Topic: Public Lands — General
Subject: Economics and public finance
Date: 2007-06-11 00:00:00

Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 - Makes appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and related agencies for FY2008. Title I: Department of the Interior - Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for: (1) land and resource management; (2) construction; (3) land acquisition; (3) Oregon and California grant lands; (4) range improvements; (5) service charges, deposits, and forfeitures with respect to public lands; (6) miscellaneous trust funds; and (7) wildland fire management (including transfer of funds). Appropriates funds for FY2008 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) for: (1) resource management; (2) construction; (3) land acquisition; (4) expenses related to carrying out the Endangered Species Act of 1973; (5) the National Wildlife Refuge Fund; (6) expenses related to carrying out the North American Wetlands Conservation Act; (7) financial assistance for projects to promote the conservation of neotropical migratory birds; (8) expenses related to carrying out, through the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000, and the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2004; and (9) wildlife conservation grants to states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Indian tribes. Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the National Park Service (NPS) for: (1) the National Park System (including expenses for carrying out programs of the U.S. Park Police); (2) expenses related to cost share agreements for Centennial Challenge signature projects and programs; (3) expenses for national recreation and preservation programs; (4) expenses related to carrying out the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (including transfers of funds); (5) construction; (6) land acquisition and state assistance from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Rescinds specified contract authority to obligate funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for FY2008. Makes appropriations for FY2008 to: (1) the U.S. Geological Survey for surveys, investigations, and research; (2) the Minerals Management Service for royalty and offshore minerals management and oil spill research; (3) the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement for regulation and technology and the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund; (4) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for operation of Indian programs, (including transfer of funds), construction (including transfer of funds), Indian land and water claim settlements and miscellaneous payments to Indians, and Indian guaranteed loans; (5) the Office of the Secretary for departmental offices; (6) provide assistance to U.S. territories and to carry out the Compacts of Free Association with respect to the Marshall Islands, Palau, and Micronesia; (7) the Office of the Solicitor; (8) the Office of Inspector General; (9) provide for the operation of trust programs for Indians; (10) provide for a program for consolidation of fractional interests in Indian lands by direct expenditure or cooperative agreement; (11) make payments in lieu of taxes to units of local government containing certain federally owned lands; (12) the Central Hazardous Materials Fund for expenses of the Department of the Interior and its component offices and bureaus for the remedial action of hazardous waste substances, pollutants, or contaminants pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; and (13) the Department of the Interior natural resource damage assessment and restoration. Sets forth authorized and prohibited uses of specified funds. (Sec. 113) Makes funds appropriated for FY2008 under this Act available to the tribes within the California Tribal Trust Reform Consortium, the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, and the Chippewa Cree Tribe of the Rocky Boys Reservation through the same methodology as funds were distributed in FY2003. Prohibits the Department from imposing its trust management infrastructure upon or altering existing trust resource management systems of such tribes which have a self-governance compact and operate in accordance with the Tribal Self-Governance Program. (Sec. 114) Authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to acquire lands, waters, or interests therein for the purpose of operating and maintaining facilities in the support of transportation and accommodation of visitors to Ellis, Governors, and Liberty Islands. (Sec. 115) Prohibits the use of any funds in this Act to issue any new lease that authorizes production of oil or natural gas under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to any lessee under an existing lease issued by the Department of the Interior pursuant to the Outer Continental Shelf Deep Water Royalty Relief Act where such existing lease is not subject to limitations on royalty relief based on market price.Title II: Environmental Protection Agency - Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for: (1) science and technology; (2) expenses for supporting activities of the Commission on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation established by this Act (including transfers of funds); (3) environmental programs and management; (4) the Office of Inspector General; (5) buildings and facilities; (6) the Hazardous Substance Superfund (including transfers of funds); (7) the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund Program; (8) expenses to carry out EPA 's responsibilities under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 concerning oil spill response; and (9) state and tribal assistance grants for environmental programs and infrastructure assistance. Rescinds a specified amount from unobligated balances for carrying out projects and activities authorized under the Federal Water Pollution Control Act with regard to the reimbursement of certain publicly owned treatment works on which construction was initiated after June 30, 1966, but before July 1, 1973.Title III: Related Agencies - Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the Department of Agriculture for the Forest Service for: (1) forest and rangeland research; (2) state and private forestry; (3) the National Forest System; (4) capital improvement and maintenance (including transfers of funds); (5) land acquisitions, including specified National Forest areas in Utah, Nevada, and California; (6) range rehabilitation, protection, and improvement; (7) gifts, donations, and bequests for forest and rangeland research; (8) federal land management in Alaska; and (9) wildland fire management (including transfers of funds). Makes appropriations for FY2008 to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for: (1) the Indian Health Service (IHS) and Indian health facilities; and (2) the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Makes appropriations for FY2008 in specified amounts for various purposes to the: (1) Executive Office of the