Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2016 Appropriations
Released: 2016-01-20T00:00:00

Introduction

This report focuses on FY2016 appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. It first presents a brief overview of the agencies in the bill. It then describes the appropriations enacted for FY2016 in Division G of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 ( P.L. 114-113 ), on December 18, 2015. The report next sets out earlier action on FY2016 funding for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. This section includes a description of the appropriations requested by the President for FY2016 and a comparison of the President's request and appropriations enacted for FY2015. It also includes a comparison of the FY2016 appropriations reported by the House and Senate Appropriations Committees with each other, with FY2015 enacted appropriations, and with FY2016 appropriations requested by the President.

Appropriations are complex. For example, budget justifications for requests for some agencies are large, numbering several hundred pages and containing numerous funding, programmatic, and legislative changes for congressional consideration. Further, appropriations laws provide funds for numerous accounts, activities, and subactivities, and the accompanying explanatory statements provide additional directives and other important information. This report does not provide account- and subaccount-level information or detail of budgetary reorganizations or legislative changes enacted in law or proposed by the President, the House Appropriations Committee, or the Senate Appropriations Committee. For information on FY2016 appropriations for a particular agency or for individual accounts, programs, or activities administered by a particular agency, contact the key policy staff listed at the end of this report.

Overview of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for agencies and programs in three separate federal departments as well as numerous related agencies. The Interior bill typically contains three primary titles. Title I provides funding for most Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies, many of which manage land and other natural resource or regulatory programs. Title II contains appropriations for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Title III funds about 20 agencies in other departments, such as the Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services; arts and cultural agencies, such as the Smithsonian Institution; and various other entities. Title III of the bill is referred to as "Related Agencies." Selected major agencies in the Interior bill are briefly described below.

Title I. Department of the Interior

The mission of DOI is to protect and manage the nation's natural resources and cultural heritage; provide scientific and other information about those resources; and exercise trust responsibilities and other commitments to American Indians, Alaska Natives, and affiliated island communities. DOI agencies funded in the Interior bill that carry out this mission include the following:

The Bureau of Land Management administers about 245 million acres of public land, mostly in the West, for diverse uses such as energy and mineral development, livestock grazing, recreation, and preservation. The agency is also responsible for about 700 million acres of federal subsurface mineral estate throughout the nation and supervises the mineral operations on about 56 million acres of Indian Trust lands. The Fish and Wildlife Service administers the National Wildlife Refuge System, consisting of 89 million acres of federal land, of which 77 million acres (86%) are in Alaska. It also manages several large marine refuges and marine national monuments, sometimes jointly with other federal agencies. It is the primary agency responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act (through listing of species; consulting with other federal agencies; collaborating with private entities and state, tribal, and local governments; and through other measures), promoting wildlife habitat, enforcing federal wildlife laws, supporting wildlife and ecosystem science, conserving migratory birds, administering grants to aid state fish and wildlife programs, and coordinating with state, international, and other federal agencies on fish and wildlife issues. The National Park Service administers the National Park System—407 diverse units covering 85 million acres in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. Roughly two-thirds of the system's lands are in Alaska. The National Park Service has a dual mission—to preserve unique resources and to provide for their enjoyment by the public. The agency also supports and promotes some resource conservation activities outside the Park System through grant and technical assistance programs and cooperation with partners. The U.S. Geological Survey is a science agency that provides physical and biological information related to geological resources, climate change, and energy, mineral, water, and biological sciences and resources. In addition, it is the federal government's principal civilian mapping agency and a primary source of data on the quality of the nation's water resources. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management manages development of the nation's offshore conventional and renewable energy resources in the Atlantic, the Pacific, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic. These resources are in areas covering approximately 1.7 billion acres located beyond state waters, mostly in the Alaska region (more than 1 billion acres) but also off all coastal states. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement provides regulatory and safety oversight for resource development in the Outer Continental Shelf. Among its responsibilities are oil and gas permitting, facility inspections, environmental compliance, and oil spill response planning. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement works with states and tribes to reclaim abandoned coal mines. The agency also regulates active coal mines to minimize environmental impacts during mining and to reclaim affected lands and waters after mining. Indian Affairs provides and funds a variety of services to federally recognized American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes and their members and historically has been the lead agency in federal dealings with tribes. The Bureau of Indian Affairs is responsible for programs that include government operations, courts, law enforcement, fire protection, social programs, roads, economic development, employment assistance, housing repair, irrigation, dams, Indian rights protection, implementation of land and water settlements, and management of trust assets (real estate and natural resources). The Bureau of Indian Education funds an elementary and secondary school system, institutions of higher education, and other educational programs.

