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News Room
 
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FY06 INTERIOR CONFERENCE REPORT
 
July 26th, 2005 - -
Budget Authority (dollars in billions)
 
FY 2005
FY 2006
FY 2006
Enacted
Request
Recommended
 
 
 
27.0
25.7
26.3
 
Bill Highlights
Change from 2005
 
 
 
 
 
Natural Resources Conservation & Recreation
 
 
$  2.7
billion for Wildland firefighting and National Fire Plan
+111
million
1.7
billion for National Park Operations ($20 M above request)
+61
million
1.4
billion for the National Forest System
+31
million
1.0
billion for core FWS resource management programs
+46
million
1.0
billion for the Geological Survey science programs
+31
million
115
million for federal land acquisition
-101
million
451
million for construction (4 federal land mgmt. agencies)
-21
million
 
 
 
 
 
Indian Country
 
 
$  3.1
billion for the Indian Health Service
+106
million
2.0
billion for BIA Operation of Indian programs
+65
million
634
million for facilities & construction ($86 M above request)
-74
million
 
 
 
 
 
Environment
 
 
$  2.4
billion for Environmental Programs & Management
+87
million
1.3
billion for Superfund
+13
million
742
million for Environmental Science & Technology
-2
million
850
million for Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (SRF)
+7
million
900
million for Clean Water SRF ($120 M above request)
-191
million
 
 
 
 
 
Program Restorations:
  • $43 million above request for Forest Service forest health programs.
  •   43 million above request for Indian health facilities.
  •   43 million above request for Indian school construction.
  •   30 million above request for geologic minerals assessments in the Geological Survey.
  •   13.5 million total for National Heritage Areas.
  •   13 million above request for Save America’s Treasures.
  •   24 million total for the national estuary program in EPA.
  •      9 million total for environmental education in EPA.
  •      7 million total for water resources research institutes in the Geological Survey.
Major Programs and Initiatives:
 
Human Testing of Pesticides-- The conference agreement places a moratorium on the use of third-party intentional dosing human toxicity studies for pesticides until the EPA Administrator issues a final rulemaking on this subject.  There must be a public comment period of no less than 90 days and the rule must be issued no later than 180 days from enactment of this Act.  The rule may not permit the use of pregnant women, infants, or children as testing subjects, and must include an independent Human Subjects Review Board.
 
Provides $5.6 billion for Indian programs, $120 million above the 2005 enacted level; provides increased funding for critical school and hospital construction, educational grants, human services programs, and law enforcement needs.
Agency Funding:
BLM:  $1.8 billion, $21 million above the request and $36 million below FY05.
Fish and Wildlife Service:  $1.3 billion, $7 million above the request and $500,000 below FY05.
National Park Service:  $2.3 billion, $50 million above the request and $66 million below FY05.
EPA:  $7.9 billion, $420 million above the request and $194 million below FY05.
Forest Service:  $4.3 billion, $198 million above the request and $507 million below FY05.
 
Provides an additional $60 million for National Park base funding increases.
   (Includes $40 million in the budget for pay/fixed costs, plus an additional $20 million.)
 
Provides $444 million for National Park backlog maintenance.
 
Provides $348 million for the DOI Cooperative Conservation Initiative, a decrease of $34 million below the 2005 enacted level.  The conference agreement restores $30 million for LWCF stateside grants.
Provides $2.7 billion for the National Fire Plan; $1.8 billion for the Forest Service, and $762 million for the Department of the Interior.  Includes increases of $67 million for wildfire suppression, $30 million for wildfire preparedness, and $33 million for hazardous fuels reduction efforts, above 2005 enacted levels (not including additional funds provided in 2005 for emergency firefighting).
 
Provides $236 million for Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT), $36 million above the request and $9 million above the 2005 level.
 
Provides $128 million for Forest Service forest health initiatives, including control of Southern pine beetle, mountain beetles in the West, and $76 million for State fire assistance, $26 million above the request.
 
Provides $84 million for the Everglades restoration effort.  Cumulative funding since 1993 is $1.1 billion.
 
Provides $126 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and $143 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities   (each endowment is $5 million above the enacted).
 
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  21st - Opening Statement of Chairman Harold Rogers Subcommittee on Homeland Security
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