FY10 APPROPRIATIONS WRAP-UP

On October 29^th Congress wrapped up its FY10 Interior Department and related agencies appropriations bill (HR 2996) that provides a $4.66 billion spending increase over fiscal 2009.  President Obama signed the bill into law October 30 (PL 111-88.) The law provides particularly large increases for the National Park System, with boosts for operations, maintenance, recreation and preservation, and about every other line item. The law also provides a major increase for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), establishes a $474 million emergency fire-fighting fund, and boosts spending across-the-board for the Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Fish and Wildlife Service. In total the conference bill appropriates $32.24 billion for the Interior Department and related agencies and is $90 million under the President’s request of $32.33 billion.  THE BREAKDOWN: Here is a comparison of the conference version of the bill, compared with the Senate, the House, the administration and fiscal 2009: (from Federal Parks & Rec 11/6/09)      * PARK SERVICE OPERATIONS: Conference, $2.262 billion; Senate committee, $2.261 billion; House, $2.261 billion; administration request, $2.266 billion; fiscal 2009 appropriation, $2.132 billion; * NPS CENTENNIAL CHALLENGE: Conference, $15 million; Senate committee, no money; House, $25 million; Obama administration, $25 million; fiscal 2009, no money; * NPS REC AND PRES: Conference, $68.4 million; Senate committee, $67.4 million; House, $59.4 million; administration, $53.9 million; fiscal 2009, $59.7 million; * NPS CONSTRUCTION: Conference, $233 million; Senate committee, $219.7 million; House, $213.7 million; administration, $206 million; fiscal 2009, $233.2 million; * SAVE AMERICA’S TREASURES: Conferees, $25 million; Senate, $20 million; House, $30 million; administration, $20 million; fiscal 2009, $20 million; and * PRESERVE AMERICA: Conferees, $4.6 million; Senate committee, $3.2 million; House, $6 million; administration, $3 million; fiscal 2009, no money. *SHPOs/THPOs: Conferees, $46.5/$8 million; Senate same; House same; administration same; fiscal 1009, $42.5/$7.5. * HERITAGE AREAS: Conferees, $16.8 million; Senate, $16.7 million; House, $16.8 million; administration, $15.8 million; fiscal 2009, $15.7 million; * FEDERAL LWCF: Conferees, $265.3 million; Senate committee, $262 million; House, $212.4 million; administration, $199 million; fiscal 2009, $160 million; * FEDERAL LWCF BY AGENCY (with fiscal 2009 in parenthesis): Park Service, $86.3 million ($64.2 million in fiscal 2009); Fish and Wildlife Service, $86.3 million ($42.5 million in fiscal 2009); Bureau of Land Management, $29.7 million ($14.8 million in fiscal 2009); and Forest Service, $63 million ($49.8 million in fiscal 2009); * STATE LWCF: Conferees, $40 million; Senate committee, $35 million; House, $40 million; administration, $30 million; fiscal 2009, $20 million; * STATE WILDLIFE GRANTS: Conferees, $90 million; Senate, $80 million; House, $115 million; administration, $115 million; fiscal 2009, $75 million; * NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM: Conferees, $1.551 billion; Senate committee, $1.556 billion; House, $1.565 billion; administration, $1.507 billion; fiscal 2009, $1.510 billion; * NATIONAL FORESTS RECREATION: Conferees, $292.6 million; Senate committee, $290.1 million; House, $292.6 million; administration, $280.1 million; fiscal 2009, $277.6 million; * FOREST TRAILS: Conferees, about $85 million, but not precisely specified; Senate committee, $82.2 million; House, $85.3 million; administration $82.1 million; fiscal 2009, $81.2 million; * NATIONAL LANDSCAPE CONSERVATION SYSTEM: (not broken out but conferees did ask for $2 million more for monuments and conservation areas than the $28.8 million the administration requested); Senate, $75 million; House $74 million; fiscal 2009, $67 million; * WILDLIFE REFUGE MANAGEMENT: Conferees, $503.3 million; Senate, $488.6 million; House, $503 million; fiscal 2009, $468 million;  The Interior bill also included an extension until December 18^th of the transporation bill, the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act.