TheWeekInCongress.com

Week Ending June 18, 2004

HR 4568 making appropriations for the Department of Interior and related agencies for fiscal year 2005

BRIEF

  Somewhat less noted as other government agencies that capture news headlines, the Department of Interior and its’ related agencies are nevertheless responsible for a multitude of government activities that intertwine with most of us on a daily basis.

   The DOI, to a great extent, manages, surveys and researches America’s geographical and cultural infrastructure and natural resource assets.

   The DOI includes the US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, US Geological Survey, Minerals Management Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Forest Service, and the Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Agency.

   DOI also has it’s hand in the Department of Energy, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, National Counsel of Arts, JFK Center for the Performing Arts, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, The National Foundation for Arts and Humanities, Commission on Fine Arts, The National Capital Planning Commission and under the Department of Energy the programs; Clean Coal Technology, Fossil Energy, Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves, Energy Conservation, the US Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Presidio Trust, Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the Energy Information Administration.

Sponsor: Representative Charles H. Taylor (R-NC)

Vote: 334 – 86 (RC 234)

Cost to the taxpayers: $23 billion

MORE INFORMATION

   There are numerous agencies and activities of the Department of Interior ranging from managing parks to concerns of petroleum reserves. The potpourri of activities is something of a window into the enormity of America’s public resources. Here are some of the agencies and their responsibilities as described in the House committee report on the bill:

   The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the management, protection, and development of natural resources, including minerals, timber, rangeland, fish and wildlife habitat, and wilderness on about 261 million acres of the Nation's public lands and for management of 700 million additional acres of Federally-owned subsurface mineral rights.

  The Bureau administers more than 18,000 grazing permits and leases nearly 13 million livestock animal unit months on some 214 million acres of public rangeland, and manages rangelands and facilities for 56,000 wild horses and burros, some 261 million acres of wildlife habitat, and over 117,000 miles of fisheries habitat. Grazing receipts are estimated to be about $13.2 million in fiscal year 2005, the same as the estimate for fiscal year 2004 and actual receipts of $11.8 million in fiscal year 2003. The Bureau also administers about 55 million acres of commercial forests and woodlands through the `Management of Lands and Resources' and `Oregon and California grant lands' appropriations. Timber receipts (including salvage) are estimated to be $36.6 million in fiscal year 2005 compared to estimated receipts of $28.9 million in fiscal year 2004 and actual receipts of $13.5 million in fiscal year 2003. The Bureau has an active program of soil and watershed management on 175 million acres in the lower 48 States and 86 million acres in Alaska. Practices such as revegetation, protective fencing, and water development are designed to conserve, enhance, and develop public land, soil, and watershed resources. The Bureau is also responsible for fire protection on the public lands and on all Department of the Interior managed lands in Alaska, and for the suppression of wildfires on the public lands in Alaska and the western States. To carry out it’s duties DOI will spend $840, 401, 000 for 2005. Up $553 million from last year.

US Fish & Wildlife Service 

   The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to conserve, protect and enhance fish and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of people. The Service has responsibility for migratory birds, threatened and endangered species, certain marine mammals, and land under Service control.

    The Service manages nearly 96 million acres across the United States, encompassing a 544-unit National Wildlife Refuge System, additional wildlife and wetlands areas, and 69 National Fish Hatcheries. A network of law enforcement agents and port inspectors enforce Federal laws for the protection of fish and wildlife. In 2003, the Service celebrated the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the National Wildlife Refuge System. $950,987,000 for 2005 up $19.5 million over 2004

The National Park Service 

   The National Park Service, established in 1916, has stewardship responsibilities for the protection and preservation of the heritage resources of the national park system. The system, consisting of 388 separate and distinct units, is recognized globally as a leader in park management and resource preservation. The national park system represents much of the finest the Nation has to offer in terms of scenery, historical and archeological relics, and cultural heritage. Through its varied sites, the National Park Service attempts to explain America's history, interpret its culture, preserve examples of its natural ecosystems, and provide recreational and educational opportunities for U.S. citizens and visitors from all over the world. In addition, the National Park Service provides support to tribal, local, and State governments to preserve culturally significant, ecologically important, and public recreational lands. For 2005 $1.7 billion. $76.5 million over 2004

The Minerals management Service  

   The Minerals Management Service is responsible for collecting, distributing, accounting and auditing revenues from mineral leases on Federal and Indian lands. In fiscal year 2004, MMS expects to collect and distribute about $7.1 billion from active Federal and Indian leases.

