authorizes the BLM to receive deposits and forfeitures.

The Mineral Leasing Act of 

1920, as amended by the 

Trans-Alaska Pipeline Act of 

1973, §101 (Public Law 93-

153) (30 U.S.C. 185)

Authorizes rights-of-way for oil, gas, and other fuels. It further 

authorizes the Secretary to issue Rights-of-Way and other land

use authorizations related to the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. Rightsof-Way applicants and permittees are to reimburse the U.S. for 

all costs associated with processing applications and monitoring 

pipeline construction and operations.

The Alaska Natural Gas 

Transportation Act of 1976 

(15 U.S.C. 719)

Authorizes the granting of certificates, Rights-of-Way permits, 

and leases.

The National Environmental 

Policy Act of 1969 (42 U.S.C. 

4321, 4331-4335, 4341-4347)

Requires the preparation of environmental impact statements for 

Federal projects that may have a s ignificant effect on t he 

environment.

The Wild Free Roaming 

Horse and Burro Act of 

1971, as amended by the 

Public Rangelands 

Improvement Act of 1978 (16 

U.S.C. 1331-1340)

Authorizes adoption of wild horses and burros by private 

individuals under cooperative agreements with the Government.

The Public Rangelands 

Improvement Act of 1978 (43 

U.S.C. 1901-1908)

Establishes the policy of improving Federal rangeland conditions 

and facilitates the humane adoption or disposal of excess wild 

free-roaming horses and burros.

Omnibus Public Land 

Management Act, 2009 (P.L. 

111-11)

Among numerous other things, authorizes the disposal of certain 

lands in the Boise District of the Bureau of Land Management, in 

Washington County, Utah, and in Carson City, Nevada. I t 

authorizes BLM to retain and spend most of the proceeds of 

these sales to acquire lands in wilderness and other areas and 

for other purposes, and to pay a portion to the states in which the 

sold land was located. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 4

Summary of Requirements 

(Dollars in Thousands)

Comparison

by Activity/

Subactivity 

2014

Actual

2015

Enacted

2016

Change from 

2015

(+/ -) 

Program 

Changes

(+/ -) 

Budget 

Request

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Service Charges, 

Deposits, & 

Forfeitures

184 29,998 184 32,465 0 -1,415 184 31,050 0 -1,415

Offsets -29,998 -32,465 1,415 -31,050 +1,415

Right-Of-Way 

Processing

[5101, 5102 & 5103]

102 12,360 102 16,105 0 -1,415 102 14,690 0 -1,415

Energy and Minerals 

Cost Recovery

[5110 & 5104]

22 5,399 22 5,160 0 0 22 5,160 0 0 

Trans Alaska Pipeline

[5106 & 5109] 23 1,819 23 1,620 0 0 23 1,620 0 0 

Adopt-A-Horse 

Program 

[5200 thru 5220]

0 332 0 380 0 0 0 380 0 0 

Repair of Damaged 

Lands

[5330, 5310, & 5320]

16 4,419 16 3,420 0 0 16 3,420 0 0 

Cost Recoverable 

Realty Cases

[5410 thru 5440]

3 808 3 830 0 0 3 830 0 0 

Timber Contract 

Expenses

[5500 & 5600]

0 127 0 60 0 0 0 60 0 0 

Commercial Film & 

Photography Fees 

[5441]

3 251 3 230 0 0 3 230 0 0 

Recreation Cost 

Recovery [5105] 8 3,655 8 3,690 0 0 8 3,690 0 0 

Copy Fee Account 

[5700] 7 828 7 970 0 0 7 970 0 0 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 5

Program Overview 

Rights-of-Way Processing and Energy and Minerals Cost Recovery – The BLM recovers 

certain costs of processing documents related to Rights-of-Way (ROW), and ener gy and 

minerals authorizations. These funds are deposited in the Service Charges, Deposits, and 

Forfeitures account and used by BLM for labor and ot her expenses of processing these 

documents. More detail for each type of cost recovery is described below.

Rights-of-Way Processing – ROW processing is funded through a combination of applicant 

deposits made into this indefinite appropriation and a di rect appropriation of funds in the 

Management of Lands and Resources (MLR) appropriation, which include the Renewable 

Energy subactivity as well as the Land and Realty Management subactivity.

The BLM recovers costs for the processing of ROW applications pursuant to the Mineral 

Leasing Act (MLA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA). Processing 

fees are determined by a fee schedule for minor category ROWs (those which require fewer 

than 50 Federal work hours). Processing fees for major category ROWs (those which require 

greater than 50 Federal work hours) are based on reasonable costs (FLPMA) or actual costs 

(MLA). In 2014, BLM’s average cost to process a major category right-of-way application was 

approximately $92,000; in 2015 it is estimated to be $98,000. Major category ROW projects are 

usually for oil and gas pipelines, electric transmission lines, wind and solar energy development 

sites, or other projects associated with energy development. Twenty percent of BLM’s rights-ofway applications are for these types of projects. BLM estimates that it will recover 80 percent of 

the reasonable or actual processing costs of the larger scale project types of applications.

Approximately 80 percent of the ROW projects are minor category which usually consists of 

short roads, well gathering pipelines, and electric distribution lines. Minor category ROW 

applications cost an average of $2,400 each to process in 2014; in 2015 minor category cost 

recovery applications are estimated to have an average processing cost of $2,600. For these 

smaller-scale projects, the BLM recovers 50 percent of the actual costs of each right-of-way 

application. Approximately 10 percent of the ROW projects are for roads and other 

infrastructure for local or state government agencies for which BLM recovers no 

cost recovery funds.

Only those costs directly associated with processing an application or issuing a ROW grant are 

charged to an individual project. Costs of land use planning or studies to determine placement 

of ROW corridors, and other general costs that are not specific to a ROW application, cannot be 

charged to the individual ROW cost recovery account. These costs are funded entirely from the 

MLR appropriation. In addition, certain types of ROW applicants are exempted, by law, from 

cost recovery. These applicants include States and local governments. 

The BLM currently administers more than 107,000 ROW authorizations. The Bureau will 

continue to expedite the granting of ROWs by processing applications, issuing grants, and 

monitoring construction involved with the operation and termination of ROWs on the public land 

as authorized by the FLPMA and the MLA.

Appropriation: Service Charges, Deposits, and 

Forfeitures (Indefinite)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 6

Energy and Minerals Cost-Recovery - The BLM issued a final rule effective November 7, 

2005, to amend its mineral resources regulations to increase certain fees and to impose new 

fees to cover BLM’s costs of processing documents relating to its minerals programs. The new 

fees included costs of actions such as environmental studies performed by the BLM, lease 

applications, name changes, corporate mergers, lease consolidations and reinstatements, and 

other processing-related costs. The BLM charges the fees pursuant to authorities under the 

Independent Offices Appropriation Act, as amended, 31 U.S.C. 9701 (IOAA); Section 304(a) of 

FLPMA; and O MB Circular A-25; DOI Manual 346 DM 1.2 A; and c ase law (also see the 

preamble to the proposed rule at 70 FR 41533 and Solicitor's Opinion M-36987 (December 5, 

1996)).

Recreation Cost Recovery – The BLM recovers its costs associated with authorizing and 

administering certain recreation activities or events. The BLM uses Special Recreation Permits 

to authorize events such as off-highway vehicle areas, shooting ranges, and s pecialized trail 

systems; or to authorize group activities or recreation events. This subactivity covers revenues 

and expenditures associated with any Special Recreation Permit that has been determined to 

be cost recoverable by BLM personnel as outlined in 43 CFR 2930-1 Permits for Recreation on 

Public Lands and H-2930-1, Recreation Permit Administration Handbook. Primary work in this 

program involves processing the application and administering the permit, which includes 

environmental analysis and monitoring. 

Adopt-a-Horse Program – The BLM conducts adoptions of wild horses and burros removed 

from its public lands. In 2016, the BLM will offer animals for adoption to qualified applicants. 

The BLM administers animal adoptions primarily through a c ompetitive bidding process,

receiving a minimum of $380 per horse or burro to offset veterinary, transportation, and animal 

maintenance costs.

Repair of Damaged Lands – Under FLPMA, the BLM is authorized to collect for land damaged 

by users who have not fulfilled the requirements of contracts or bonds. If a funding excess exists 

after repair has been made to the exact land for which funds were collected or forfeited, then the 

BLM may use these funds to improve, protect, or rehabilitate any damaged public land.

Cost-Recoverable Realty Cases – The BLM performs certain types of realty work on a costrecoverable basis. Regulations promulgated pursuant to the FLPMA allow the BLM to collect 

from applicants the costs of processing applications for realty work, as described below. 

• Conveyance of Federally Owned Mineral Interests –The BLM collects costs from 

applicants to cover administrative costs, including the costs of conducting an ex ploratory 

program to determine the type and amount of mineral deposits, establishing the fair market 

value of the mineral interests to be conveyed, and preparing conveyance documents.

• Recordable Disclaimers of Interest – The BLM collects costs from applicants to cover 

administrative costs, including the costs to determine if the U.S. has an interest in the 

property or boundary definitions, as well as preparing the riparian specialist’s report or 

preparing and issuing the document of disclaimer.

• Leases, Permits, and E asements – The BLM collects costs from applicants to cover 

administrative costs, including the cost of processing applications, monitoring construction, 

operating and maintaining authorized facilities, and monitoring rehabilitation and restoration 

of the land. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 7

Applicants may deposit money in an approved account for the BLM use in completing specific 

realty work. These dollars become immediately available to the BLM without further 

appropriation.

Timber Contract Expenses – Many BLM timber contracts have provisions that allow the 

purchaser to make cash payments to the BLM in lieu of performing specified work directly. The 

BLM uses these funds as required by the contract. This involves performing timber slash 

disposal and reforestation.

Commercial Film and Photography – A permit is required for all commercial filming activities 

on public lands. Commercial filming is defined as the use of motion picture, videotaping, sound 

recording, or other moving image or audio recording equipment on public lands that involves the 

advertisement of a product or service, the creation of a product for sale, or the use of actors, 

models, sets, or props, but not including activities associated with broadcasts for new programs. 

Creation of a product for sale includes a film, videotape, television broadcast, or documentary of 

participants in commercial sporting or recreation event created for the purpose of generating 

income. These fees are exclusive of cost recovery fees for processing the permits which are 

collected under leases, permits, and easements. 

Copy Fees – The BLM is the custodian of the official public land records of the United States. 

There are more than 500,000 requests annually from industry, user organizations, and t he 

general public, for copies of these official records. The BLM charges a fee for copies of these 

documents (maps, plats, field notes, copies of use authorizations, reservations of easements 

and ROW, serial register pages, and master title plats). This fee covers the cost of research, 

staff time, and the supplies required for printing and for responding to Freedom of Information 

Act requests. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 8

Budget Schedules

Account Symbol and Title

14X5017

Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Right-of-way processing 0001 13 13 13

 Energy and minerals cost recovery 0004 3 3 3

 Wild horse and burro cost recover 0005 0 0 1 

 Repair of damaged lands 0006 3 3 3

 Cost recoverable realty 0007 1 1 1

 Recreation cost recovery 0008 3 3 3 

 Copy fees 0009 1 1 1

 Trans Alaska Pipeline Authority 0011 4 4 4

Total new obligations 0900 28 28 29

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 46 49 53

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations 1021 1 0 0

 Unobligated balance (total) 1050 47 49 53

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, discretionary:

 Appropriation (special or trust fund) 1101 30 32 31

 Appropriation, discretionary (total) 1160 30 32 31

 Appropriation [Text] 1160-40 30 32 31

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1160-50 22 23

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 10 10

 Appropriation [Text] 1160-40 0 0 0 

 Baseline Non-Pay 1160-50 0 0

Total budgetary resources available 1930 77 81 84

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 49 53 55

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 6 2 3

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 28 28 29

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -31 -27 -32

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations, 

unexpired

3040 -1 0 0

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 2 3 0

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 9

Account Symbol and Title

14X5017

Service Charges, Deposits, and Forfeitures

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 6 2 3

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 2 3 0

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Discretionary:

 Budget authority, gross 4000 30 32 31

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new discretionary authority 4010 15 16 16

 Outlays from discretionary balances 4011 16 11 16

 Outlays, gross (total) 4020 31 27 32

 Budget authority, net (discretionary) 4070 30 32 31

 Outlays, net (discretionary) 4080 31 27 32

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 30 32 31

Outlays, net (total) 4190 31 27 32

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 2004-01 30 32 31

 Outlays 2004-02 31 27 32

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 13 13 13

 Other than full-time permanent 11.3 1 1 1

 Other personnel compensation 11.5 1 1 1 

 Total personnel compensation 11.9 15 15 15

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 5 5 5

 Travel and transportation of persons 21.0 1 1 1 

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 2 2 2

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 4 4 4

 Supplies and materials 26.0 1 1 2

 Total new obligations 99.9 28 28 29

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 184 184 184

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-5017] 1000 31,050
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XI – Range Improvements Page XI - 10

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Miscellaneous 

Permanent Payments

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 1 

 

Miscellaneous

Permanent Payments

Appropriations Language 

No Appropriations Language

Explanation 

The Permanent Payment Accounts provide for sharing specified receipts collected from the 

sale, lease, or use of the public lands and resources with States and counties. They do not 

require annual appropriations action. Amounts are estimated based on anticipated collections, 

or in some cases, upon provisions required by permanent legislation. T he BLM distributes 

these funds in accordance with the provisions of the various laws that specify the percentages 

to be pai d to the applicable recipient jurisdictions and, in some cases, how the States and 

counties must use these funds. These payments are made subject to the authorities of 

permanent law, and the amounts are made available by operation of permanent laws. The 

payment amounts show for each year are the amounts paid, or estimated to be paid, in that 

year.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 2 

 

Authorizations 

30 U.S.C. 191, 286; 95 

Stat. 12051

Mineral leasing receipts are collected from the leasing of 

public land (including bonuses, royalties and rents) for 

exploration of oil and gas, coal, oil shale, and other minerals. 

The amount charged depends on t he type of mineral that is 

leased.

1952 Interior and 

Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act (65 

Stat. 252)

States are paid five percent of the net proceeds (four percent 

of gross proceeds) from the sale of public land and public land 

products.

Taylor Grazing Act of 

1934 (43 U.S.C. 315 b, i 

and m)

States are paid 121⁄2 percent of the grazing fee receipts from 

lands within organized grazing district boundaries; States are 

paid 50 per cent of the grazing fee receipts from public land 

outside of organized grazing districts; and S tates are paid 

specifically determined amounts from grazing fee and mineral 

receipts from miscellaneous lands within grazing districts that 

are administered under certain cooperative agreements which 

stipulate that the fees be retained by the BLM for distribution.