Title II. Environmental Protection Agency

The mission of EPA is to protect human health and the environment. Primary responsibilities include the implementation of federal statutes regulating air quality, water quality, pesticides, toxic substances, management and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, and cleanup of environmental contamination. EPA also awards grants to assist states and local governments in implementing federal law and in complying with federal requirements to control pollution.

Title III. Related Agencies

Among the Related Agencies funded in the Interior bill, roughly 95% of the funding is typically provided to the following agencies and organizations:

The Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture manages 193 million acres of national forests, national grasslands, and a tallgrass prairie in 44 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico; provides technical and financial assistance to states, tribes, and private forest landowners; and conducts research on sustaining forest resources for future generations. The Indian Health Service in the Department of Health and Human Services provides medical and environmental health services for more than 2 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. Health care is provided through a system of facilities and programs operated by the agency, tribes and tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations. As of January 2015, the agency operated 28 hospitals, 62 health centers, and 25 health stations. Tribes and tribal organizations, through Indian Health Service contracts and compacts, operated another 18 hospitals, 282 health centers, 80 health stations, and 150 Alaska Native village clinics. Urban Indian organizations operated 33 ambulatory or referral programs. The Smithsonian Institution is a museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoo, and nine research facilities throughout the United States and around the world. Almost 27 million people visited Smithsonian facilities in 2014. Established by federal legislation in 1846 with the acceptance of a trust donation by the institution's namesake benefactor, the Smithsonian is funded by both federal appropriations and a private trust, with nearly $1.36 billion in total revenue from all sources of funding for FY2014. The National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities make up the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities. The National Endowment for the Arts is a major federal source of support for all arts disciplines. Since 1965 it has awarded more than 145,000 grants that have been distributed to all states. The National Endowment for the Humanities generally supports grants for humanities education, research, preservation, and public humanities programs; creation of regional humanities centers; and development of humanities programs under the jurisdiction of state humanities councils. Since 1965, it has awarded almost 63,000 grants. It also supports a Challenge Grant program to stimulate and match private donations in support of humanities institutions.

FY2016 Enacted Appropriations

Prior to enactment of FY2016 appropriations for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 ( P.L. 114-74 ) raised the caps in the Budget Control Act of 2011 ( P.L. 112-25 ) for each type of discretionary spending—defense and nondefense. Specifically, the 2015 law raised the caps by $25 billion in FY2016 (and $15 billion in FY2017). Thus, consideration of the appropriations legislation enacted for FY2016 was subject to the increased spending limits in the 2015 law.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, enacted December 18, 2015, provided $32.23 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The total included $452.0 million for the Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program, which compensates counties and local governments for nontaxable lands within their jurisdictions. Although the enacted appropriation included additional funding for Wildland Fire Management as compared with FY2015, it did not provide for either a new cap adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law or emergency funding for this purpose, as had been proposed.

Agencies received varying amounts of the $32.23 billion total appropriation. For DOI agencies in Title I, appropriations were $12.02 billion. This figure was 37.3% of the total enacted. For EPA, appropriations were $8.14 billion, or 25.3% of the total. For agencies and other entities in Title III, appropriations were $12.07 billion, or 37.5% of the total. Figure 1 identifies the share of the FY2016 enacted appropriations for particular agencies.