President; (2) Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board; (3) Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation; (4) Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development; (5) Smithsonian Institution; (6) National Gallery of Art; (7) John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; (8) Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; (9) National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities; (10) Commission of Fine Arts, including expenses for National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs; (11) Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; (12) National Capital Planning Commission; (13) U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; (14) Presidio Trust Fund; and (15) White House Commission on the National Moment of Remembrance (including transfer of funds). Title IV: General Provisions - Sets forth limitation on the use of funds under this Act. (Sec. 405) Requires: (1) estimated overhead charges, deductions, reserves or holdbacks from programs, projects, activities and subactivities to support governmentwide, departmental, agency or bureau administrative functions or headquarters, regional or central operations to be presented in annual budget justifications and subject to approval by the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations; and (2) changes to such estimates to be presented to such Committees for approval. (Sec. 412) Permits the Secretaries of Agriculture and of the Interior to make reciprocal agreements in which the individuals furnished by an agreement to provide fire management services are considered, for tort liability, employees of the foreign country receiving the services when the individuals are fighting fires. Prohibits the Secretaries from making any agreement in which a foreign country does not assume any and all responsibility for acts or omissions of American firefighters who are firefighting in such foreign country. (Sec. 413) Allows the Secretaries, in awarding a federal contract for any of specified purposes with funds made available by this Act, notwithstanding federal government procurement and contracting laws, to give consideration to local contractors who are from economically disadvantaged rural communities and who provide employment and training for dislocated and displaced workers. Allows the Secretaries, notwithstanding such laws, to award contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements in certain areas to various entities, including local non-profits and the Youth Conservation Corps. Includes in such areas habitat restoration or management and forest hazardous fuels reduction. (Sec. 414) Limits the amounts of funds made available by this Act or any other Act to the Department of the Interior to initiate or continue competitive sourcing studies in FY2008 for programs, projects, and activities for which funds are appropriated by this Act. Prohibits any of the funds available to the Forest Service from being used in FY2008 for competitive sourcing studies and related activities. Directs agencies funded in this Act, in preparing any reports to the Committees on Appropriations on competitive sourcing activities, to include the incremental cost directly attributable to conducting the competitive sourcing competitions, including costs attributable to paying outside consultants and contractors and, in accordance with full cost accounting principles, all costs attributable to developing, implementing, supporting, managing, monitoring, and reporting on competitive sourcing, including personnel, consultant, travel, and training costs associated with program management. Instructs the Secretary of of the Interior, in carrying out any competitive sourcing study involving Department of the Interior employees, to: (1) determine whether any of the employees concerned are also qualified to participate in wildland fire management activities; and (2) take into consideration the effect that contracting with a private sector source would have on the ability of the Department of the Interior to effectively and efficiently fight and manage wildfires. (Sec. 415) Extends the authority for: (1) the pilot program for enhancing Forest Service administration of rights-of-way and other land uses; and (2) the deposit of all fees collected to recover the costs of processing applications for, and monitoring compliance with, authorizations to use and occupy National Forest System lands pursuant to certain Acts. (Sec. 416) Amends the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2003 to extend the authority for cooperative agreements between the Secretary of Agriculture and public or private agencies, organizations, institutions, and persons covering Forest Service programs to facilitate the administration of Forest Service programs and activities when the principal purpose of the resulting relationship is to the mutually significant benefit of the Forest Service and the other party or parties to the agreement, including nonprofit entities. Title V: Global Climate Change - (Sec. 501) Expresses the sense of Congress that there should be enacted a comprehensive and effective national program of mandatory, market-based limits and incentives on emissions of greenhouse gases that slow, stop, and reverse the growth of such emissions at a rate and in a manner that: (1) will not significantly harm the U.S. economy; and (2) will encourage comparable action by other nations that are major trading partners and key contributors to global emissions. (Sec. 502) Prohibits the use of any funds made available by this Act to condemn land. (Sec. 503) Prohibits the use of any funds in this Act to plan, design, study, or construct, for the purpose of harvesting timber by private entities or individuals, a forest development road in Tongass National Forest.(Sec. 504) Provides for the amount otherwise provided in this Act for the "Historic Preservation Fund" to be reduced by $1 million and increased by $1 million.Title VI: Additional General Provisions - (Sec. 601) Prohibits the use of funds to eliminate or restrict programs that are for the reforestation of urban areas. (Sec. 602) Prohibits the use of funds to limit outreach programs administered by the Smithsonian Institution.(Sec. 603) Prohibits the use of funds to purchase light bulbs unless they have the "ENERGY STAR" or "Federal Energy Management Program" designation. (Sec. 604) Prohibits the use of funds to promulgate or implement the EPA proposed regulations concerning National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants: General Provisions published in the Federal Register on January 3, 2007. (Sec. 605) Prohibits the use of funds for the Division of Criminal Investigation of the EPA in contravention of the criminal investigator requirements of the Pollution Prosecution Act of 1990. (Sec. 606) Prohibits the use of funds: (1) to prepare or publish final regulations regarding a commercial leasing program for oil shale (and tar sands) resources on public lands pursuant to requirements of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 with regard to a programmatic environmental impact statement for such program; or (2) to conduct an oil shale lease sale pursuant to such Act.