The Oregon and 

California Grant Lands 

Act of 1937 (50 STAT. 

874)

Provides for payments to 18 western Oregon counties of 75 

percent of receipts derived from the activities of BLM on O&C 

grant lands. The percentage was changed to 50 percent by 

agreement between Oregon and the Federal government. 

The Act of May 24, 1939 

(53 STAT. 753)

Provides for payments in lieu of taxes to Coos and Douglas 

counties in Oregon of not to exceed 75 percent of receipts 

derived from BLM activities on Coos Bay Wagon Road grant 

lands. 

7 U.S.C. 1012, the 

Bankhead Jones Farm 

Tenant Act of 1937, and 

Executive Orders 

107878 and 10890

25 percent of the revenues received from the use of these 

land use project lands, including grazing and mineral leasing, 

are paid to the counties in which such lands are located. The 

Act transfers the management of certain Farm Tenant ActLand Utilization Project lands to the jurisdiction of the 

Department of the Interior.

The Burton-Santini Act 

of 1980 (P.L. 96-586) 

and P.L. 105-263

Authorizes and directs the sale of up to 700 acres per year of 

certain lands in Clark County, Nevada, and the acquisition of 

environmentally sensitive lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin, with 

85 percent of the proceeds. The remaining 15 percent of 

proceeds from sales are distributed to Nevada and C lark 

County.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 3 

 

Southern Nevada Public 

Land Management Act, 

P.L. 105-263, as 

amended by P.L. 107-

282.

Authorizes the disposal through sale of 27,000 acres in Clark 

County, Nevada, the proceeds of which are distributed as 

follows: (a) five percent for use in the general education 

program of the State of Nevada; (b) 10 percent for use by 

Southern Nevada Water Authority for water treatment and 

transmission facility infrastructure in Clark County, Nevada; 

and (c) the remaining 85 percent to be us ed to acquire 

environmentally sensitive lands in Nevada; to make capital 

improvements to areas administered by NPS, FWS and BLM 

in Clark County, Nevada; to develop a multi-species habitat 

plan in Clark County, Nevada; to develop parks, trails, and 

natural areas in Clark County, Nevada; and t o provide 

reimbursements for BLM costs incurred in arranging sales 

and exchanges under this Act.

The Alaska Native 

Claims Settlement Act 

of 1971 as amended by 

Public Law 94-204 of 

1976 (43 U.S.C. 1611)

Directs the Secretary to make conveyances to Cook Inlet 

Region, Inc. (CIRI) in accordance with the "Terms and 

Conditions for Land Consolidation and Management in Cook 

Inlet Area.''

The Alaska National 

Interest Lands 

Conservation Act of 

1980 (43 U.S.C. 1611)

Authorizes CIRI to bid on surplus property in accordance with 

the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1940 

(40 U.S.C. 484), and provides for the establishment of a CIRI 

surplus property account by the Secretary of the Treasury.

The Alaska Railroad 

Transfer Act of 1982 (43 

U.S.C. 1611)

Expands the account by allowing CIRI to bid on pr operties 

anywhere in the U.S. 

The 1988 Department of 

Defense Appropriations 

Act (101 Stat. 1329- 318)

Authorizes CIRI to bid at any public sale of property by any 

agent of the U.S., including the Department of the Defense.

The 1990 Department of 

Defense Appropriation 

Act (16 U.S.C 396f)

Appropriated monies to be pl aced into the CIRI Property 

Account in the U.S. Treasury as permanent budget authority.

Alaska Land Status 

Technical Corrections 

Act of 1992 (P.L. 102-

415)

Authorizes payments to the Haida and Gold Creek 

Corporations to reimburse them for claims in earlier land 

settlements.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 4 

 

The Secure Rural 

Schools and 

Community SelfDetermination Act of 

2000 (P.L. 106-393) as 

amended by P.L. 110-

343, October, 2008.

Authorizes stabilized payments to Oregon and California 

(O&C) Grant lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road Counties for 

fiscal years 2001 through 2006. Each county that received a 

payment during the eligibility period (1988-1999) had an 

option to receive an amount equal to the average of the three 

highest 50 percent payments and safety net payments made 

for the fiscal years of the eligibility period. The pay ments 

were adjusted to reflect 50 percent of the cumulative changes 

in the Consumer Price Index that occur after publication of the 

index for fiscal year 2000. The final payments for 2006 were 

made in 2007, consistent with the Act. Public Law 110–28, 

May 25, 2007 provided payments for one additional year. The 

fiscal year 2007 payments under the original act were made in 

October, 2007, that is in FY2008. 

Public Law 110-28 Provided one additional year of payments to Oregon & 

California Grant Lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road counties 

for 2007 to be made in 2008. 

Public Law 110-343 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act 

payments were authorized to be made in 2009 through 2012 

(for 2008 through 2011) to Oregon & California Grant Lands 

and Coos Bay Wagon Road counties.

Public Law 112-141 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act 

payments were authorized to be made in 2013 (for 2012) to 

Oregon & California Grant Lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road 

counties.

Public Law 113-40 Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act 

payments were authorized to be made in 2014 (for 2013) to 

Oregon & California Grant Lands and Coos Bay Wagon Road 

counties.

Clark County 

Conservation of Public 

Land and Natural 

Resources Act of 2002 

(P.L. 107-282) as 

amended by P.L. 108-

447

Enlarges the area in which the BLM can sell lands under the 

Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act; approves a 

land exchange in the Red Rock Canyon Area; designates 

wilderness; designates certain BLM lands for a new airport for 

Las Vegas; and gives land to the State and C ity for certain 

purposes. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 5 

 

Lincoln County 

Conservation, 

Recreation and 

Development Act (PL 

108-424)

Addresses a w ide-range of public lands issues in Lincoln 

County, Nevada, designates as wilderness 768,294 acres of 

BLM-managed lands and releases from wilderness study area 

(WSA) status 251,965 acres of public land. The bill also 

directs the BLM to dispose of up to 90,000 acres of public 

land and d ivides the proceeds 85 per cent to a Feder al fund 

and 15 percent to State and county entities, establishes utility 

corridors, transfers public lands for State and county parks, 

creates a 260-mile OHV trail and resolves other public lands 

issues. 

Public Law 109-432, 

White Pine County Land 

Sales

Authorizes the disposal through sale of 45,000 acres in White 

Pine County, Nevada, the proceeds of which are distributed 

as follows: (a) 5 percent for use in the general education 

program of the State of Nevada; (b) 10 percent shall be paid 

to the County for use for fire protection, law enforcement, 

education, public safety, housing, social services, 

transportation, and planning; and (c) the remaining 85 percent 

to be used to reimburse the BLM and DOI for certain costs, to 

manage unique archaeological resources, for wilderness and 

endangered species protection, for improving recreational 

opportunities in the County, and for other specified purposes.

Public Law 111–11, 

State Share, Carson 

City Land Sales 

Authorizes five percent of the proceeds from Carson City, 

Nevada land sales to be paid to the State for the general 

education program of the State.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 6 

 

Summary of Requirements

(Dollars in Thousands)

 

7 The estimated payments in 2015 and 2016 are zero because the FS would make Secure Rural Schools 

payments under a proposal in the budget. Absent enactment of this proposal, in 2015 BLM will pay O&C 

and CBWR counties under statutes enacted in 1937 and 1939. The O&C payments would total 

$18,001,000; the CBWR payment amount has not been determined, but cannot exceed seventy-five 

percent of CBWR receipts. 

8 Ibid. 

Comparison

by Activity/

Subactivity

2014

Actual 2015 Enacted

2016 Change

Program Changes 

(+/ -) 

Budget

Request

from 2015

(+/-) 

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Miscellaneous 

Permanent Payments 

Appropriation Total 7 47,921 0 17,239 0 +4,930 0 22,169 7 +4,930

Payments to States from 

Proceeds of Sales 

[5133] 625 723 +162 885 +162

Payments to States from 

Grazing Fees, etc. on 

Public Lands outside 

Grazing Districts [5016] 800 811 +39 850 +39

Payments to States from 

Grazing Fees, etc. on 

Public Lands within 

Grazing Districts [5032] 1,148 1,097 -284 813 -284

Payments to States from 

Grazing Fees, etc. on 

Public Lands within 

Grazing Districts, Misc. 

[5044] 18 18 +1 19 +1

Payments to Counties, 

National Grass Lands 

(Farm Tenant Lands) 

[5896] 584 639 +41 680 +41

Payments to Nevada 

from Receipts on Land 

Sales (includes 15%) 

[5129] 5,112 13,951 +4,971 18,922 +4,971

State Share, Carson 

City Land Sales [5561] 3 0 0 0 0

Payments to O&C 

Counties 50% of 

receipts under 1937 

statute 7 0 0 0 0 0

Payments to Coos and 

Douglas Counties under 

1939 statute 8 0 0 0 0 0

Secure Rural Schools 7 39,631 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 0

Payments to O&C 

Counties, Title I/III 35,976 0 0 0 0 0
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 7 

 

Payments to Coos 

Bay Wagon Road 

Counties, Title I/III

 

311 0 0 0 0

Payments to O&C 

and Coos Bay 

Wagon Road 

Counties, Title II 7 3,344 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 8 

 

Appropriation: Miscellaneous Permanent Payments

Program Overview 

The following activities include payments made to States and counties from the sale, lease, or 

use of other public lands or resources under the provisions of permanent legislation and do not 

require annual appropriations. The payment amounts for 2015 and 2016 are estimated based 

on the amounts of collections or receipts as authorized by applicable legislation and t he 

provisions of those laws that specify the percentage of receipts to be paid to designated States, 

counties, or other recipients. 

Payments to States from Proceeds of Sales – The BLM collects funds from the sale of public 

lands and materials in the limits of public domain lands pursuant to 31 U.S.C. 1305. States are 

paid five percent of the net proceeds of these sales. The BLM makes these payments annually 

and payments are used by States either for educational purposes or for the construction and 

improvement of public roads. The payments in 2014 were $625,000. The estimated payments 

for 2015 and 2016 are $723,000 and $885,000 respectively.

Payments to States from Grazing Receipts, etc., on Public Lands outside Grazing 

Districts – The States are paid 50 per cent of the grazing receipts from public lands outside 

grazing districts (43 U.S.C. 315i, 315m). These funds are to be expended by the State for the 

benefit of the counties in which the lands are located. The States will continue to receive 

receipts from public lands outside organized grazing districts. The BLM makes these payments 

annually. The actual payments for 2014 were $800,000 and estimated payments for 2015 and 

2016 are $811,000 and $850,000 respectively. 

Payments to States from Grazing Receipts, etc., on Public Lands within Grazing Districts 

–The States are paid 121⁄2 percent of grazing receipts from public lands inside grazing districts 

(43 U.S.C. 315b, 315i). These funds are to be expended by the State for the benefit of the 

counties in which the lands are located. The BLM makes the payments annually. The actual 

payments for 2014 were $1,148,000 and estimated payments for 2015 and 2016 are 

$1,097,000 and $813,000 respectively. 

Payments to States from Grazing Fees, etc. on Public Lands within Grazing Districts, 

misc. – Also included are grazing receipts from isolated or disconnected tracts. The States are 

paid specifically determined amounts from grazing receipts derived from miscellaneous lands 

within grazing districts when payment is not feasible on a per centage basis (43 U.S.C. 315m). 

These funds are to be expended by the State for the benefit of the counties in which the lands 

are located. The BLM makes these payments annually. The actual payments for 2014 were 

$18,000 and estimated payments for 2015 and 2016 are $18,000 and $19,000 respectively. 

 

Payments to Counties, National Grasslands (Farm Tenant Act Lands) – Of the revenues 

received from the use of Bankhead-Jones Act lands administered by the BLM, 25 per cent is 

paid to the counties in which such lands are situated for schools and roads (7 U.S.C. 1012). 

The BLM makes payments annually on a calendar-year basis. The actual payments for 2014 

were $584,000 and es timated payments for 2015 and 2016 ar e $639,000, and $680, 000 

respectively.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 9 

 

Payments to Nevada from Receipts on Land Sales – Payments to the State of Nevada are 

authorized by two Acts. The Burton-Santini Act authorizes and directs the Secretary to sell not 

more than 700 acres of public lands per calendar year in and around Las Vegas, Nevada, the 

proceeds of which are to be used to acquire environmentally sensitive land in the Lake Tahoe 

Basin of California and Nevada. Annual revenues are distributed to the State of Nevada (five 

percent) and the county in which the land is located (ten percent). 

The Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA), as amended, authorizes the 

disposal through sale of approximately 50,000 acres in Clark County, Nevada, the proceeds of 

which are to be distributed as follows: (a) 5 percent for use in the general education program of 

the State of Nevada (b) 10 pe rcent for use by Southern Nevada Water Authority for water 

treatment and transmission facility infrastructure in Clark County, Nevada and (c) the remaining 

85 percent for various uses by the BLM and other Federal lands. (For more information, see the 

Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act, P.L. 105-263, as amended by P.L. 107-282.)

The actual payments for 2014 were $5,112,000. Estimated payments for 2015 and 2016 are 

$13,951,000 and $18,922,000 based on the estimates of collections from planned land sales. 

Sales values for these lands in Clark County have stabilized, but collections are still relatively 

low compared to the past. The BLM collected $62,444,000 in 2014 from Nevada land sales 

(including SNPLMA and Lincoln County) and estimates collections from sales in 2015 and 2016 

will be $100,026,000 and $125,908,000 respectively. Some receipts from sales held in the 

latter half of one fiscal year are not collected in full until the next fiscal year because of normal 

delay in the acceptance of bids. 

Payments to Oregon and California Grant Lands Counties – Under the Oregon and 

California Act of 1937, the BLM paid 50 percent of receipts from Federal activities on O&C lands 

(mainly from timber sales) to 18 counties in western Oregon. These revenues decreased since 

the 1980s due to changes in Federal timber policies. 

The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-393) was 

enacted on October 30, 2000. The Act was designed to provide a pr edictable payment to 

States and c ounties, in lieu of funds derived from Federal timber harvests. P ayments were 

based on historical payments, adjusted for inflation. 

Payments to the 18 O&C counties were derived from: 

1. Revenues from Federal activities on O&C lands in the previous fiscal year that are not 

deposited to permanent operating funds such as the Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration or 

the Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery, and,

2. To the extent of any shortfall, out of any funds in the Treasury not otherwise 

appropriated. 

