Funding for Natural Resources Agencies Falls Short of Needs

WASHINGTON, DC, August 1, 2005 (ENS) - Congress approved a $26.3 billion budget for the Interior Department and other natural resources agencies before leaving Friday for summer recess. President George W. Bush is expected to sign the legislation.

Controversial funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which the House had previously voted to eliminate, was restored, although at the lowest level of funding provided since 1999.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) is the nation’s primary source of money to conserve land. Each year the fund is authorized to receive $900 million in royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling and to reinvest those funds to purchase new lands for and protect America’s national forests, parks and wildlife refuges. But all of that amount is rarely appropriated to the LWDF.

The final bill provides $114 million for federal land acquisition, down from $169 million last year, and $28 million for state park and recreation projects, a reduction from the $92.5 million approved last year.

The mineral rights to the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness near Aspen, Colorado were purchased by the U.S. Forest Service with LWCF funds in 1999 when owners of a an inholding of mineral and timber rights planned to build a large quarry operation on the site. (Photo courtesy NOAA)

The final bill also provides $57 million to help states conserve and maintain private forestlands through the Forest Legacy program. The amount approved is more than double what the House proposed but still short of the President’s budget request of $80 million for the program.

The Forest Legacy program provides matching grants to states to conserve and maintain important private forestlands.

"The Forest Legacy program is especially important in the East, where the vast majority of forestland is privately owned and increasingly threatened by sprawling development," said Tom Gilbert, director of Eastern forest conservation for The Wilderness Society.

"The Forest Legacy funds will ensure that dozens of private forestlands throughout the East and across the Nation continue to bless our communities with clean water, wildlife habitat, scenic beauty and forest products," Gilbert said.

Resort cabin on private forest land near Pisgah National Forest in the mountains of western North Carolina. (Photo courtesy Deerwoode)

"As Americans are enjoying our nation’s forests, park and wildlife refuges with their families this summer, they should know that many of these places wouldn’t be there to enjoy without the Land and Water Conservation Fund and Forest Legacy program," said Neimeyer.

The spending bill allocates $2.3 billion for the National Park Service, a three percent cut overall from the FY 2005 budget for the National Park Service of $2.349 billion, although individual budget areas received increases.

The bill provides $1.74 billion for operation of the national park system, an increase of $61 million over the FY 05 level. The amount includes $20 million over the budget request for increases to individual park base budgets, and a total of $595 million for park maintenance activities.

The National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) warns the three percent cut will result in more development in and around national parks, and continued funding shortages in the parks.

"Congress deserves some credit for focusing on the parks’ chronic operating shortfalls, but the overall cut to the parks’ budget hinders the Park Service’s efforts to purchase and preserve lands, historic buildings, and wild spaces that are critical elements of America’s heritage," said NPCA Vice President for Government Affairs Craig Obey.

"It’s becoming increasingly clear that the national parks’ full needs will never be met unless Congress takes substantially bigger steps to fund the parks than they’ve been able to take in recent years," Obey said.

NPCA’s recent report, "Faded Glory: Top 10 Reasons to Reinvest in America’s National Park Heritage," calls for an additional $600 million annually for the national parks. The shortfall has resulted in fewer park rangers and fewer public education programs, dirty restrooms, unsafe trails, and poorly maintained campgrounds in parks across the country, the group says.

The Bush administration had requested a $50 million increase for national park operations. In May, 78 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and 37 U.S. Senators signed bipartisan letters to the appropriators seeking an additional $150 million for national park operations.

Congress also approved $35 million for land acquisition needs in the national parks, including funding for the Park Service to purchase land now threatened by development from willing sellers at Big Thicket National Preserve, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park, and Lewis and Clark National Historical Park.

Birders in Big Thicket National Preserve, in southeast Texas north of the city of Beaumont. (Photo courtesy National Park Service)

"Many national parks are being strangled by reckless development," Obey said. "The Park Service doesn’t have sufficient funds to purchase vulnerable land in and around the parks from willing sellers, so developers are moving in—jeopardizing the investment our nation has already made in some of our most special places."

The bill provides a total of $2.5 billion for wildland fire management activities, including $766 million for the Bureau of Land Management and $1.7 billion for the Forest Service.

The total includes $497.2 million for hazardous fuels reduction, an increase of $33.3 million over the enacted level. Additionally, the Committee has provided $10 million for Rural Fire Assistance, $66.6 million for State Fire Assistance and $13.9 million for Volunteer Fire Assistance.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was funded at $7.9 billion, with less funding for science and technology than this year's level. The $741.7 million appropriated for the EPA's Science and Technology account is $2.3 million below the FY05 level and $18.9 million below the President's budget request.

The $2.4 billion for the EPA's Environmental Programs and Management account is $86 million above the FY05 level and $28 million above the budget request.

The $1.26 billion for the Superfund account is $13.1 million above the FY05 enacted level but it stands at $18.7 million below the budget request. The amount provided includes $849.7 million for Superfund cleanup activities, matching the request.

The bill appropriates $900 million for the Clean Water State Revolving Loan Fund, $170 million over request, and $850 million for the Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund.

The bill allots $165 million for Brownfields programs to rehabilitate contaminated urban areas for redevelopment.