   The MMS also manages the offshore energy and mineral resources on the Nation's outer continental shelf. To date, the OCS program has been focused primarily on oil and gas leasing. Over the past several years, MMS has been exploring the possible development of other marine mineral resources, especially sand and gravel.

   With the passage of the Oil Pollution Act of 1990, MMS assumed increased responsibility for oil spill research, including the promotion of increased oil spill response capabilities, and for oil spill financial responsibility certifications of offshore platforms and pipelines. The MMS also operates the Interior Franchise Fund: the entrepreneurial GovWorks enterprise provides important procurement services to a variety of governmental agencies. For 2005 $275.3 million. $11.8 million over 2004.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs  

   The Bureau of Indian Affairs was created in 1824. Its mission is founded on a government-to-government relationship and trust responsibility that results from treaties with Native groups. The Bureau delivers services to over 1.5 million Native Americans through 12 regional offices and 83 agency offices. In addition, the Bureau provides education programs to Native Americans through the operation of 118 day schools, 52 boarding schools, and 14 dormitories. The Bureau administers more than 45 million acres of tribally owned land, and 10 million acres of individually owned land and over 309,000 acres of Federally owned land, which is held in trust status. For 2005 $1.9 billion. $42.3 million over 2004.

The Office of Insular Affairs  

   The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) was established on August 4, 1995, through Secretarial Order No. 3191, which also abolished the former Office of Territorial and International Affairs. The OIA has important responsibilities to help the United States government fulfill its responsibilities to the four U.S. territories of Guam, American Samoa (AS), U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) and also the three freely associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the Republic of Palau. The permanent and trust fund payments to the territories and the compact nations provide substantial financial resources to these governments. During fiscal year 2004 new financial arrangements for the Compacts of Free Association with the FSM and the RMI were implemented; this also included mandatory payments for certain activities previously provided in discretionary appropriations as well as Compact impact payments of $30,000,000 per year split among Guam, CNMI, AS, and Hawaii. For 2005  $72.9 million.  $ 809 thousand less than 2004.

American Samoa.$23.1 milliion. $284,000 above the 2004 level.

Northern Mariana Islands/Covenant Grants  $27,720,000 for CNMI covenant grants, the same as the 2004 level.

Guam $30,000,000 per year, split among Guam, Hawaii, AS, and the CNMI, are provided to compensate governments for the impact of migration from the compact nations.

The US Forest Service 

    The U.S. Forest Service manages 192 million acres of public lands for multiple use Nationwide, including lands in 44 States and Puerto Rico, and cooperates with States, other Federal agencies, Tribes and others to sustain the Nation's forests and grasslands. The Forest Service administers a wide variety of programs, including forest and rangeland research, State and private forestry assistance, wildfire suppression and fuels reduction, cooperative forest health programs, and human resource programs. The National Forest System (NFS) includes 155 National forests, 20 National grasslands, 20 National recreation areas, a National tallgrass prairie, 6 National monuments, and 6 land utilization projects. The NFS is managed for multiple use, including timber production, recreation, wilderness, minerals, grazing, fish and wildlife habitat management, and soil and water conservation.

   Within the National Forest System, which covers 192 million acres, there are 51 Congressionally designated areas, including 20 National recreation areas, and 7 National scenic areas. The NFS includes a substantial amount of the Nation's softwood inventory. In fiscal year 2002 over 208,000 acres of national forest vegetation was managed through timber sale activities, which produced 1.8 billion board feet of timber products. The NFS hosted over 211 million visits in fiscal year 2002. The NFS includes over 133,000 miles of trails and 25,000 developed facilities, including 4,389 campgrounds, 58 major visitor centers, and about one-half of the Nation's ski-lift capacity. Wilderness areas cover 35 million acres, nearly two-thirds of the wilderness in the contiguous 48 States. The Forest Service also has major habitat management responsibilities for more than 3,000 species of wildlife and fish, and 10,000 plant species and provides important habitat and open space for over 422 threatened or endangered species. Half of the Nation's big game habitat and coldwater fish habitat, including salmon and steelhead, is located on National forest system lands and waters. In addition, in the 16 western States, where the water supply is sometimes critically short, about 55 percent of the total annual yield of water is from National forest system lands. For 2005 $1.7 billion. $256 million less than 2004.