Under P.L. 106-393, and in the extensions of it, payments for a fiscal year were made in the 

following fiscal year. For example, payments for 2013 were made in 2014. 

Payments have been extended four times. Under the extensions, payments tend to be reduced 

each year, and they are not adjusted for inflation as they were under P.L. 106-393 during the 

first six years. 

P.L. 110-28 provided authorized payments for 2007 which were made in 2008. Payments in 

2008 were distributed among the counties in the same way as payments in 2007. Payments 

were limited to a total of $525,000,000 for both the BLM and the Forest Service, $100,000,000 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 10

 

from receipts and $425,000,000 from the General Fund. BLM’s share was $116,865,000.

In October, 2008, Congress enacted Section 601 of Public Law 110-343, which extended the 

Secure Rural Schools Act of 2000. Public Law 110-343 provided an extension of payments to 

the O&C Grant Lands and the Coos Bay Wagon Road counties through fiscal year 2011 (with 

final payment to be made in 2012). As in the prior act, payments were to be made for the year 

prior. The payments for 2008 through 2010 are described in the law as “transition” payments, 

and are a declining percentage of the payments made in 2006; the payment in 2009 (for 2008) 

is 90 percent of the amount paid in 2006, the payment in 2010 (for 2009) is 81 percent, and the 

payment in 2011 (for 2010) is 73 percent. 

The payments in 2012 (for 2011) were calculated based on several factors that included 

acreage of Federal land, previous payments, and per capita personal income. The table below 

shows payments made from 2002 ( for 2001) through the payments for 2012 ( in 2013). T he 

payments to the Coos and Douglas counties have followed the same pattern as payments to 

O&C counties under the Secure Rural Schools Act and extensions. 

In July 2012, Congress enacted Public Law 112-141, which extended the Secure Rural Schools 

Act of 2000. Public Law 112-141 provided an extension of payments to the O&C Grant Lands 

and the Coos Bay Wagon Road counties through fiscal year 2012 (with the payment to be made 

in 2013). 

In October 2013, Congress enacted Public Law 113-40 which extends payments for one year to 

the O&C Grant Lands and the Coos Bay Wagon Road counties through fiscal year 2013 (with 

the payment to be made 2014). 

As of January, 2015, authority for Secure Rural Schools Act payments for 2014 (in 2015) has 

not been enacted. Therefore, the BLM plans to make payments according to the provision of 

the statutes enacted in 1937 and 1939. 

The Budget reflects a five-year reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools Act with funding 

through mandatory U.S. Forest Service (USFS) appropriations, starting with the payments for 

fiscal year 2014 (which would be made in 2015). This SRS proposal revises the allocation split 

between the three portions of the program from the current authority emphasizing enhancement 

of forest ecosystems, restoration and improvement of land health and water quality and the 

increase of economic activity. For more information on t his proposal, see the USFS 2016 

Budget Justification.

For any of the 18 counties in Western Oregon choosing not to receive payments for 2015 (in 

2016) under the reauthorization proposal discussed above, the payments would revert back to 

payments under the 1937 O&C Act and subsequent amendments. The 1937 statute authorizes 

payments of 50 percent of Federal receipts from activities on O&C grant lands. In the case of

Coos and Douglas Counties, if they were to choose not to receive payments for 2014 (in 2015) 

under the proposal, the 1939 statute authorizes payments for lost tax revenue not to exceed 75 

percent of the receipts from activities on Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands. 

The table below shows actual and estimated payments for 2001 through 2013. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 11

 

Secure Rural Schools Payments ($ in thousands)

Payments for 2001 in 2002 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $15,540 $330 $15,869

Amount from General Fund: $93,192 $618 $93,811

Total $108,732 $948 $109,680

Title I/III $101,085 $875 $101,960

Title II $7,647 $73 $7,720

Total $108,732 $948 $109,680

Payments for 2002 in 2003 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $11,519 $229 $11,748

Amount from General Fund: $98,083 $727 $98,809

Total $109,602 $956 $110,558

Title I/III $101,433 $834 $102,266

Title II $8,169 $122 $8,291

Total $109,602 $956 $110,558

Payments for 2003 in 2004 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $6,199 $51 $6,249

Amount from General Fund: $104,718 $917 $105,635

Total $110,917 $967 $111,884

Title I/III $102,468 $844 $103,312

Title II $8,449 $124 $8,572

Total $110,917 $967 $111,884

Payments for 2004 in 2005 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $11,935 $133 $12,068

Amount from General Fund: $100,424 $847 $101,271

Total $112,359 $980 $113,339

Title I/III $103,595 $936 $104,531

Title II $8,763 $44 $8,808

Total $112,359 $980 $113,339

Payments for 2005 in 2006 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $11,100 $251 $11,351

Amount from General Fund: $103,843 $751 $104,594

Total $114,943 $1,002 $115,946

Title I/III $106,123 $955 $107,077

Title II $8,820 $48 $8,868

Total $114,943 $1,002 $115,946

Note: Amounts may not add due to rounding
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 12

 

Payments for 2006 in 2007 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $11,720 $530 $12,250

Amount from General Fund: $104,373 $394 $104,767

Total $116,093 $924 $117,017

Title I/III $107,928 $924 $108,852

Title II $8,165 $88 $8,253

Total $116,093 $1,013 $117,105

Payments for 2007 in 2008* O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $6,354 $297 $6,652

Amount from General Fund: $109,500 $713 $110,213

Total $115,854 $1,010 $116,865

Title I/III $110,873 $995 $111,868

Title II $4,982 $15 $4,997

Total $115,854 $1,010 $116,865

P.L. 110-28 extended Secure Rural Schools payments for one year. 

Payments for 2008 in 2009 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $12,999 $312 $13,311

Amount from General Fund: $91,484 $599 $92,083

Total $104,483 $911 $105,394

Title I/III $95,870 $838 $96,708

Title II $8,614 $73 $8,686

Total $104,483 $911 $105,394

P.L. 110-343 extended Secure Rural Schools payments through 2011 with the 

final payment in 2012. 

Payments for 2009 in 2010 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $14,423 $248 $14,471

Amount from General Fund: $79,812 $573 $80,384

Total $94,035 $820 $94,855

Title I/III $86,420 $755 $87,175

Title II $7,615 $65 $7,680

Total $94,035 $820 $94,855

Payments for 2010 in 2011 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $9, 670 $636 $10,306

Amount from General Fund: $75,077 $102 $75,180

Total $84,748 $739 $85,487

Title I/III $77,393 $636 $78,029

Title II $7,354 $102 $7,457

Total $84,748 $739 $85,487

Note: Amounts may not add due to rounding
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 13

 

Payments for 2011 in 2012 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $11,575 0 $11,575

Amount from General Fund: $28,116 $346 $28,463

Total $39,691 $346 $40,037

Title I/III $35,992 $318 $36,310

Title II $3,699 $28 $3,727

Total $39,691 $346 $40,037

Payments for 2012 in 2013 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $11,521 $326 $11,847

Amount from General Fund: $26,162 $0 $26,162

Total $37,683 $326 $38,009

Title I/III $34,054 $281 $34,334

Title II $3,629 $45 $3,675

Total $37,683 $326 $38,009

Estimated Payments made for 2013 in 2014 O&C CBWR Total

Amount from Receipts: $17,341 $337 $17,678 

Amount from General Fund: $21,952 $0 $21,952 

Total $39,293 $372 $39,630 

Title I/III $35,976 $310 $36,286 

Title II $3,316 $27 $3,343 

Total $39,293 $318 $39,630 

Note: Amounts may not add due to rounding

P.L. 113-40 extended Secure Rural Schools payments through 2013 with the payment to be made in 

2014. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 14

 

2014 Total Payments of BLM Receipts to States and Counties

(in Dollars)

Taylor Grazing Act

State

a/

Mineral 

Leasing 

Act ROW 

payments

SEC. 15 

Outside 

Grazing 

Districts

SEC. 3 

Outside 

Grazing 

Districts

Other Proceeds 

of Sales Other Total Payments 

Alaska 1,138 0 0 0 1,721 0 2,859 

Arizona 112,052 66,166 47,689 0 44,449 0 270,356 

California 656,665 47,314 11,344 0 89,663 0 804,986 

Colorado 784,947 26,266 44,717 4,990 19,858 0 880,778 

Florida 0 0 0 0 15 15 

Idaho 29,739 19,271 142,224 0 2,350 0 193,584 

Michigan 0 0 0 0 156 156 

Minnesota 0 0 0 0 169 0 169 

Montana 26,804 90,763 118,678 0 59,086 

b/

540,040 840,371 

Nebraska 0 454 0 0 0 0 454 

Nevada 98,196 7,145 194,771 0 77,541 

c/

9,278,970 9,656,623 

New Mexico 1,064,624 113,544 159,794 14 145,524 8,387 1,491,887 

North Dakota 132 4,106 0 0 (16.00) 0 4,222 

Oklahoma 4,244 68 0 0 0.00 0 4,312 

Oregon 58,191 21,151 107,981 0 44,483.00 

d/ 

39,630,135 39,861,944 

South Dakota 0 55,867 23 0 95.00 0 55,985 

Utah 374,794 0 110,159 0 33,925.00 0 518,878 

Washington 835 18,176 0 0 (3,336.00) 0 15,675 

Wisconsin 0 0 0 0 516 0 516 

Wyoming 905,271 283,454 143,401 11,287 41,349 0 1,384,762 

Total 4,117,632 753,745 1,080,781 16,291 557,548 49,462,535 55,988,532

Note: The amounts shown above are outlays, some of which may be from prior year budget authority, and 

therefore, may be different than the amounts reported for fiscal year 2014 in the Summary of Requirements the 

at the beginning of this chapter.

a/ These are payments to States of 50 percent of mineral leasing rights-of-way rents. They are not reported in the 

Summary of Requirements table in this chapter because the Department of the Interior, Office of Natural 

Resource Revenues (ONRR), not BLM, includes these payments in accounting reports to Treasury. The 

Summary of Requirements amounts in the BLM Justifications tie to the amounts reported to Treasury by BLM. 

ONRR does not include the mineral leasing rights-of-way payments to States in the ONRR Budget Justifications. 

b/ LU lands under the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act (7 U.S.C. 1021)

c/ Payments to Clark County and the State of Nevada. 

d/ These are Secure Rural Schools and Community-Self-Determination Act payments to 18 counties in Western 

Oregon authorized by P.L. 106-393, as amended by P.L. 110-343, and P.L. 112-141. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 15

 

Budget Schedules – Current Law

Account Symbol and Title

14X9921

Miscellaneous Permanent Payment Accounts

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Payments to O&C Counties, Title I/III 5884 0001 36 0 0

 Payment to O&C and CBWR Counties, Title II 5485 0003 4 0 0

 From grazing fees, etc., public lands outside grazing 

districts 5016

0004 1 1 1 

 From grazing fees, etc., public lands within grazing 

districts 5032

0005 1 1 1

 Proceeds from sales 5133 0009 1 1 1 

 Payments to counties from national grasslands 5896 0010 1 1 1

 Payments to State and Counties from Nevada Land 

Sales

0013 5 14 19

 Payments to O&C counties under 1937 statute 0014 0 18 14

 Payments to CBWR counties under 1939 statute 0015 0 3 2 

Total new obligations 0900 49 39 39

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 3 3 2 

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations 1021 1 0 0

 Unobligated balance (total) 1050 4 3 2

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Proceeds of sales-payments to states 1201 1 1 1

 Payments from grazing fees outside grazing districts 1201 1 1 1

 Payments from grazing fees within grazing districts 1201 1 1 1

 Payments to Counties, National Grasslands, BLM 1201 1 1 1

 Payments from Nevada Land Sales 1201 5 15 19

 Payments to O&C Grants lands counties under 1937 

statute

1201 0 19 14

 Payments to CBWR counties under 1939 statute 1201 0 3 2

 Appropriation (SRS O&C Payments from GF- Title 

I/III)

1201 19 0 0

 Appropriation (SRS O&C Payments from receiptsTitle I/III)1201 17 0 0

 Appropriation (SRS Payments from GF-Title II) 1201 3 0 0

 Appropriations and/or unobligated balance of 

appropriations temporarily reduced

1232 0 -3 0 

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 48 38 39

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 48 38 39

 Appropriation [Text] 1260-40 49 38 39

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 0 0 

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 38 39
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 16

 

Account Symbol and Title

14X9921

Miscellaneous Permanent Payment Accounts

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Effects of 2014 sequester 1260-40 -1 0 0

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 0 0

Total budgetary resources available 1930 52 41 41

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 3 2 2 

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 7 7 8

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 49 39 39

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -48 -38 -41

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations, unexpired 3040 -1 0 0

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 7 8 6 

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 7 7 8

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 7 8 6

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 48 38 39

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 1 30 31

 Outlays from mandatory balances 4101 47 8 10

 Outlays, gross (total) 4110 48 38 41

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 48 38 39

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 48 38 41

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 48 38 39

Outlays, net (total) 4190 48 38 41

 Grants to State and local govts:

 Budget Authority 2001-01 48 38 39

 Outlays 2001-02 48 38 41

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 1 0 0

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 1 0 0 

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 47 39 39

 Total new obligations 99.9 49 39 39

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 7 0 0
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 17

 

Account Symbol and Title

14X9921

Miscellaneous Permanent Payment Accounts

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-9921] 1000 0
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 18

 

Budget Schedules - Proposal

Account Symbol and Title

14X9921

Miscellaneous Permanent Payment Accounts

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Payments to O&C counties under 1937 statute 0014 0 0 -14

 Payments to CBWR counties under 1939 statute 0015 0 0 -2

Total new obligations (object class 41.0) 0900 0 0 -16

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 0 0 -21

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Payments to O&C Grants lands counties under 1937 

statute

1201 0 -18 -14

 Payments to CBWR counties under 1939 statute 1201 0 -3 -2

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 0 -21 -16

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 0 -21 -16

 Appropriation [Text] 1260-40 0 -21 -16

 Appropriation [FLTFA] 1260-40 0 0 0

Total budgetary resources available 1930 0 -21 -37

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 0 -21 -21

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 0 0 21

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 0 0 -16

 Outlays (gross) 3020 0 21 16

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 0 21 21

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 0 0 21

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 0 21 21

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 0 -21 -16

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 0 -21 -16

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 0 -21 -16
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 19

 

Account Symbol and Title

14X9921

Miscellaneous Permanent Payment Accounts

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 0 -21 -16

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 0 -21 -16

Outlays, net (total) 4190 0 -21 -16

 Grants to State and local govts:

 Budget Authority 2001-01 0 -21 -16

 Outlays 2001-02 0 -21 -16

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 0 0 -16
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XII – Miscellaneous Permanent Payments Page XII – 20

 

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Permanent Operating 

Funds

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 1

Permanent Operating Funds

Appropriation Language Sheet

No Appropriation Language Sheet

Explanation 

The Permanent Operating Funds Appropriation contains funds available for use by the BLM for 

the purposes specified in permanent laws and do not require annual appropriation action. The 

activities authorized by the appropriations are funded through various receipts received from the 

sale, lease or use of the public lands and resources. Amounts shown for 2015 and 2016 are 

estimates based on anticipated collections. 