Moreover, FY2016 appropriations were concentrated on a relatively small subset of agencies. Three agencies—the EPA, Forest Service, and Indian Health Service—received nearly three-fifths (57.8%) of the enacted appropriations. Together with the National Park Service and Indian Affairs, these five agencies received three-quarters (75.3%) of the total FY2016 appropriations.

For DOI agencies, appropriations ranged from $74.2 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to $2.85 billion for the National Park Service. Appropriations for 7 of the 10 DOI agencies were more than $1 billion. The National Park Service and Indian Affairs ($2.80 billion) together accounted for nearly half (47.0%) of the $12.02 billion enacted for DOI agencies.

Funding enacted for the 20 Related Agencies in Title III had a wider range, from $1.0 million for the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission to $5.66 billion for the Forest Service. The second-largest appropriations figure was for the Indian Health Service, with $4.81 billion, and the next-largest was less than $1 billion—$840.2 million for the Smithsonian Institution. By contrast, six agencies had appropriations of less than $10 million each.

The FY2016 total enacted appropriation was a $1.75 billion increase (5.7%) over the FY2015 enacted appropriation of $30.48 billion. Similar to the FY2016 enacted appropriation, the FY2015 enacted appropriation included funding for PILT—$372.0 million for FY2015.

FY2016 enacted appropriations for all DOI agencies increased by $925.5 million (8.3%), with all 10 DOI agencies receiving additional funding above the FY2015 levels. The National Park Service and Indian Affairs received the largest dollar increases. An increase of $236.6 million (9.1%) above the FY2015 enacted level for the National Park Service was provided in anticipation of increased visitation for the agency's centennial in 2016 and for grants to states for outdoor recreation (through the Land and Water Conservation Fund), construction and maintenance, and other programs. An increase of $194.6 million (7.5%) for Indian Affairs was included for various activities, among them public safety and justice, contract support costs, education, and construction of educational facilities.

FY2016 total enacted appropriations for EPA were the same as the FY2015 enacted appropriations. All EPA accounts were funded at FY2015 levels, with the exception of the account for State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG), which was reduced by $27.0 million overall. In addition, FY2016 appropriations included $27.0 million for purposes of EPA meeting federal requirements for cybersecurity implementation. Most EPA programs and activities within accounts also were funded at FY2015 enacted levels, although some received higher or lower amounts relative to FY2015.

FY2016 enacted appropriations for Related Agencies increased by $822.3 million (7.3%) from the FY2015 level. The Forest Service received the largest dollar increase—$608.1 million (12.0%). Most of the increase was for Wildland Fire Management, especially fire suppression under the FLAME Wildfire Suppression Reserve Account.

For each agency, Table 1 contains the FY2015 enacted appropriations, amount requested by the President for FY2016, level reported by the House Appropriations Committee in H.R. 2822 for FY2016, level reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee in S. 1645 for FY2016, and level enacted for FY2016 in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016 ( P.L. 114-113 ).

FY2016 Earlier Action

Components of the FY2016 President's Request

For FY2016, the President requested $33.32 billion for the approximately 30 agencies and entities typically funded in the annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations law. For the 10 major DOI agencies in Title I of the bill, the request was $12.09 billion, or 36.3% of the total requested. For EPA, funded in Title II of the bill, the request was $8.59 billion, or 25.8% of the total. For about 20 agencies and other entities typically funded in Title III of the bill, the request was $12.65 billion, or 38.0% of the total.

The total requested by the Administration included a proposed $1.05 billion cap adjustment to the discretionary spending limits in law. Of the total proposed adjustment, $200.0 million was for DOI Wildland Fire Management, and $854.6 million was for Forest Service Wildland Fire Management.