Fossil Energy Research

   Fossil energy research and development programs make prudent investments in long-range research and development that help protect the environment through higher efficiency power generation, advanced technologies and improved compliance and stewardship operations. These activities safeguard our domestic energy security. This country will continue to rely on traditional fuels for the majority of its energy requirements for the foreseeable future, and the activities funded through this account ensure that energy technologies continue to improve with respect to emissions reductions and control and energy efficiency.

   Fossil fuels, especially coal, are this country's most abundant and lowest cost fuels for electric power generation. They are why this country enjoys the lowest cost electricity of any industrialized economy. The prospects for technology advances for coal and other fossil fuels are just as bright as those for alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, and geothermal. The power generation technology research funded under this account has the goal of developing virtually pollution-free power plants within the next 15 or 20 years and doubling the amount of electricity produced from the same amount of fuel.

For 2005 $635.8 million. $33.9 million les than 2004.

Energy Conservation Program

   The energy conservation program of the Department of Energy conducts cooperative research and development projects aimed at sustaining economic growth through more efficient energy use. Activities financed through this program focus on improving existing technologies and developing new technologies related to residential, commercial, industrial and transportation energy use. In fiscal year 2001, funds and programs were transferred from the building sector and industry sector research activities to establish a new distributed generation activity that addresses critical energy needs for next generation clean, efficient, fuel flexible technologies for industrial, commercial and institutional applications. These technologies use the waste heat energy rejected during electricity generation from microturbines, reciprocating engines, and fuel cells in the form of cooling, heating and power. This waste heat utilization is referred to as `combined heat and power'. Also funded under the energy conservation heading are the Federal energy management program, which focuses on improving energy efficiency in Federal buildings, the low-income weatherization assistance program, and State energy program grants. For 2005 $600 million. $221 million less than appropriated in 2004.

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve

   The Strategic Petroleum Reserve was created by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 to provide the United States with adequate strategic and economic protection against disruptions in oil supplies. The SPR program was established as a 750 million-barrel capacity crude oil reserve with storage in large underground salt caverns at five sites in Texas and Louisiana. It is connected to major private sector distribution systems and maintained to achieve full drawdown rate capability within fifteen days of notice to proceed with drawdown. Storage capacity development was completed in September 1991, providing the capability to store 750 million barrels of crude oil in underground caverns and to be ready to deploy at the President's direction in the event of an emergency. As a result of the decommissioning of the Weeks Island site in 1999, the SPR lost 70 million barrels of capacity. However, the Department reassessed the capacities of the remaining storage sites and estimates that those sites are currently capable of storing a total of 700 million barrels. During 1998, an inventory of 561 million barrels provided 60 days of net import protection. In 2004, 682 million barrels provide 58 days of net import protection. The decline in days of net import protection is the result of the growth of U.S. requirements for imported crude oil and the decline in domestic oil production. For 2005 $172 million. $1.1 million over 2004.

Northeast Heating Oil Reserve

   The acquisition and storage of heating oil for the Northeast began in August 2000 when the Department of Energy, through the Strategic Petroleum Reserve account, awarded contracts for the lease of commercial storage facilities and acquisition of heating oil. The purpose of the reserve is to assure home heating oil supplies for the Northeast States during times of very low inventories and significant threats to immediate supply of heating oil. The Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve was established as a separate entity from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve on March 6, 2001. The 2,000,000 barrel reserve is stored in commercial facilities in New York Harbor, New Haven, Connecticut, and the Providence, Rhode Island area. For 2005 $5 million. $61 thousand over 2004.

The Energy Information Administration

   The Energy Information Administration is a quasi-independent agency within the Department of Energy established to provide timely, objective, and accurate energy-related information to the Congress, executive branch, State governments, industry, and the public. The information and analysis prepared by the EIA is widely disseminated and the agency is recognized as an unbiased source of energy information by government organizations, industry, professional statistical organizations and the public. For 2005 $85 million. $ 4million over 2004.

Indian Health Services

   The provision of Federal health services to Indians is based on a special relationship between Indian tribes and the U.S. Government first set forth in the 1830s by the U.S. Supreme Court under Chief Justice John Marshall. Numerous treaties, statutes, constitutional provisions, and international law have reconfirmed this relationship. Principal among these is the Snyder Act of 1921, which provides the basic authority for most Indian health services provided by the Federal Government to American Indians and Alaska Natives. The Indian Health Service (IHS) provides direct health care services in 36 hospitals, 59 health centers, 2 school health centers, and 49 health stations. Tribes and tribal groups, through contracts and compacts with the IHS, operate 13 hospitals, 172 health centers, 3 school health centers, and 260 health stations (including 176 Alaska Native village clinics). The IHS, tribes, and tribal groups also operate 9 regional youth substance abuse treatment centers and 2,252 units of staff quarters. $2.6 billion for 2005. $97.9 million over 2004.