Authorizations

Forest Ecosystem 

Health & Recovery Fund 

(P.L. 102-381)

The initial purpose of this fund was to allow quick response to 

fire and reforestation of forests damaged by insects, disease, 

and fire. E xpanded authorization in the 1998 I nterior and 

Related Agencies Appropriations Act allows activities 

designed to reduce the risk of catastrophic damage to forests 

in addition to responding to damage events. Funds in this 

account are derived from the Federal share (defined as the 

portion of receipts not paid to the counties under 43 U .S.C. 

1181f and 43 U .S.C. 1181-1 et seq., and P .L. 106-393) of 

receipts from all BLM timber salvage sales and all BLM forest 

health restoration treatments funded by this account. The 

authority to make deposits and t o spend from this fund was 

provided in the 2010 Interior Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-88, 

123 STAT. 2906) and was scheduled to expire at the end of 

fiscal year 2015. The 2015 Omnibus Appropriations Act 

(Section 117) extended this authority through 2020.

Omnibus Consolidated 

Appropriations Act of 

1996, section 327

This Act established the Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration 

Fund, using revenues generated by timber sales released 

under Section 2001(k) of the 1995 S upplemental 

Appropriations for Disaster Assistance and R escissions Act, 

which directs that 75 percent of the Pipeline Fund be used to 

fill each agency’s timber sale “pipeline” and that 25 percent of 

the Pipeline Fund be used to address the maintenance 

backlog for recreation projects on BLM and U.S. Forest 

Service lands after statutory payments are made to State and 

local governments and the U.S. Treasury. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 2

1985 Interior and 

Related Agencies, 

Appropriations Act (P.L. 

98-473), Section 320

Established a per manent account in each bureau for the 

operation and maintenance of quarters, starting with 1985 and 

each fiscal year thereafter.

75th Congress, 1st 

Session – Ch. 876 – 

August 28, 1937, 50 

Stat. 874

An Act relating to the revested Oregon and California Railroad 

and reconveyed Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands situated 

in the State of Oregon provides that 18 counties in western 

Oregon be paid 50 percent of the revenues from Oregon and 

California grant lands. 

76th Congress, 1st 

Session – Ch. 142-144 – 

May 24, 1939, 53 Stat. 

753

An Act relating to the disposition of funds derived from the 

Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands provides that Coos and 

Douglas counties in western Oregon be pai d for lost tax 

revenue. 

The Omnibus Budget 

Reconciliation Act of 

1993

Amended the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act and 

further expanded collection of recreation use fees to be 

deposited into a special account established for each agency 

in the U.S. Treasury to offset the cost of collecting fees. 

The 1993 Interior and 

Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act

The Federal share of receipts from the disposal of salvage 

timber from lands under BLM jurisdiction is deposited in a 

special fund in the U.S. Treasury.

Section 502(c) of the 

Federal Land Policy and 

Management Act of 

1976 (43 U.S.C. 1762(c))

Provides for the permanent appropriation of money collected 

from commercial road users in lieu of user maintenance. 

Receipts are permanently appropriated to the BLM for road 

maintenance.

Act of October 30, 1998

(P.L. 105-321)

The legislation provides that the BLM will convey property to 

Deschutes County, Oregon, and the amount paid by the 

County pursuant to the Act, may be used by the Secretary of 

the Interior to purchase environmentally sensitive land east of 

Range 9 East of Willamette Meridian, Oregon. 

Lincoln County 

Conservation, 

Recreation and 

Development Act 

(PL 108-424)

Addresses a wide range of public lands issues in Lincoln 

County, Nevada, designates as wilderness 768,294 acres of 

BLM-managed lands and releases from Wilderness Study 

Area (WSA) status 251,965 acres of public land. The Act also 

directs the BLM to dispose of up to 90,000 acres of public 

land and d ivides the proceeds 85 per cent to a Federal fund 

and 15 percent to State and County entities, establishes utility 

corridors, transfers public lands for State and County parks, 

creates a 260-mile off-highway vehicle trail and resolves other 

public lands issues.
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Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 3

Lincoln County Land 

Sales (P.L. 106-298) 

The Lincoln County Land Act of 2000, among other things, 

authorizes the Secretary to dispose of certain lands in Lincoln 

County, Nevada, to distribute the proceeds as follows: Five

percent to the State of Nevada, 10 per cent the County, and 

85 percent to an interest bearing account that is available for 

expenditure without further appropriation.

White River Oil Shale 

Mine, Utah Property 

Sale Provisions, The 

2001 Interior and 

Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act (P.L. 

106-291)

The Act authorized the sale of improvements and equipment 

at the White River Oil Shale Mine with the proceeds to be 

available for expenditure without further appropriation to

reimburse (A) the Administrator for the direct costs of the sale; 

and (B) the Bureau of Land Management Utah State Office for 

the costs of closing and rehabilitating the mine. 

The Federal Land 

Transaction Facilitation 

Act (P.L. 106-248)

The Federal Land Tr ansaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA) 

provides that the BLM may conduct sales of lands that have 

been classified as suitable for disposal under current resource 

management plans. This law provides that receipts from such 

sales may be used to acquire non-Federal lands with 

significant resource values that fall within the boundaries of 

areas now managed by the Department. FLTFA expired on 

July 25, 2010. It was reauthorized through July 25, 2011 by 

the 2010 S upplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 111-212). 

The 2016 B udget includes a pr oposal to reauthorize FLTFA 

and allow lands identified as suitable for disposal in recent 

land use plans to be sold using the FLTFA authority. FLTFA 

sales revenues would continue to be used to fund the 

acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands and t he 

administrative costs associated with conducting sales.

Southern Nevada Public 

Land Management Act 

(P.L. 105-263). 

Provides for the orderly disposal of certain Federal lands in 

Clark County, Nevada, and to provide for the acquisition of 

environmentally sensitive lands in the State of Nevada. 

Receipts are generated primarily through the sale of public 

lands in the Las Vegas Valley. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 4

Federal Lands 

Recreation 

Enhancement Act (Title 

VIII of P.L. 108-447)

Enacted as Title VIII of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 

2005, this Act provides authority for 10 years for the BLM to 

manage public lands for recreational purposes and to collect 

and spend recreation use fees. The purposes for which the 

collections may be s pent are generally for maintenance and 

repair of recreation facilities, visitor services, and habi tat 

restoration related to recreation, law enforcement related to 

public use and r ecreation, and di rect operating and capital 

costs of the recreation fee program. The 2016 budget 

proposes legislation to permanently authorize the Federal 

Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which will expire in 

December 2016. In addition, the Department will propose a 

general provision in the 2016 budg et request to amend 

appropriations language to extend the authority through FY 

2017.

Energy Policy Act of 

2005 (P.L. 109-58, 

Sections 224 and 234, 

Section 365, Section 

332, and Section 349)

Established three multi-year appropriations to use a portion of 

onshore mineral leasing receipts to improve oil and gas permit 

processing, facilitate the implementation of the Geothermal 

Steam Act, and clean up environmental contamination on the 

Naval Petroleum Reserve Numbered 2 in California. I t also 

authorized the Secretary of the Interior to establish standards 

under which leaseholders may reduce payments owed by the 

reasonable actual costs of remediating, reclaiming, and 

closing orphaned wells. 

Public Law 109-432, 

White Pine County Land 

Sales

Authorizes the disposal through sale of 45,000 acres in White 

Pine County, Nevada, the proceeds of which are distributed 

as follows: (a) Five percent for use in the general education 

program of the State of Nevada; (b) 10 percent shall be paid 

to the County for use for fire protection, law enforcement, 

education, public safety, housing, social services, 

transportation, and planning; and (c) the remaining 85 percent 

to be used to the reimburse the Bureau of Land Management 

and the Department of the Interior for certain costs, to 

manage unique archaeological resources, for wilderness and 

endangered species protection, for improving recreational 

opportunities in the County, and for other specified purposes.

Public Law 111-11, 

Omnibus

Public Land 

Management Act of 

2009

Among numerous other things, authorizes the disposal of 

certain lands in the Boise District of the Bureau of Land 

Management, in Washington County, Utah, and in Carson 

City, Nevada. It authorizes the BLM to retain and spend most 

of the proceeds of sales of those lands to acquire lands in 

wilderness and ot her areas and for other purposes, and to 

pay a portion to the States in which the sold land was located. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 5

Sec. 347 of Public Law 

105-277, as amended by 

Public Law 108-7 and 

Public Law 113-79

Permanently authorizes the BLM, via agreement or contract 

as appropriate, to enter into stewardship contracting projects 

with private persons or other public or private entities to 

perform services to achieve land management goals for the 

national forests and the public lands that meet local and rural 

community needs. 

Public Law 109-94, 

Ojito Wilderness Act

Authorizes the sale of land to the Pueblo of Zia Tribe, and 

appropriates the proceeds of that sale to the BLM to purchase 

lands within the State of New Mexico. 

Public Law 113-291, 

National Defense 

Authorization Act

Provides for permanent extension of BLM’s access to the 

Permit Processing Improvement Fund and ad ds fees for 

applications for permit to drill as a source of deposits to the 

Fund. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 6

Summary of Requirements 

(Dollars in Thousands)

Comparison

by Activity/

Subactivity 

2014 

Actual

2015 

Enacted

2016 Change

From 2015 

(+/-) 

Program 

Changes

(+/-)

Budget Request

b/

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Permanent Operating Funds 

Total 422 96,671 421 129,832 +275 +81,946 696 211,778 +275 +81,946

Operations & Maintenance of 

Quarters 1 692 1 669 0 -49 1 620 0 -49

Recreation Enhancement Act, 

BLM 121 17,673 121 19,653 0 -470 121 19,183 0 -470

Forest Ecosystem Health & 

Recovery 48 4,524 48 3,601 0 +2,795 48 6,396 0 +2,795

Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration 23 2,991 23 2,218 0 -38 23 2,180 0 -38

Expenses, Road Maintenance 

Deposits 10 3,103 10 2,759 0 -229 10 2,530 0 -229

Southern Nevada Public Land 

Sales 54 51,260 54 80,249 0 +32,391 54 112,640 0 +32,391

Southern Nevada Earnings on 

Investments 0 338 0 1,000 0 +3,000 0 4,000 0 +3,000

Lincoln County Land Sales 7 1,016 7 2,332 0 -1,665 7 667 0 -1,665

Interest, Lincoln County Land 

Sales 0 31 0 100 0 +1,800 0 1,900 0 +1,800

White Pine County Special 

Account 0 0 0 240 0 -17 0 223 0 -36

Stewardship contract excess 

receipts 0 162 0 32 0 -11 0 21 0 -11

Federal Land Disposal Account 0 0 0 0 0 +4,800 0 4,800 0 +4,800

Owyhee Land Acquisition 

Account 0 0 0 712 0 -656 0 56 0 -656

Washington County, Utah Land 

Acquisition Account 0 0 0 732 0 -674 0 58 0 -674

Silver Saddle Endowment 0 0 0 49 0 -45 0 4 0 -45

Carson City Special Account 0 75 0 6 0 -6 0 0 0 -6

Ojito Land Acquisition 0 735 0 57 0 -57 0 0 0 -57

NPR-2 Lease Revenue Account 2 5 2 5 0 0 2 5 0 0

Geothermal Lease and Use 

Authorization Fund a/ 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Oil and Gas Permit Processing 

Improvement Fund 155 14,066 155 15,418 +275 +41,077 430 56,495 +275 +41,077

a/ Authority for deposits to this fund has expired. Unobligated balances are being expended. 

b/ The 2016 amount is updated from the amount included in the Appendix, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2016. The 

2016 amount reflects previously unavailable amounts as provided in the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 7

Program Overview 

The following activities account for certain receipts received from the sale, lease, or use of 

public lands or resources. They are available for use by Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for 

the purposes specified in permanent laws and do not require annual appropriation action by 

Congress. Amounts shown for 2015 and 2016 are estimates based on anticipated collections. 

Projected collection amounts consider such factors as market and ec onomic indicators, 

expected public or industry demand levels for services or sales products, fee or collection 

schedules or structures, and certain legislative proposals expected to be enacted into law.

Operations & Maintenance of Quarters –This account is used to maintain and repair all BLM 

employee-occupied quarters from which quarters rental charges are collected. Agencies are 

required to collect quarter rentals from employees who occupy Government-owned housing and 

quarters. This housing is provided only in isolated areas or when an employee is required to 

live on-site at a Feder ally-owned facility or reservation. The BLM currently maintains and 

operates 248 housing or housing units in 11 States. 

Recreation Fee Program, BLM – The Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA) of 

2004, Title VIII of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005, Public Law 108-447, provided a 

comprehensive restatement of Federal authority, including that of the BLM, to collect and spend 

recreation use fees. This statute replaced prior authorities enacted in the Land and Water 

Conservation Act, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, and the Recreational Fee 

Demonstration Program authority enacted in annual appropriation acts since 1996. During 

fiscal 2005, the BLM switched to the authorities and arrangements enacted in the FLREA. 

Recreation projects operating under the former Recreational Fee Demonstration program have 

varying fee structures depending upon the day of week, season of use, free use days, and 

standardized entrance fees. S ervice fees, automated fee collection machines, third-party 

collection contracts, volunteer fee collectors, entrance booths, donations, self-serve pay 

stations, reservation systems, fee collection through the mail for permitted areas, special 

recreation permits for competitive and or ganized groups, and onl ine Internet reservation 

payment with credit cards are examples of new collection methods the BLM has used as a 

result of the Recreational Fee D emonstration program. The fee structure at each site is 

periodically evaluated to ensure that the fees are comparable to similar sites in the surrounding 

area. These fees, combined with appropriated funds, are used to maintain buildings, shelters, 

water supply systems, fences, parking areas, and landscaping; to pump vault toilets and dump 

stations; to replace or repair broken or non-functioning facilities; to modify facilities to 

accessibility standards; and to collect trash at recreation sites.