Appropriations for agencies vary widely for a number of reasons relating to the number, breadth, and complexity of agency responsibilities; alternative sources of funding (e.g., mandatory appropriations); and Administration and congressional priorities, among other factors. Thus, although the President's FY2016 request covered approximately 30 agencies, funding for a small subset of these agencies accounted for most of the total. For example, the requested appropriations for three agencies—EPA, Forest Service, and Indian Health Service—were nearly three-fifths (58.4%) of the total request. Further, more than three-quarters (76.4%) of the request was for these three agencies and two others—National Park Service and Indian Affairs.

For DOI agencies, the FY2016 requests ranged from $74.2 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to $3.05 billion for the National Park Service. The requests for 6 of the 10 agencies exceeded $1 billion. Nearly half (49.4%) of the $12.09 billion requested for DOI agencies was for two agencies—the National Park Service and Indian Affairs ($2.92 billion).

For Related Agencies in Title III, the requested funding levels exhibited even more variation. The President sought amounts ranging from $2.0 million for grants under National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs to $5.78 billion for the Forest Service. The Indian Health Service would be the only other agency to receive more than $5 billion. The next-largest request was for the Smithsonian Institution, at $935.8 million. By contrast, 14 agencies would receive less than $80 million each, including 6 with appropriations of less than $10 million each.

Figure 2 identifies the share of the President's request for particular agencies in the Interior bill. Table 2 contains the FY2015 enacted appropriations for each agency, amount requested by the President for FY2016 for each agency, and percentage change from FY2015 as compared with the President's request for FY2016.

FY2016 President's Request Compared with FY2015 Enacted Appropriations

The President's request of $33.32 billion for FY2016 would have been an increase of $2.85 billion (9.3%) over the total FY2015 enacted appropriations of $30.48 billion. The FY2015 appropriation included $372.0 million for PILT, as noted above, whereas the President did not seek discretionary funding for PILT for FY2016. The FY2016 request would have been an increase of $3.22 billion (10.7%) over FY2015 appropriations of $30.11 billion excluding the PILT funding. Unlike the President's request, the FY2015 enacted appropriation did not include a cap adjustment for Wildland Fire Management.

Under the President's proposal, the total for each of the three titles of the bill would have increased above FY2015 by varying amounts. DOI agencies would have received an increase of $994.3 million (9.0%), funding for EPA would have increased by $451.8 million (5.6%), and the total for all Related Agencies in Title III would have increased by $1.40 billion (12.4%).

With regard to DOI, the President proposed increases above FY2015 for 9 of the 10 agencies. The increases varied in dollar amount and percentage of appropriations, with the lowest dollar increase of $1.4 million (1.7%) for the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and the highest of $433.1 million (16.6%) for the National Park Service. Some of the National Park Service increase was intended to enhance park units in light of the agency's 2016 centennial. Activities that would have received additional funds included park facility operations and maintenance, resource stewardship, visitor services, line item construction, historic preservation, and the centennial challenge (a federal matching program to leverage donations for park units). Only one DOI account, Departmental Offices, would have received an overall decrease ($298.6 million, 30.0%) under the President's FY2016 request. This decrease would have occurred because the President did not seek discretionary funding under this account for PILT, as noted. The other four programs included under this heading would have received increases under the President's proposal, as shown in Table 2 .

Within the overall increase for EPA, the President sought additional funds for each of the agency's accounts. The $228.0 million (8.7%) increase for the Environmental Programs and Management account was the largest overall dollar increase proposed for EPA accounts. This account funds a broad array of activities supporting EPA's development and enforcement of pollution control regulations and standards, technical assistance, and administrative and operational expenses. The $65.1 million (6.0%) increase for the Hazardous Substance Superfund account was the second-largest overall dollar increase for EPA accounts. This account supports the assessment and cleanup of sites contaminated from the release of hazardous substances. EPA administers these activities under the Superfund program, as authorized in the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA).

Despite the increases the President sought for each EPA account, funding for some programs and activities would have remained level or declined. The largest proposed dollar decrease ($332.9 million, 23.0%) was for grants to states for wastewater infrastructure projects through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund. By contrast, the President sought an increase ($279.1 million, 30.8%) for drinking water infrastructure grants to states through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund.