The Smithsonian Institution

   The Smithsonian Institution is unique in the Federal establishment. Established by the Congress in 1846 to carry out the trust included in James Smithson's will, it has been engaged for over 150 years in the `increase and diffusion of knowledge among men' in accordance with the donor's instructions. For some years, it used only the funds made available by the trust. Then, before the turn of the century, it began to receive Federal appropriations to conduct some of its activities. With the expenditure of both private and Federal funds over the years, it has grown into one of the world's great scientific, cultural, and intellectual organizations. It operates magnificent museums, outstanding art galleries, and important research centers. Its collections are among the best in the world. Its traveling exhibits bring beauty and information throughout the country.

The Smithsonian attracted approximately 25,000,000 visitors in 2003 to its museums, galleries, and zoological park. Additional millions also view Smithsonian traveling exhibitions, which appear across the United States and abroad. Another major attraction is the annual Folklife Festival, which is held on the Mall in Washington, DC. As custodian of the National Collections, the Smithsonian is responsible for more than 140 million art objects, natural history specimens, and artifacts. These collections are displayed for the enjoyment and education of visitors and are available for research by the staff of the Institution and by hundreds of visiting students, scientists, and historians each year. Other significant study efforts draw their data and results directly from terrestrial, marine, and astrophysical observations at various Smithsonian installations.

   The Smithsonian complex presently consists of 17 museums and galleries in New York City and the Washington, DC metropolitan area, including a zoological park; a number of research centers including an animal conservation and research center in Front Royal, Virginia; a natural preserve in Panama and one on the Chesapeake Bay; an oceanographic research facility in Fort Pierce, Florida; astrophysical stations in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Mt. Hopkins, Arizona and elsewhere; and supporting administrative, laboratory, and storage areas. For salary and expenses 2005 $499.1 million. $8.2 million over 2004.

The National Gallery of Art

   The National Gallery of Art is one of the world's great galleries. Its magnificent works of art are displayed for the benefit of millions of visitors from across this Nation and from other nations. The National Gallery of Art serves as an example of a successful cooperative endeavor between private individuals and institutions and the Federal Government. The many special exhibitions shown in the Gallery and then throughout the country bring great art treasures to Washington and the Nation. In 1999, the Gallery opened a sculpture garden, which provides a wonderful opportunity for the public to have an outdoor artistic experience in a lovely, contemplative setting. For salary and expenses 2005 $93 million. $6.2 million over 2004 spending.

JFK Center for the Performing Arts

   The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is a living memorial to the late President Kennedy and is the National Center for the Performing Arts. The Center consists of over 1.5 million square feet of usable floor space with visitation averaging 10,000 on a daily basis. For operations and maintenance 2005 $17/1 million. $796,000 over 2004 spending.

Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars

   The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars is a unique institution with a special mission to serve as a living memorial to President Woodrow Wilson. The Center performs this mandate through its role as an international institute for advanced study as well as a facilitator for discussions among scholars, public officials, journalists and business leaders from across the country on major long-term issues facing this Nation and the world. For 2005 $8.9 million. $489,000 over 2004 spending.

National Historic Preservation

   The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 established the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. The Advisory Council was reauthorized as part of the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-333). The Council's mandate is to further the National policy of preserving historic and cultural resources for the benefit of present and future generations. The Council advises the President and Congress on preservation matters and provides consultation on historic properties threatened by Federal action. For 2005 $4.6 million. $649,000 over 2004 spending.

Holocaust Memorial in Washington, D.C.

   In 1980, Congress passed legislation creating a 65 member Holocaust Memorial Council with the mandate to create and oversee a living memorial/museum to victims of holocausts. The museum opened in April 1993. Construction costs for the museum came solely from donated funds raised by the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum Campaign and appropriated funds were used for planning and development of programmatic components, overall administrative support, and annual commemorative observances. Since the opening of the museum, appropriated funds have been provided to pay for the ongoing operating costs of the museum as authorized by Public Law 102-529 and Public Law 106-292. For 2005 $41.4 million. $1.9 million over 2004 spending. ## All Rights Reserved. No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.