The Administration proposes to permanently reauthorize the Department of the Interior's and 

the Department of Agriculture's recreation fee programs under the Federal Lands Recreation 

Enhancement Act, which is set to expire on December 8, 2015.

The following table provides the actual collections for 2014 and the estimated revenues 

projected for 2015 and 2016 from BLM recreational fee sites. In addition, the table provides 

Appropriation: Permanent Operating Funds
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 8

information on the number of projects approved, the type of work conducted and the amount of 

revenues spent for all three fiscal years.

Recreation Fee Projects 

(In thousands of dollars)

2014 2015 2016

Bureau of Land Management Actual Estimated Budget

Unobligated Balance Brought Forward & Recoveries 14,116 14,852 15,320

Recreation Fee Revenues [Post-sequestration] 17,673 19,653 19,183

America the Beautiful pass [800] [800] [800]

Funds Obligated -16,937 -19,185 -21,630

Unobligated Balance 14,852 15,320 12,873

Total Expenditures (outlays) 16,977 17,764 19,418

Obligations by Type of Project

Asset Repair & Maintenance

Facilities Routine/Annual Maintenance 4,742 5,000 5,500

Facilities Capital Improvements Health & Safety 169 185 200

Facilities Deferred Maintenance 679 1,000 1,500

Subtotal, Asset Repair and Maintenance 5,590 6,185 7,200

Interp. Visitor Services, issue SRP & RUP 5,421 6,000 6,130

Law Enforcement, Recreation 2,372 2,800 3,000

Habitat Restoration, Resource Protection 848 800 850

Collection Costs 508 400 450

Fee Mgmt. Agreement & Reservation Services 847 1,000 1,500

Pass Administration and Overhead

Administration, Overhead, Indirect Costs < = 15% 1,351 2,000 2,500

 Total Obligations 16,937 19,185 21,630

 

Total Expenditures (outlays) 16,977 17,764 19,418
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 9

Use of Fees 

The BLM Annual Maintenance program maintains assets on recreation sites. In fiscal year 2014, the BLM maintained 92 

percent of buildings and 89 percent of non-building assets in fair condition. In FY 2014, $5.3 million of recreation fee 

revenue was used for annual maintenance and operations at recreation sites. 

Projects that have been completed or started are quite varied in nature, and include the following accomplishments:

Repair and Maintenance - Recreation fee revenues have been used for maintaining existing facilities; repairing roofs; 

paving and grading roads and bridges; trail maintenance; repairing equipment and vehicles; adding communication systems; 

repairing gates, fences and flood damage; and repairing, replacing, installing, and expanding water systems.

Improving Visitor Services - Recreation fee revenues have been used for retrofitting restrooms and providing access to 

picnic areas for persons with disabilities; repairing existing restrooms or constructing new ones; landscaping recreation sites; 

expanding campgrounds; adding new grills and tables; constructing trails and additional tent pads; creating and adding 

directional signs; repairing, replacing, and constructing boat ramps; replacing and constructing boat and fishing docks; 

developing maps; brochures; exhibits and other outreach materials; and designing and creating interpretive displays.

Providing for Fee Collection - Recreation fee revenues have been used for constructing fee collection facilities, purchasing 

and installing lighting for exhibits and kiosks, adding seasonal positions, and expanding partnerships.

Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund (FEHRF) - Funds in this account are derived 

from the Federal share of receipts (defined as the portion of receipts not paid to the counties 

under 43 U.S.C. 1181f and 43 U.S.C. 1181-1 et seq., and P.L. 106-393, as amended) from all 

BLM timber salvage sales, and from BLM forest health restoration treatments funded from this 

account. Funds from this account are available for planning, preparing, implementing, 

monitoring, and reforestation of salvage timber sales and forest health restoration treatments, 

including those designed to release trees from competing vegetation, control tree densities, and 

treat hazardous fuels. Most of these treatments are implemented through service contracts or 

commercial timber sales. BLM projects may occur on Oregon and California Grant Lands, Coos 

Bay Wagon Road Grant Lands in Oregon, and on the public domain lands throughout the BLM. 

The initial purpose of this fund was to allow quick response to fire and for reforestation of forests 

damaged by insects, disease, and fire. Expanded authorization in the 1998 Interior and Related 

Agencies Appropriations Act allows activities designed to promote forest health, including 

reducing the risk of catastrophic damage to forests in addition to responding to damage events. 

The Federal share of receipts in 2014 was $4.5 million. The expected receipts for 2015 and 

2016 are estimated to be $3.6 million and $6.4 million respectively.

The volume of salvage timber harvested and associated revenues in any given year may vary 

depending upon the severity of wildland fires, weather events such as drought and windstorms, 

and insect and disease mortality. The volume and value of harvest is also influenced by the 

demand for wood products. 

In 2014, the BLM harvested approximately 60 m illion board feet of timber worth $6.1 million 

dollars from 7,000 acres and i nventoried 9,237 acres, from salvage and forest restoration 

activities with FEHRF funds. In addition, in 2014 the BLM offered approximately 83.3 million 

board feet of FEHRF new timber sales from 5,665 acres worth $16.3 million dollars.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 10

In 2015, the BLM intends to treat 10,124 acres, inventory 5,130 acres, and offer 63.2 million 

board feet of timber from salvage and forest restoration activities with these funds. In 2016, the 

BLM plans to treat 10,000 acres, inventory 5,000 acres and offer 60 million board feet of timber 

from salvage and forest restoration activities with these funds. Under current law, the fund 

expires at the end of 2020.

Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund – The Pipeline Fund was established under Section 

327 of the Omnibus Consolidated Rescissions and A ppropriations Act of 1996. The Act 

established separate funds for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and the BLM using revenues 

generated by timber sales released under Section 2001(k) of the 1995 S upplemental 

Appropriations for Disaster Assistance and Rescissions Act. This Act directs that 75 percent of 

the Pipeline Fund be used to fill each agency’s timber sale “pipeline”; and, that 25 percent of the 

Pipeline Fund be used to address the maintenance backlog for recreation projects on BLM and 

USFS lands. Funds are deposited into the fund after statutory payments are made to State and 

local governments. 

Receipts deposited in 2014 were $3.0 million. In 2015, receipts are estimated to be $2.2 million 

and in 2016 $2.2 million. In 2015 and 2016, 100 percent of timber sale pipeline receipts from 

O&C Grant Lands will be deposited to the Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Fund due t o the

proposed reauthorization of Secure Rural Schools payments. That law exempts deposits to 

permanent operating funds such as to the Timber Sales Pipeline Restoration Fund from being 

available for use to make Secure Rural Schools payments to western Oregon counties. 

 

Deposits and Expenditures,

Timber Sale Pipeline Restoration Fund 

($000)

Year Annual Deposit Cumulative 

Deposit

Annual 

Expenditure

Cumulative 

Expenditure

1998 31,803 31,803 4,474 4,474

1999 3,122 38,192 10,239 14,713

2000 0 38,192 8,454 23,167

2001 6,590 41,868 7,489 30,656

2002 563 42,431 5,615 36,271

2003 2,879 45,502 5,339 41,610

2004 6,993 53,421 2,904 44,514

2005 8,843 62,301 2,887 47,401

2006 12,339 74,756 5,059 52,460

2007 10,922 85,718 8,381 60,841

2008 10,396 96,093 10,340 71,181

2009 5,162 101,274 16,768 87,949

2010 4,078 105,352 10,587 98,536

2011 4,048 109,400 4,718 103,254

2012 4,023 113,423 4,514 107,768

2013 2,889 116,313 2,106 109,874

2014 2,991 119,304 3,172 113,046

2015 Est. 2,218 121,522 5,000 118,046

2016 Est. 2,180 123,702 4,000 122,046
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 11

At the end of 2014, the unobligated balance in the Fund was $8.6 million. The BLM estimates 

the Fund balance will be $4 million at the end of fiscal year 2016.

Recreation Projects Funded Through the Pipeline Fund – Significant progress has been made 

in western Oregon to address recreation projects using funds from the Timber Sale Pipeline 

Restoration Fund. Through the end of 2014, western Oregon BLM has completed 

approximately $26.0 million dollars in deferred maintenance work at approximately 45 to 50 

recreation sites. The principal focus of recreation spending is maintaining existing facilities, 

resolving critical safety needs, and meeting the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities 

Act. The BLM has made considerable investment in projects such as renovation of water and 

sewer systems, upgrading restroom facilities, improving parking areas, and adapt ing existing 

recreation sites for handicapped visitors. In 2016, the BLM level of expenditures for recreation 

projects is estimated to be between $800,000 and $900,000.

Timber Sales Prepared by Use of the Pipeline Fund – Approximately 75 percent of the Timber 

Sale Pipeline Fund i s specifically used by a m ultiple resource team of specialists to prepare 

timber sales, including all necessary NEPA, environmental inventories and analyses; timber 

sale layout; timber cruising and appraising; and contract preparation costs. Upon completion of 

these requirements, a timber sale is officially prepared and placed “on-the-shelf” in anticipation 

of being offered for sale in future years. 

 

Since 2001, the BLM has harvested approximately 594 m illion board feet of timber valued at 

approximately $83.0 million dollars from the Pipeline Fund timber sales. In 2014, the BLM 

expended $3.2 million from the Timber Sale Pipeline Fund and offered approximately 23 million 

board feet of timber for sale valued at approximately $6.2 million. The BLM expects to deposit 

$2.2 million in 2015 and $2.2 million in 2016 from associated timber sales into the Pipeline 

Fund. 

Expenses, Road Maintenance Deposits – This activity provides for the permanent 

appropriation of money collected from commercial road users in lieu of user maintenance. The 

receipts are permanently appropriated to the BLM for road maintenance. Users of certain roads 

under BLM jurisdiction make deposits for maintenance purposes. M oneys collected are 

available for needed r oad maintenance. M oneys collected on O regon and C alifornia Grant 

Lands are available only for those lands (43 U.S.C. 1762(c), 43 U.S.C. 1735(b)). The BLM has 

authority to collect money for road maintenance from commercial users of the public lands and 

the public domain lands transportation system. Most of the funds generated for this account 

come from Oregon and California Grant Lands and are available for those lands only, excluding 

$229,000 that is made available for administrative expenses.

Southern Nevada Public Land Sales – This receipt account allows the BLM to record 

transactions authorized by the Southern Nevada Public Land Management Act (SNPLMA) (P.L. 

105-263). The purpose of the Act is to provide for the orderly disposal of certain Federal lands in 

Clark County, Nevada, to meet the demands for community expansion and economic 

development, and to use the proceeds from these sales to address critical environmental and 

educational needs in Clark County and other areas of Nevada. Receipts are generated primarily 

through sale to the public of lands in the Las Vegas valley. Approximately 50,000 acres of public 

land are within the disposal boundary area.

Currently, funds collected from the land sales are distributed as follows:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 12

• Five percent to the State General Education Fund.

• 10 percent to the Southern Nevada Water Authority to fund the infrastructure needed to 

support the development resulting from land sales under the Act.

• 85 percent is deposited into a special account and available to be spent by the Secretary of 

the Interior.

To date, SNPLMA has generated more than $2.9 billion in deposits to the special fund, including 

earnings on i nvestments, from land sales since its enactment in 1998. When SNPLMA was 

originally passed, proceeds from land sales under the bill were estimated at roughly $70 million 

per year. Collections in 2013 and 2014 were $12,963,000 and $61,430,000 respectively. Sales 

in 2015 are projected to produce $97,058,000. The increase is due to an increase in estimates 

of acres sold offsetting a lower price per acre. Estimated collections for 2016 are expected to 

be $125,347,000 mainly coming from final payments received from 2015 sales and a planned 

fall auction of 600 acres. Collections are reported when payments are received regardless of 

when sales are held and the estimates make allowance for the normal lag of 180 days between 

sales and c ollections. For more information on SNPLMA, see the 2008 report to Congress, 

at http://www.blm.gov/nv/st/en/snplma.html. See the Collections chapter for more information 

on anticipated land sales in 2015 and 2016.

Lincoln County Sales – This receipt account allows the BLM to record transactions authorized 

by the Lincoln County Land Sales Act (P.L. 106-298), which was enacted by Congress in 2000. 

The purpose of the Act is to provide for the disposal of certain Federal lands in Lincoln County, 

Nevada. Funds accumulated in the special account may be used to:

• Preserve archaeological resources, conserve habitat, and reimburse the BLM Nevada State 

Office for land sale costs related to this act; 

• Process public land use authorizations and rights-of-way stemming from conveyed land; and

• Purchase environmentally sensitive land or interests in land in the State of Nevada, with 

priority given to land outside Clark County.

In 2014, $1,016,000 was deposited from land sales. I n 2015 and 2016, deposits from land 

sales are estimated to be $2,332,000 and $667,000. Those estimates exclude interest 

deposited to the fund and payments to the State and County. 

Southern Nevada Public Land Management and Lincoln County – Earnings on 

Investments – SNPLMA authorizes the Secretary to manage the collections account for the 

purposes set out above, and i s also authorized to use interest generated from the abovementioned funds. The BLM is authorized to invest the unspent balance of collections from 

SNPLMA and Lincoln County Lands Act land sale receipts. Earnings on investments for 2013 

and 2014 were $997,000 and $369,000 respectively. Interest estimated to be earned in 2015 

and 2016 is $1,100,000 and $5,900,000 respectively. Projected investment earnings take into 

account revenue from land sales, earnings on investments, and pr ojected interest rates and 

outlays. Funds in the special account earn interest at a rate determined by the Secretary of the 

Treasury and are available for expenditure without further appropriation under the provisions of 

the Act. 

Stewardship "End Results" Contracting Fund –The 2003 Omnibus Appropriations Act (P.L. 

108-7), Section 323, amended Section 347 of the 1999 Appropriation Omnibus (P.L. 105-277, 

Oct. 21, 1998) that originally granted the USFS pilot stewardship contracting authority. Until 

September 30, 2013, the USFS and the BLM, via agreement or contract as appropriate, may 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 13

enter into stewardship contracting projects with private persons or other public or private entities 

to perform services to achieve land management goals for the national forest and t he public 

lands that meet local and rural community needs.

The Act granted the BLM the ability to utilize stewardship contracting as a tool for forest and 

rangeland restoration. The BLM may apply the value of timber or other forest products removed 

as an offset against the cost of services received, and monies from a contract under subsection 

(a) may be retained by the USFS and the BLM and shall be available for expenditure without 

further appropriation at the project site from which the monies are collected or at another project 

site. In 2014, the BLM deposited $162,000 into the fund and expects to deposit $32,000 and 

$21,000 in 2015 and 2016 respectively. 