Although most Title III agencies would have received increases under the President's FY2016 proposal, the three largest agencies would have received the biggest dollar increases. Specifically, the President sought an additional $724.2 million (14.3%) for the Forest Service, $460.6 million (9.9%) for the Indian Health Service, and $116.3 million (14.2%) for the Smithsonian Institution. The proposed Forest Service increase was primarily for suppressing wildland fires and for the National Forest System account. The Indian Health Service would have received increases for many programs and activities, including clinical services, contract support costs, and construction of facilities for health care and sanitation. The Smithsonian Institution's additional funds were to be directed to facilities maintenance, operations, security, revitalization, planning, and design, among other purposes. By contrast, three Title III agencies would have received level funding, and two agencies would have received decreases.

Comparison of FY2016 Bills Reported by House and Senate Appropriations Committees

H.R. 2822 , as reported by the House Appropriations Committee on June 18, 2015, would have provided $30.23 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for FY2016. The total included $452.0 million for PILT. During three days of floor debate, the House considered dozens of amendments to H.R. 2822 . Although 57 of the amendments were agreed to, others were rejected, withdrawn, or considered but not voted upon. No vote on final passage of the bill occurred following a difference of opinion on amendments related to display and sale of the Confederate flag on National Park Service lands.

S. 1645 , as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on June 23, 2015, would have provided $31.13 billion for Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The total included $1.05 billion in emergency appropriations for Wildland Fire Management activities of DOI and the Forest Service. Such emergency funding typically does not count toward a subcommittee's allocation for the bill. S. 1645 was not considered by the Senate. See Table 1 for the House and Senate bill totals as well as agency and title totals.

The Senate committee-reported bill was $899.6 million (3.0%) more than the House committee-reported bill. The largest dollar difference was for Wildland Fire Management. S. 1645 included $4.66 billion for DOI and Forest Service Wildland Fire Management, which was $1.08 billion (30.1%) more than the $3.58 billion in H.R. 2822 . Unlike H.R. 2822 , the Senate bill did not include discretionary appropriations for PILT. Other selected differences between the bills are highlighted below.

With regard to DOI agencies, H.R. 2822 included $11.43 billion for FY2016, which was $204.3 million (1.8%) more than the $11.23 billion in S. 1645 . The higher House bill total was primarily due to the inclusion of $452.0 million for PILT under DOI Departmental Offices. Of the 10 DOI agencies, S. 1645 recommended higher funding for all but three: Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, Indian Affairs, and Departmental Offices.

The $7.60 billion reported in S. 1645 for EPA was $175.2 million (2.4%) more than the $7.42 billion reported in H.R. 2822 . The bills proposed different levels of appropriations for all nine EPA accounts. The Senate bill included higher funding for all accounts except for two—Science and Technology and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund (LUST). The Science and Technology account funds the development of the scientific knowledge and tools to inform EPA's formulation of pollution control regulations, standards, and agency guidance. The LUST account is used in part for preventing and responding to releases from underground storage tanks that contain petroleum. The largest dollar difference was for the Environmental Programs and Management account, with the Senate committee reporting $2.56 billion, or $89.2 million (3.6%) more than the $2.47 billion reported in the House bill. Activities in the account that would have received higher funding in the Senate bill included geographic programs, information exchange/outreach, and legal/science/regulatory/economic review.

For all 20 Related Agencies in Title III, the Senate committee-reported bill included $12.31 billion, $928.7 million (8.2%) more than the $11.38 billion included in the House committee-reported bill. The funding recommendations in the two bills were equal for 13 agencies, higher for 5 agencies in the Senate bill, and higher for 2 agencies in the House bill. The overall difference between the two bills was primarily related to the Forest Service, for which the Senate committee reported $5.98 billion—$934.2 million (18.5%) more than the $5.04 billion in H.R. 2822 . The higher funding for Wildland Fire Management in the Senate bill ($867.8 million higher, 32.3%) was the single biggest difference.