The Agriculture Act of 2014 (P.L. 113-79) provides permanent stewardship contracting authority.

Federal Land Disposal Account – The Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act (FLTFA),

provides authority for the use of receipts from disposal actions by the BLM to purchase 

inholdings and lands adjacent to federally designated areas containing exceptional resources, 

as defined in FLTFA, from willing sellers with acceptable titles, at fair market value, to “promote 

consolidation of the ownership of public and private lands in a manner that would allow for 

better overall resource management administrative efficiency, or resource allocation.

The Act expired on July 25, 2010. On July 29, 2010, Congress passed PL 111-212, which 

included a one-year extension of FLTFA. Because of the break in FLTFA authority, the funds in 

the account on July 25, 2010 were deposited into the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This 

included $37.0 million designated for land purchase and $13.0 million designated to administer 

the BLM’s land sale program, for a total of approximately $50.0 million. When the one year 

extension expired, the unobligated balance of $2.2 million was transferred to the Land and 

Water Conservation Fund. 

The Budget includes a proposal to reauthorize FLTFA and allow lands identified as suitable for 

disposal in recent land use plans to be sold using the FLTFA authority. FLTFA sales revenues 

would continue to be us ed to fund the acquisition of environmentally sensitive lands and t he 

administrative costs associated with conducting sales. 

Owyhee Land Acquisition Account – The Owyhee Land Acquisition Account was established 

under Section 1505 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. This account 

provides a process for orderly sale of certain public lands in Boise District of the BLM that, as of 

July 25, 2000, had been identified for disposal in an appropriate resource management plan. 

Estimated deposits in 2015 and 2016 are $712,000 and $56,000; none is reported for 2014. 

Washington County, Utah Land Acquisition Account – This account was established under 

Section 1778 of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009. This account provides a 

process for the orderly sale of certain public lands in Washington County, Utah, that, as of July 

25, 2000, had been identified for disposal in appropriate resource management plans. 

Proceeds from the sale of public land are deposited into the “Washington County, Utah Land 

Acquisitions Account”. Amounts in the account are available to the Secretary to purchase, from 

willing sellers, inholdings of lands or interest in land within the wilderness areas and National 

Conservation Area established by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act. Estimated

deposits in 2015 and 2016 are $732,000 and $58,000; none is reported for 2014. 

 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 14

 Silver Saddle Endowment Account – This account was established by the Omnibus 

Public Land Management Act of 2009, and authorizes, under certain conditions, the sale of a 

62-acre parcel to Carson City, Nevada. Proceeds of the sale are to be used by the BLM for the 

oversight and en forcement of a per petual conservation easement to the land to protect, 

preserve, and enhance the conservation values of the land. No deposits were made in 2014; 

$49,000 is estimated in 2015 and $4,000 is estimated in 2016. 

 

 Carson City Special Account – This account was established by the Omnibus Public 

Land Management Act of 2009, and authorizes the sale of approximately 158 acres described in 

the law. Five percent of the proceeds will be p aid directly to the State for use in the general 

education program of the State. The remainder is deposited in this account to reimburse the 

BLM and t he Forest Service for the costs of the sale and appr aisals, and t o acquire 

environmentally sensitive land or an i nterest in environmentally sensitive land in the city. In 

2011, 2012 and 2013 t here were no receipts. In 2014, the BLM deposited $75,000 into the 

fund; $6,000 is estimated in 2015; none is estimated for 2016. 

NPR-2 Lease Revenue Account – Section 331 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, P.L.109–58 

transferred Naval Petroleum Reserve Numbered 2 from the Department of Energy to the 

Department of the Interior and appropriates a portion of revenues from mineral leases on the 

site to remove environmental contamination. The appropriations end when the cleanup is 

completed. In 2014, the BLM deposited $5,000 into the fund. Estimated deposits in 2015 and 

2016 are $5,000 and $5,000. 

Geothermal Steam Act Implementation Fund – Section 224 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005,

P.L.109–58, amended the Geothermal Steam Act of 1970. The amendment provides that fifty 

percent of geothermal bonuses, rents, and r oyalties will be pa id to the State and t wenty-five 

percent will be paid to the County within the boundaries of which the leased lands or geothermal 

resources are or were located. Section 234 provided that twenty-five percent be deposited to 

the BLM Geothermal Steam Act Implementation Fund from 2006 through 2010 for the purpose 

of expediting the development of geothermal steam as an energy source. That authority was 

repealed by Congress a year early.9

 A deposit of $2.7 million was made in 2010 from revenues 

collected in 2009 be fore the authority expired. N o additional deposits will be m ade under 

current law. More information about this fund can be found in the Oil and Gas and Renewable 

Energy Management sections of the Management of Lands and Resources chapter. 

Permit Processing Improvement Fund –Section 365 o f the Energy Policy Act of 2005, 

P.L.109–58, permanently directed that fifty percent of rents from onshore mineral leases for oil 

and gas, coal, and oil shale on Federal lands were to be deposited into the Permit Processing 

Improvement Fund (PPIF), and authorized BLM access to the PPIF from 2006 through 2015 for 

the purpose of identifying and implementing improvements and cost efficiencies in processing 

applications for permits to drill (APDs) and related work. 

Section 3021 o f the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), P.L. 113-291 permanently 

extends BLM’s access to the rent receipts in the PPIF. Section 3021 of the NDAA also added 

fees for APDs as a source of receipts to the PPIF. Specifically, Section 3021 authorizes the 

Secretary in fiscal years 2016 through 2026 to charge and collect a $9,500 APD processing fee, 

as indexed for inflation. The NDAA-authorized APD fee obviates the need for the $6,500 APD 

processing fee that has been authorized in annual appropriations acts the last several years.

 

9 Section 423, P.L. 111-88, (123 STAT. 2961). Department of the Interior, environment, and related agencies appropriations for the 

fiscal year ending September 30, 2010
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 15

The NDAA created two sub-accounts within the PPIF to accommodate these two sources of 

receipts: 

• The Rental Account is comprised of rents from oil, gas, and coal leases not paid to 

States. 

• The Fee Account is comprised of fees paid with applications for permits to drill. 

The law requires that the rental account is used for coordination and processing of leasing 

activity by BLM project offices. 

The law requires that the fee account is used for the same purposes but is not limited to the 

activities of project offices. 

Estimated APD fees are $47,500,000 in 2016. Pursuant to the NDAA, from 2016 through 2019, 

15 percent of APD collections is subject to appropriation while 85 percent is permanently 

appropriated. For more information on t he use of this Fund, please see the Oil and G as 

Management section in the Management of Lands and Resources Chapter. 

Ojito Land Acquisition – The Ojito Wilderness Act authorized the sale of land to the Pueblo of 

Zia Indian Tribe and the purchase of land from willing sellers within the State of New Mexico. 

The sale to the Tribe has been completed; the BLM is planning a land purchase using the 

proceeds of that sale. Deposits in 2014 were $735,000; none are estimated for 2015 and 2016. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 16

Budget Schedules – Current Law

Account Symbol and Title

14X9926

Permanent Operating Funds

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Forest ecosystem health and recovery fund 0001 5 6 6

 Recreation fee demonstration 0002 17 18 19

 Expenses, road maintenance deposits 0003 3 3 2 

 Timber sale pipeline restoration fund 0004 3 3 2

 Southern Nevada public land sales (85) 0005 63 60 75

 Lincoln County Lands Act 0008 2 2 3 

 Operation and maintenance of quarters 0013 1 1 1

 Permit Processing Improvement Fund 0014 15 18 49

 Geothermal Steam Act Fund 0015 1 0 0 

 NPR-2 Cleanup Fund 0018 0 1 1

Total new obligations 0900 110 112 158

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 561 578 592

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations 1021 30 0 0

 Unobligated balance (total) 1050 591 578 592

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Recreation fee demonstration program 1201 19 19 19

 Forest ecosystem health and recovery fund 1201 5 4 4

 Timber sales pipeline restoration fund 1201 3 2 1

 Expenses, road maintenance deposits 1201 3 3 3 

 S. Nevada public land management 1201 54 82 107

 S. Nevada public land management-interest 

earned

1201 0 1 4

 Permit processing improvement fund 1201 14 16 55

 Operation and maintenance of quarters 1201 1 1 1 

 Owyhee Land Acquisition 1201 0 1 0

 Lincoln Cty. land sales 1201 1 3 2

 Appropriation (Ojito Land Acquistion) 1201 1 0 0 

 Appropriation (previously unavailable) 1203 3 4 0

 Appropriations and/or unobligated balance of 

appropriations temporarily reduced

1232 -7 -10 0

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 97 126 196

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 97 126 196

 Appropriation [SNPLMA] 1260-40 54 77 111

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 4 4

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 73 107

 Appropriation [Recreation Fees] 1260-40 19 18 19
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 17

Account Symbol and Title

14X9926

Permanent Operating Funds

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 8 8

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 10 11

 Appropriation [Other Perm Operating] 1260-40 28 31 66

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 14 15

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 17 51

 Appropriation [Sequestration] 1260-40 3 0 0 

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 0 0

 Effects of 2014 sequester 1260-40 -7 0 0

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 0 0 

 Appropriation [Text] 1260-40 0 0 0

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 0 0

Total budgetary resources available 1930 688 704 788

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 578 592 630

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 332 201 115

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 110 112 158

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -211 -198 -236

 Recoveries of prior year unpaid obligations, 

unexpired

3040 -30 0 0

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 201 115 37

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 332 201 115

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 201 115 37

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 97 126 196

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 18 59 96

 Outlays from mandatory balances 4101 193 139 140

 Outlays, gross (total) 4110 211 198 236

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 97 126 196

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 211 198 236

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 97 126 196

Outlays, net (total) 4190 211 198 236

Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Total investments, SOY: Federal securities: Par 

value

5000 693 609 535

 Total investments, EOY: Federal securities: Par 

value

5001 609 535 470
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 18

Account Symbol and Title

14X9926

Permanent Operating Funds

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 2004-01 97 126 196

 Outlays 2004-02 211 198 236

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 21 21 41

 Other than full-time permanent 11.3 2 2 3

 Other personnel compensation 11.5 2 2 3

 Total personnel compensation 11.9 25 25 47

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 8 9 16

 Communications, utilities, and miscellaneous 

charges

23.3 1 1 2

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 6 9 10

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 6 7 10

 Operation and maintenance of facilities 25.4 0 1 1

 Operation and maintenance of equipment 25.7 1 2 2

 Supplies and materials 26.0 2 3 3

 Equipment 31.0 1 2 2

 Land and structures 32.0 10 5 8

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 5 8 8

 Subtotal, obligations, Direct obligations 99.0 65 72 109

Allocation Account - direct:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 6 7 7 

 Other than full-time permanent 11.3 2 2 2

 Other personnel compensation 11.5 1 0 0

 Total personnel compensation 11.9 9 9 9 

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 3 3 3

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 5 5 6

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 1 1 5 

 Operation and maintenance of facilities 25.4 1 1 2

 Operation and maintenance of equipment 25.7 24 19 22

 Land and structures 32.0 1 1 1 

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 1 1 1

 Subtotal, obligations, Allocation Account - direct 99.0 45 40 49

 Total new obligations 99.9 110 112 158

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 422 421 696

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-9926] 1000 0
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 19

Budget Schedules - Proposal

Account Symbol and Title

14X9926

Permanent Operating Funds

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Forest ecosystem health and recovery fund 0001 0 2 5

 Timber sale pipeline restoration fund 0004 0 2 2

 Federal land disposal fund 0005 0 0 1 

Total new obligations 0900 0 4 8

Budgetary resources:

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Forest ecosystem health and recovery fund 1201 0 2 2

 Timber sales pipeline restoration fund 1201 0 2 1 

 Federal land disposal fund 1201 0 0 5

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 0 4 8

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 0 4 8

 Appropriation [Timber sales] 1260-40 0 4 3

 Appropriation [FLTFA] 1260-40 0 0 5

Total budgetary resources available 1930 0 4 8 

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 0 0 1

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 0 4 8 

 Outlays (gross) 3020 0 -3 -3

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 0 1 6 

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 0 0 1 

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 0 1 6

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 0 4 8

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 0 3 2

 Outlays from mandatory balances 4101 0 0 1

 Outlays, gross (total) 4110 0 3 3

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 0 4 8 

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 0 3 3

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 0 4 8

Outlays, net (total) 4190 0 3 3
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIII – Permanent Operating Funds Page XIII - 20

Account Symbol and Title

14X9926

Permanent Operating Funds

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 2004-01 0 4 8 

 Outlays 2004-02 0 3 3

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 0 2 5 

 Supplies and materials 26.0 0 2 2

 Land and structures 32.0 0 0 1

 Total new obligations 99.9 0 4 8 
Miscellaneous Trust 

Funds

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 1

Miscellaneous Trust Funds

Appropriations Language

In addition to amounts authorized to be expended under existing laws, there is hereby 

appropriated such amounts as may be contributed under section 307 of Public Law 94–579 (43 

U.S.C. 1737), and s uch amounts as may be adv anced for administrative costs, surveys, 

appraisals, and costs of making conveyances of omitted lands under section 211(b) of that Act 

(43 U.S.C. 1721(b)), to remain available until expended. (Division F—Department of the Interior, 

Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015)

Appropriations Language Citations

1. In addition to amounts authorized to be expended under existing laws, 

In addition to the amounts provided under other statutes for BLM operations and activities.

2. there is hereby appropriated such amounts as may be contributed under section 307 

of Public Law 94–579 (43 U.S.C. 1737), 

This appropriation consists of both current and permanent funds. The current appropriations are 

the contributions authorized by the Federal Land Policy Management Act (FLPMA) section 307 

(c), which allows parties to contribute funds to the BLM for resource development, protection, 

and management activities; for acquisition and conveyance of public lands; and for cadastral 

surveys on Federally controlled or intermingled lands.

3. and such amounts as may be advanced for administrative costs, surveys, appraisals, 

and costs of making conveyances of omitted lands under section 211(b) of that Act 

(43 U.S.C. 1721(b)), 

The permanent appropriation allows the BLM to spend funds contributed under the authority of 

the Taylor Grazing Act and under authority of various land survey acts.

4. to remain available until expended. 