FY2016 Committee-Reported Bills Compared to FY2015 Appropriations

H.R. 2822 as reported by the House Appropriations Committee recommended decreased appropriations from the FY2015 enacted level, while S. 1645 as reported from the Senate Appropriations Committee recommended an increase above FY2015 enacted appropriations. With regard to the House bill, the $30.23 billion for FY2016 was $246.0 million (0.8%) less than the FY2015 appropriation of $30.48 billion (including FY2015 PILT funding). DOI agencies, however, would have received an overall increase of $340.0 million (3.1%) for FY2016, with 6 of the 10 DOI agencies sharing in the increase. The largest recommended dollar increase was $164.9 million (6.3%) for Indian Affairs. Like the FY2015 appropriation, the House committee bill included discretionary funding for PILT.

For EPA, H.R. 2822 would have reduced funding by $717.7 million (8.8%)—the largest recommended decrease in the reported bill. The EPA account with the largest dollar decline would be State and Tribal Assistance Grants, with $565.3 million (15.9%) less than FY2015, largely from reduced funding for grants to states through the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) and the Drinking Water SRF. While Title III agencies would have received an overall increase of $131.7 million (1.2%) for FY2016, the Indian Health Service was the only agency for which additional funds were recommended ($145.5 million, 3.1%). Most Title III agencies would have received level funding, with others proposed at levels lower than FY2015.

With regard to the Senate bill, the $31.13 billion for FY2016 was $653.6 million (2.1%) more than FY2015 appropriations ($30.48 billion, including PILT funding). S. 1645 included higher appropriations for every DOI agency except Departmental Offices, largely because it did not propose PILT funding. As with the House bill, EPA would have received the largest decrease—$542.5 million (6.7%)—with State and Tribal Assistance Grants declining more than other accounts ($517.2 million, 14.6%) in large part from reduced grants to states through the SRFs. Most Title III agencies would have received level funding under the Senate bill, and a couple would have received lower appropriations. Nevertheless, the Senate bill recommended overall higher funding for Title III agencies ($1.06 billion, 9.4%). The largest dollar increases were $921.6 million (18.2%) for the Forest Service, primarily attributable to increased funding for Wildland Fire Management, and $136.9 million (2.9%) for the Indian Health Service.

FY2016 Committee-Reported Bills Compared to FY2016 President's Request

Both the House and Senate committee-reported bills had recommended lower funding for FY2016 than sought by the President. The $30.23 billion in H.R. 2822 as reported by the House Appropriations Committee for FY2016 was $3.09 billion (9.3%) less than the President's request of $33.32 billion for FY2016. H.R. 2822 recommended lower funding than sought by the President for many agencies, including the following: $1.17 billion (13.6%) lower for EPA, $736.7 million (12.7%) for the Forest Service, and $380.6 million (12.5%) for the National Park Service. However, for some agencies H.R. 2822 recommended the same or higher funding relative to the President's request. For instance, the House bill recommended $364.8 million (52.4%) more than the President for DOI Departmental Offices, largely due to funding for PILT included within this account (under Office of the Secretary).

The $31.13 billion in S. 1645 as reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee for FY2016 was $2.19 billion (6.6%) less than the President's request. Like the House bill, S. 1645 also recommended lower funding than sought by the President for many agencies. Among the lower amounts were the following: $994.4 million (11.6%) less for EPA, $323.7 million (6.3%) less for the Indian Health Service, and $318.7 million (10.5%) less for the National Park Service. For other agencies, S. 1645 contained the same or higher funding relative to the President's request. For instance, the Senate bill proposed $197.5 million (3.4%) more than the President for the Forest Service, largely due to additional funding for the Wildland Fire Management account.

Unlike the President's request, the FY2016 House committee-reported bill did not include a cap adjustment for Wildland Fire Management. S. 1645 included bill language to provide for a new cap adjustment and also designated some of the funds in the bill for Wildland Fire Management as emergency funding.