The language makes the funds available without fiscal year limitation. This type of account 

allows BLM a valuable degree of flexibility needed to support multi-year contracts, agreements 

and purchases.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 2

Authorizations 

Statutes that authorize permanent mandatory trust funds

The Taylor Grazing Act of 

1934, as amended (43 

U.S.C. 315h, 315i)

Provides for the Secretary of the Interior to accept contributions 

for the administration, protection, and improvement of grazing 

lands, and for these funds to be deposited into the Treasury in a 

trust fund; the Act also permanently appropriates them for use 

by the Secretary.

The Act of March 3, 1891, 

Section 11 (43 U.S.C. 

355)

Provides for the sale of town lots to non-Native Alaskans. This 

Act was repealed by FLPMA in 1976. However, the Comptroller 

General Opinion of November 18, 1935, and 31 U.S.C. 1321 

authorize the use of trust funds to provide for survey and deed 

recordation of town lots occupied prior to passage of FLPMA.

43 U.S.C. 759 Provides for accomplishment of public surveys of whole 

townships through a trust fund; deposits for expenses deemed 

appropriated. 43 U .S.C. 761 pr ovides for refunds from trust 

funds established in 43 U .S.C. 759 o f costs in excess of 

expenses.

31 U.S.C. 1321(a)(47) and 

(48)

Classifies the activities of "Expenses, public survey work, 

general" and "Expenses, public survey work, Alaska" as trust 

funds.

48 Stat. 1224-36 Provides for payments in advance for public surveys.

Statutes that authorize current mandatory appropriations of trust funds. 

43 U.S.C. 1721(a) and (b) 

(FLPMA Section 211(a) 

and (b))

Provides for the donation of funds for surveys of omitted lands.

The Comptroller General 

Opinion of November 18, 

1935, and 31 U.S.C. 1321

Authorizes the use of trust funds to provide for survey and deed 

recordation of town lots occupied prior to passage of FLPMA.

The Sikes Act of 1974, as 

amended (16 U.S.C. 670 

et seq.)

Provides for the conservation, restoration, and management of 

species and t heir habitats in cooperation with State wildlife 

agencies. 

Omnibus Appropriations 

Act, 2009, Division E—

Department of the 

Interior, Environment, 

and Related Agencies 

Appropriations Act, 2009, 

P.L. 111-8, March 10, 2009

Provides that projects to be funded pursuant to a w ritten 

commitment by a S tate government to provide an identified 

amount of money in support of the project may be carried out 

by the Bureau on a reimbursable basis.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 3

Summary of Requirements 

(Dollars in Thousands)

 2016 Change

from 2015

Enacted

(+/ -) Comparison

by Activity/

Subactivity 

2014 Actual 2015 Enacted*

Program 

Changes

(+/ -) 

Budget

Request

FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Miscellaneous Trust 

Funds 93 26,005 93 28,149 0 -2,999 0 25,150 93 -2,999

CURRENT: 86 24,617 86 25,759 0 -2,829 0 22,930 86 -2,829

Conveyance of Omitted 

Lands 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Resource Development 

Protection & 

Management - FLPMA

55 19,427 55 20,332 0 -2,233 0 18,099 55 -2,233

Resource Development 

Protection & 

Management - California 

Off-Highway

29 4,843 29 5,064 0 -556 0 4,508 29 -556

Wildlife & Fish 

Conservation & 

Rehabilitation - Sikes Act

2 347 2 363 0 -40 0 323 2 -40

Rights-Of-Way 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

PERMANENT: 7 1,388 7 2,390 0 -170 0 2,220 7 -170

Resource Development 

Protection & 

Management - Taylor 

Grazing Act

3 1,075 3 1,844 0 -131 0 1,713 3 -131

Public Survey 4 313 4 546 0 -39 0 507 4 -39

* The 2015 amount is updated from the amount included in the Appendix, Budget of the United States Government, 

Fiscal Year 2016. The 2015 amount reflects previously unavailable amounts as provided in the Balanced Budget 

and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 4

Activity Description

The Land and R esource Management Trust Fund pr ovides for resource development, 

protection, and management improvement of the public lands using money and services that 

are contributed to the BLM from non-Federal sources.

Contributions and donations of money from private individuals, companies, user organizations, 

State government agencies, and ot her non-Federal entities provide for the performance of 

certain conservation practices. Any money remaining after the project is completed is returned 

to the contributor if they desire.

Current Appropriations: 

Funds are routinely received for the following purposes: 

• Conveyance of Omitted Lands - This activity accounts for contributed funds for land and 

realty actions from non-Federal sources or applicants as agreed to through an established 

contribution agreement. 

• Resource Development, Protection, and Management--FLMPA - According to FLPMA, 

the BLM can accept contributed money or services for resource development, protection, 

and management; conveyance or acquisition of public lands; and conducting cadastral 

surveys. 

• Resource Development, Protection and Management of California Off-Highway 

Vehicles - Includes contributions from the State of California Off-Highway Vehicle license 

(“Green Sticker”) fund. The BLM uses this fund for the development, maintenance, and 

operation of benefiting projects on B LM-administered public lands in California. The BLM 

requests these funds from the State of California each year through a competitive process. 

The amount awarded to the BLM varies each year. 

• Wildlife & Fish Conservation & Rehabilitation--Sikes Act - The Sikes Act authorizes 

State game and fish departments to charge fees for activities such as hunting, fishing, and 

trapping on Federal lands. These funds are shared with the BLM and used by the BLM for 

the conservation, restoration, management and improvement of wildlife species and their 

habitat. 

• Rights-of-Way - This activity accounts for funds contributed by private entities to pay the 

casework costs of processing Rights-of-Way grants requested by them. 

Permanent Appropriations: 

The following funds are permanently available as Permanent Miscellaneous Trust Funds to the 

Secretary of the Interior for efforts as specified by the authorizing Act: 

Appropriation: Miscellaneous Trust Funds

(Current and Permanent)
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 5

• Taylor Grazing Act Contributions - These contributions are permanently appropriated as 

trust funds to the Secretary for rangeland improvement.

• Public Survey Contributions - These funds are contributions from individuals, companies 

or other users of the public lands, for cadastral survey services provided by the BLM. 

• Trustee Funds, Alaska Townsites - These contributions are provided for the sale of town 

lots to non-Native Alaskans. These trust funds provide for the survey and deed transfer of 

town lots. Purchasers pay the cost of survey and deed transfer plus $25. (Native Alaskans 

are exempt from payment.) Only lots occupied before the passage of FLPMA may be 

deeded to the occupants; all other lots are the property of the municipality. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 6

Budget Schedules

Account Symbol and Title

14X9971

Miscellaneous Trust Funds

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Resource development FLPMA 0001 14 14 14

 Resource development CA OHV 0002 4 4 4

 Resource development Taylor Grazing 0003 1 1 1 

 Public Survey 0004 0 1 0

 Sikes Act 0005 0 0 1

Total new obligations 0900 19 20 20

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 46 53 59

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Appropriation (special or trust fund) 1201 27 24 25

 Appropriation (previously unavailable) 1203 1 2 0

 Appropriations and/or unobligated balance of 

appropriations temporarily reduced

1232 -2 0 0 

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 26 26 25

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 26 26 25

 Appropriation [Text] 1260-40 28 24 25

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 8 8

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 16 17

 Effects of 2014 sequester 1260-40 -2 2 0 

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 2 0

Total budgetary resources available 1930 72 79 84

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 53 59 64

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 10 9 4 

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 19 20 20

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -20 -25 -24

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 9 4 0

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 10 9 4

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 9 4 0
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 7

Account Symbol and Title

14X9971

Miscellaneous Trust Funds

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 26 26 25

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 6 16 16

 Outlays from mandatory balances 4101 14 9 8

 Outlays, gross (total) 4110 20 25 24

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 26 26 25

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 20 25 24

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 26 26 25

Outlays, net (total) 4190 20 25 24

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 2004-01 26 26 25

 Outlays 2004-02 20 25 24

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 4 4 4

 Other than full-time permanent 11.3 1 1 1

 Other personnel compensation 11.5 1 1 1

 Total personnel compensation 11.9 6 6 6

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 2 2 2 

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 3 4 3

 Other goods and services from Federal sources 25.3 2 2 3

 Supplies and materials 26.0 1 1 1 

 Land and structures 32.0 2 2 2

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 3 3 3

 Total new obligations 99.9 19 20 20

Employment Summary (Q)

Direct civilian full-time equivalent employment 1001 93 93 93

Appropriations Requests in Thousands of Dollars (T)

Budget year budgetary resources [014-9971] 1000 22,930
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XIV – Miscellaneous Trust Funds Page XIV - 8

This page intentionally left blank.
Helium Fund and 

Operations

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XV – Helium Fund Page XV - 1

Helium Fund and Operations

Appropriations Language 

No Appropriations Language

Explanation 

No appropriations language is necessary. The Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, Public Law No. 

113-40, provides the authority and funding for operation of the program. 

Summary of Requirements ($000)

2016

Change from 2015 

Comparison 2014 2015 Program Changes Budget (+/-) 

by Activity/ Actual Enacted (+/-) Request

Subactivity FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

Helium Fund 49 242,1111 49 22,512 0 0 49 24,541 0 +2,029

Helium Fund 49 242,111 49 22,512 0 0 49 24,541 0 +2,029

Offsetting 

Collections 0 -242,111 0 -22,512 0 0 0 -24,541 0 -2,029

Operating 

Programs: 49 242,1111 49 22,512 0 0 49 24,541 0 +2,029

Production & 

Sales 16 236,997 16 20,479 0 0 16 20,523 0 +44

Transmission & 

Storage Operations 16 3,000 16 52 0 0 16 1,750 0 +1,698

Administrative & 

Other Expenses 17 2,114 17 1,981 0 0 17 2,268 0 +287

1

Note: The 2014 collections includes a $3.0 million transfer to the General Fund.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XV – Helium Fund Page XV - 2

Activity: Helium Fund and Operations

Justification of 2016 Program Changes 

The 2016 budget request for the Helium Fund and Operations program is $24,541,000 and 49 

FTE, a program increase of $2,029,000 from the 2015 es timate. The amount of the 2016 

budget request is based on estimated costs of natural gas and liquid gas sales operations of the 

Crude Helium Enrichment Unit, and oversight of helium production on Federal lands. Revenues 

from helium sales for 2015 are projected to be lower than the 2014 level. T he Helium 

Stewardship Act of 2013 required the BLM to hold sales in 2014 for helium that will be delivered 

in 2015 and for a portion of the helium that will be delivered in 2016. In 2014, the BLM held 

three sales and one auction. The BLM received payment in 2014 for helium to be delivered in 

2015 and for 250 million cubic feet (MMcf) to be delivered in 2016. 

Program Overview

The Helium Act Amendments of 1960, Public Law 86–777 (50 U.S.C. 167), authorized activities 

necessary to provide sufficient helium to meet the current and foreseeable future needs of 

essential government activities. The Helium Privatization Act of 1996 (HPA), Public Law 104–

273, provided for the eventual privatization of the program and its functions, specifying that once 

the helium debt is retired, the Helium Production Fund would be dissolved. The debt was repaid 

at the beginning of fiscal year 2014. T he Helium Stewardship Act of 2013, (P.L. 113-40) 

provided for continued operation of the Helium program while facilitating a gradual exit from the 

helium market. 

The Helium Stewardship Act established the following goals of the BLM’s Helium program are: 

• Continued storage and transmission of crude helium; 

• Oversight of the production of helium on Federal lands; and 

• Administration of in-kind and open market crude helium gas sale programs. 

To minimize impacts to the helium market, the Helium Stewardship Act provides a "glide path" 

from the sales mandated under the HPA, increasing the sales price of helium through an 

auction mechanism and reducing the total volume of helium sold each year, until the amount in 

storage reaches 3.0 billion cubic feet. At that point, the remaining helium will be reserved for 

Federal users. Additionally, the Helium Stewardship Act provides for a hard deadline to sunset 

the program and sell off the program assets by 2021. The Helium Stewardship Act required at 

least one sale to be held in 2014 for helium to be delivered in 2014, 2015 and 2016, resulting in 

a one-time increase in collections in 2014. A sale was conducted in January and May of 2014 

for a total volume of 610 MMcf, resulting in revenue of $57,950,095 for FY 2014 receipts. An 

auction was conducted in July 2014 f or a t otal volume of 92 M Mcf resulting in revenue of 

$14,972,568 for FY 2015 receipts. A sale conducted in August, 2014 for a total of 835 MMcf 

resulted in revenue of $88,543,390 for FY 2015 receipts. A n advanced sale, conducted in 

August 2014 for 250 MMcf resulted in revenue of $26,500,000 for FY 2016 receipts. Revenue 

will decrease in subsequent years as the Act does not require any more advanced sales. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XV – Helium Fund Page XV - 3

The table below shows actual and estimated revenues for 2014 through 2016. The revenues 

include funds from the sale of crude helium (through sales and auctions, as described above) 

and revenue from in-kind crude helium sales, sales of natural gas and natural gas liquids, and 

royalties from the extraction of helium from Federal lands. Collections in excess of operating 

costs were deposited to a receipt account and are not shown in the Summary of Requirements 

table as revenue. 

Helium Program $ in thousands

2014 Actual 2015 Estimate 2016 Estimate

Revenues 242,111 132,575 148,751

The BLM Helium Program is currently responsible for the following operational activities:

• Storing and transmitting of Federal and p rivate crude helium via the helium storage 

system; 

• Administering helium fee and royalty contracts for helium extracted from gas produced 

on Federal lands;

• Administering the in-kind and open market crude helium gas sale program; and

• Conducting helium resource evaluation and reserve tracking to determine the extent of 

helium resources.

The helium storage system ensures that excess helium produced from natural gas processing 

plants connected to the pipeline network is conserved for future use. Federally-owned natural 

gas containing marketable helium reserves will be identified and contracted for sale or royalty to 

enhance conservation of crude helium already in storage.

Funding History

All the income derived from crude helium sales, private helium storage, and f ee sales/royalty 

payments for helium extracted from Federal lands pays the full cost of the Helium Program, 

pursuant to the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013. 

Funds generated from the sale of helium were used to repay the Helium Debt. The Helium Debt 

was retired at the beginning of fiscal year 2014. 

2016 Program Performance

The amount of the budget request is based on estimated costs of natural gas and liquid gas 

sales operations of the Crude Helium Enrichment Unit, and oversight of helium production on 

Federal lands. The income derived from crude helium sales, from private helium storage, and 

from fee sales/royalty payments for helium extracted from Federal lands will continue to pay 

for the full costs of the program.

Helium Fund- Revenues from the sale or auction of helium, as well as royalties from helium 

extraction on Federal lands and sales of natural gas and naturals liquids byproducts from helium 

enrichment are deposited in the Helium Fund. In 2014, approximately $242.1 million in 

revenues was deposited in the Helium Fund.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XV – Helium Fund Page XV - 4

Budget Schedules

Account Symbol and Title

14X4053

Helium Fund

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Production and sales 0801 19 20 23

 Transmission and storage 0802 2 1 0

 Administration and other expenses 0803 3 2 2 

Total new obligations 0900 24 23 25

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 214 215 26

 Capital transfer of unobligated balances to general 

fund

1022 -170 -190 0

 Unobligated balances applied to repay debt 1023 -44 0 0

 Unobligated balance (total) 1050 0 25 26

 Budget authority:

 Spending authority from offsetting collections, mandatory:

 Collected 1800 242 26 25

 Capital transfer of spending authority from 

offsetting collections to general fund

1820 -3 0 0

 New and/or unobligated balance of spending 

authority from offsetting collections temporarily 

reduced

1823 0 -2 0

 Spending auth from offsetting collections, mand 

(total)

1850 239 24 25

 Spending auth from offsetting collections, mand -

Computed Totals

1850-20 239 24 25

 Spending authority from offsetting collections 

[Text]

1850-40 239 24 25

 Baseline Program [Text] 1850-50 24 25

Total budgetary resources available 1930 239 49 51

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 215 26 26

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 13 15 3

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 24 23 25

 Outlays (gross) 3020 -22 -35 -27

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 15 3 1

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XV – Helium Fund Page XV - 5

Account Symbol and Title

14X4053

Helium Fund

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 13 15 3

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 15 3 1

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 239 24 25

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from new mandatory authority 4100 2 4 4 

 Outlays from mandatory balances 4101 20 31 23

 Outlays, gross (total) 4110 22 35 27

 Offsets against gross budget authority and outlays:

 Offsetting collections (collected) from:

 Policy Program [Text] 4123-41 -242 -26 -25

 Baseline Program [Text] 4123-71 -26 -25

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 -3 -2 0

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 -220 9 2

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 -3 -2 0 

Outlays, net (total) 4190 -220 9 2

Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unavailable balance, SOY: Offsetting 

collections

5090 1 1 3

 Unexpired unavailable balance, EOY: Offsetting 

collections

5092 1 3 3

 Physical assets:

 Major equipment:

 Other physical assets:

 Direct Federal programs:

 Budget Authority 1352-01 -3 -2 0 

 Outlays 1352-02 -220 9 2

Balance Sheet (F) ($ in Millions)

ASSETS:

 Federal assets:

 Fund balances with Treasury 1101 230

 Other Federal assets:

 Inventories and related properties 1802 95

 Property, plant and equipment, net 1803 9

 Other assets 1901 179

 Total assets 1999 513

LIABILITIES:

 Federal liabilities:

 Debt 2103 0 

 Other 2105 289

 Total liabilities 2999 289
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XV – Helium Fund Page XV - 6

Account Symbol and Title

14X4053

Helium Fund

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

NET POSITION:

 Cumulative results of operations 3300 224

 Total liabilities and net position 4999 513

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Reimbursable obligations:

 Personnel compensation:

 Full-time permanent 11.1 4 4 4 

 Civilian personnel benefits 12.1 1 1 1

 Communications, utilities, and miscellaneous 

charges

23.3 2 2 2

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 7 5 8

 Supplies and materials 26.0 1 1 1 

 Equipment 31.0 0 3 0

 Grants, subsidies, and contributions 41.0 9 7 9

 Total new obligations 99.9 24 23 25

Employment Summary (Q)

Reimbursable civilian full-time equivalent employment 2001 49 49 49
Abandoned Wells 

Remediation Fund

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVI – Abandoned Wells Remediation Page XVI - 1

Abandoned Wells Remediation 

Fund

Appropriations Language

(b) ABANDONED WELL REMEDIATION.—Section 349 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 

U.S.C. 15907) is amended by adding at the end the following:

‘‘(i) FEDERALLY DRILLED WELLS.—Out of any amounts in the Treasury not otherwise 

appropriated, $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2014, $36,000,000 for fiscal year 2015, and 

$4,000,000 for fiscal year 2019 shall be made available to the Secretary, without further 

appropriation and to remain available until expended, to remediate, reclaim, and close 

abandoned oil and gas wells on current or former National Petroleum Reserve land.’’.

Appropriations Language Citations and Authorizations

Public Law 113-40, Helium 

Stewardship Act of 2013

Provides funding to remediate, reclaim and close abandoned oil 

and gas wells on current and former National Petroleum Reserve 

Land. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVI – Abandoned Wells Remediation Page XVI - 2

\Summary of Requirements

(Dollars in Thousands)

2014

Actual

2015a/

Enacted

Program 

Changes 

(+/-) 

2016

Pres. 

Budget

Change 

from 2014

Enacted(+/-) 

Abandoned Well Remediation 

Fund

10,000 33,372 0 0 -33,372

a/ The 2015 amount is updated from the amount included in the Appendix, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2016. The 2015 amount reflects 

sequestration required under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act, as amended.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVI – Abandoned Wells Remediation Page XVI - 3

Program Overview

This permanent appropriation was enacted in the Helium Stewardship Act of 2013. 

Program Components

The BLM is responsible for managing 136 wells within the 22.8 million acre National Petroleum 

Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). All well sites have been thoroughly reviewed and grouped into 

three categories:

Wells Requiring No Additional BLM Action 68

Wells Currently In Use By USGS 18

Wells Currently Requiring BLM Action 50

The wells requiring no additional action include those wells that have previously been 

remediated by the BLM or other Federal agencies, those conveyed to the North Slope Borough 

under the Barrow Gas Field Transfer Act of 1984 (P.L. 98-366), and shallow test boreholes that 

present no subsurface or surface risks. The wells currently being used by the U.S. Geological 

Survey (USGS) are part of climate change monitoring studies, and the BLM will work with the 

USGS to establish a plan for the eventual disposition and remediation of these wells when they 

are no longer necessary for research.

The remaining 50 wells were analyzed based on details from the 2013 Legacy Wells Summary 

Report (released May 2013) and put into an action plan within the 2013 Legacy Wells Strategic 

Plan (released September 2013). The 50 wells accounted for the potential surface and 

subsurface risks posed to human health, safety, and the environment. The plan presents a 

near-term strategy for addressing the highest priority wells. The strategy is dynamic and flexible, 

meaning that the order of remediation work will be adj usted as site conditions change and 

additional information becomes available.

Critical Factors

• The BLM will use an adaptive management approach and ad just to the dynamic 

situation on the ground in the NPR-A by continuing to conduct risk evaluations, monitor 

changing site conditions, evaluate strategic plan effectiveness, and develop new or 

updated actions if necessary to remediate legacy well sites.

• The BLM will continue to work with stakeholders, such as the North Slope Borough 

(NSB) and the Arctic Slope Regional Corporation, to coordinate well plugging and cleanup activities, determine future prioritization, and assure cost effective closure of legacy 

well sites. The BLM will coordinate with Barrow Gas Field staff and the Alaska Oil and 

Gas Conservation Commission (AOGCC) on technical concerns for each well, and with 

the NSB to identify research opportunities in the Simpson Peninsula. The BLM will 

coordinate any contaminant investigation of a potential release with the Alaska 

Department of Environmental Conservation (ADEC) and appropriate stakeholders. 
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVI – Abandoned Wells Remediation Page XVI - 4

2016 Program Performance 

The BLM anticipates following the path outlined in the 2013 Legacy Wells Strategic Plan for the 

duration of available funding from this Abandoned Well Remediation Fund. The BLM plans to 

work in three separate geographic areas; Umiat, Barrow and the Simpson Peninsula. 

In 2015, the BLM has an interagency agreement (IA) with the Army Corps of Engineers related 

to Umiat #3 and i s working to expand that IA to include Umiat #1 and #11. T he Corps is 

undergoing a permitting process to complete a plugging operation for the Umiat #3 well during 

the 2014-2015 winter with opportunities for plugging Umiat #1 and #11. The BLM has been 

coordinating with the State of Alaska (Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and State 

Historic Preservation Office) and collaboratively identified four remaining wellheads from 

previously plugged and abandoned w ells in the Umiat area that could be r emoved. The 

wellhead removal is necessary to eliminate a potential surface hazard.

In October 2014, soil sampling occurred at three wells on the Simpson Peninsula (Simpson 

Core Test #26, #30, and #30A). This soil sampling was intentionally split out of the clean-up 

process and occurred prior to plug and abandonment work so that the appropriate site clean-up 

could be identified and occur in conjunction with solid waste clean-up efforts in 2015. Vendors 

from that contract will conduct surface cleanup at those sites. These wells were drilled in an oil 

seep and s till contain unsightly solid wastes that have garnered negative attention by BLM 

stakeholders.

In 2015 and 2016, the BLM plans to continue any work not completed in the Umiat area. An 

Industry Day was held in Anchorage on J anuary 7 and 8, 2015, in which the BLM received 

valuable market research from industry representatives on considerations for future work in the 

Barrow and Simpson areas. The Barrow and Simpson area work is scheduled to begin the 

winter of 2015-2016 and address a t otal of 14 wells and w ork will be prioritized based on 

feedback received from Industry Day process. The work at Barrow and Simpson is expected to 

take two to three years to complete.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVI – Abandoned Wells Remediation Page XVI - 5

Budget Schedules

Account Symbol and Title

14X2640

Abandoned Well Remediation Fund

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Program and Financing (P) ($ in Millions)

Obligations by program activity:

 Abandoned Well Remediation Fund (Direct) 0001 0 5 7

Total new obligations (object class 25.2) 0900 0 5 7

Budgetary resources:

 Unobligated balance:

 Unobligated balance brought forward, Oct 1 1000 0 10 41

 Budget authority:

 Appropriations, mandatory:

 Appropriation 1200 10 36 0 

 Appropriations, mandatory (total) 1260 10 36 0

 Appropriations, mandatory - Computed Totals 1260-20 10 36 0

 Appropriation [Abandoned well remediation fund] 1260-40 10 36 0

 Baseline Civilian Pay 1260-50 0 0

 Baseline Non-Pay 1260-50 36 0

Total budgetary resources available 1930 10 46 41

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Unexpired unobligated balance, end of year 1941 10 41 34

Change in obligated balance:

 Unpaid obligations:

 Unpaid obligations, brought forward, Oct 1 3000 0 0 5

 Obligations incurred, unexpired accounts 3010 0 5 7 

 Outlays (gross) 3020 0 0 -11

 Unpaid obligations, end of year 3050 0 5 1 

 Memorandum (non-add) entries:

 Obligated balance, start of year 3100 0 0 5 

 Obligated balance, end of year 3200 0 5 1

Budget authority and outlays, net:

 Mandatory:

 Budget authority, gross 4090 10 36 0

 Outlays, gross:

 Outlays from mandatory balances 4101 0 0 11

 Budget authority, net (mandatory) 4160 10 36 0

 Outlays, net (mandatory) 4170 0 0 11

Budget authority, net (total) 4180 10 36 0
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVI – Abandoned Wells Remediation Page XVI - 6

Account Symbol and Title

14X2640

Abandoned Well Remediation Fund

Line 2014 Act 2015 CY 2016 BY

Outlays, net (total) 4190 0 0 11

 Physical assets:

 Construction and rehabilitation:

 Research and development facilities:

 Direct Federal Programs:

 Budget Authority 1312-01 10 36 0

 Outlays 1312-02 0 0 11

Object Classification (O) ($ in Millions)

Direct obligations:

 Other services from non-Federal sources 25.2 0 5 7
Administrative 

Provisions

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVII – Administrative Provisions Page XVII - 1

Administrative Provisions

Appropriations Language 

The Bureau of Land Management may carry out the operations funded under this Act by direct 

expenditure, contracts, grants, cooperative agreements and reimbursable agreements with 

public and private entities, including with States. Appropriations for the Bureau shall be 

available for purchase, erection, and dismantlement of temporary structures, and alteration and 

maintenance of necessary buildings and appurtenant facilities to which the United States has 

title; up to $100,000 for payments, at the discretion of the Secretary, for information or evidence 

concerning violations of laws administered by the Bureau; miscellaneous and emergency 

expenses of enforcement activities authorized or approved by the Secretary and to be 

accounted for solely on the Secretary's certificate, not to exceed $10,000: Provided, That 

notwithstanding Public Law 90–620 (44 U.S.C. 501), the Bureau may, under cooperative costsharing and partnership arrangements authorized by law, procure printing services from 

cooperators in connection with jointly produced publications for which the cooperators share the 

cost of printing either in cash or in services, and the Bureau determines the cooperator is 

capable of meeting accepted quality standards: Provided further, That projects to be funded 

pursuant to a written commitment by a State government to provide an identified amount of 

money in support of the project may be carried out by the Bureau on a reimbursable basis. 

Appropriations herein made shall not be available for the destruction of healthy, unadopted, wild 

horses and burros in the care of the Bureau or its contractors or for the sale of wild horses and 

burros that results in their destruction for processing into commercial products. (Department of 

the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2015)

Appropriation Language Citations 

44 U.S.C. 501 provides that all executive, congressional, and judicial printing must be done at 

the GPO, except for printing in field plants operated by executive departments or independent

offices if approved by the Joint Committee on Printing.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Chapter XVII – Administrative Provisions Page XVII - 2

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Appendices

Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Appendices Page XVIII - 1 

Employee Count by Grade

Total Employment*

2014 2015 2016

Grade Actual Estimate Estimate

Executive Level V 1 1 1

Subtotal

Senior Level 1 1 1

Subtotal

SES 20 20 20

Subtotal

GS - 15 93 99 99

GS - 14 350 353 353

GS - 13 899 905 905

GS -12 1,527 1,537 1,537

GS -11 2,583 2,586 2,586

GS -10 60 60 60

GS - 9 1,102 1,103 1,103

GS - 8 266 267 267

GS - 7 1,090 1,090 1,090

GS - 6 535 535 535

GS - 5 597 597 597

GS - 4 519 519 519

GS - 3 297 297 297

GS - 2 44 44 44

GS - 1 4 4 4

Subtotal 9,988 10,018 10,018

Other Pay Schedule Systems 

Total Employment* (actual/projected) at 

end of FY 

* Number of actual employees, whether employees are full or part-time.

Total FTE Usage** (actual/projected) 

** FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) means the total number of regular straight-time hours 

 (i.e.,not including overtime or holiday hours) worked by employees divided by the

 number of compensable days in a fiscal year.
Bureau of Land Management 2016 Budget Justifications

Appendices Page XVIII - 2 

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