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1 [1] (September 2, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdbql0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Updated Sept ember 2,2020 Bureau of Land Management: FY2021 Appropriations The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages 244 million acres of federal land, nearly all in the West. Under its multiple-use mission, BLM manages lands for diverse purposes, including lives tock grazing, energy development, recreation, and conservation. The agency also administers onshore federalenergy and mineralresources generally. This In Focus pertains to discretionary appropriations for BLM, particularly appropriations under consideration for FY2021 in comparison with appropriations enacted for FY2020. For FY2021, the Trump Administrationrequested $1,222.4 million for BLM. This would be a decrease of $147.5 million (-11%) from the FY2020 appropriation of $1,369.8 million (P.L. 116-94, Division D). The House- passedbill (H.R. 7608, Division C) would provide $1,294.7 million for FY2021. This would be a decrease of $75.1 million (-5%) fromthe FY2020 enacted levelbut$72.4 million (6%) higherthan the President's request. BLM discretionary appropriations generally are provided in Title I of Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations laws. Mandatory (permanent) appropriations also are provided to BLM under various statutes within the jurisdiction of authorizing committees. For FY2021, BLM estimated its mandatory appropriations at $102.6 million. This would be a decrease fromthe $298.7 million estimated for FY2020, largely due to an anticipated reduction in receipts fromBLM land s ales in Nevada and a proposal to cancel unobligated balances fromprior s ales. For FY2021, issues for Congress include determining the amount of funding to provide BLM accounts and activities and the terms and conditions of suchfunding, as well as whether to enact related Trump Adminis tration proposals. BLM discretionary appropriations are provided through several accounts. For each account, Table 1 shows amounts enacted for FY2020, reques ted by the Administration for FY2021, and passed by the House for FY2021. Management of Lands and Resources. The largest account-Management of Lands and Res ources-funds diverse programs including energy and minerals, wild horses and burros, rangelands, wildlife and fisheries, facility maintenance, resource protection, law enforcement, and recreation. For FY2021, the Administration sought $1,078.5 million for this account, a decrease of $118.7 million (-10%) from FY2020 ($1,197.2 million). H.R. 7608 contained $1,165.1 million for the account, a decrease of $32.1 million (3%) from FY2020. Both the FY2020 appropriation and H.R. 7608 contained general rescissions fromunobligated prior- yearfunds (of$19.0million and $17.0 million, respectively), though the allocations among activities and programs are not readily available. For this reason, activity and programcomparisons in this section exclude these generalrescissions. The Administration proposed various changes relative to FY2020 enactedlevels. Decreases included deferred maintenance (DM) of transportation and facilities (-39%). (See Deferred Maintenance, below.) Some decreases were supported bythe House in H.R. 7608, including reductions for resource management planning (-28%), management of abandoned minelands andhazardous materials (-28%), and administrative support (-12%), due to the completion of organizational changes to new, unified DOI regions, according to BLM. Other decreases proposed by the Administration were not supported by the House, such as rangelandmanagement (-11%) and wildlife and aquatic habitat management (-38%), for activities pertaining to threatened and endangered species, habitat restoration, and s agebrush conservation, among others. The Administration's FY2021 request contained additional funds for some programs, including wild horse and burro management (+15%). The Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971 (16 U.S.C. § § 1331 et seq.) provides for management andprotectionof wild horses andburros on BLM (and Forest Service) lands. As of March 2020, the number of wild horses and burros on BLM land was 95,114, more than triple the appropriate management level (26,770). Another 47,725 animals were being cared for off- range in pastures and corrals as of May 2020. The Administration s ought appropriations to care for animals off-range, pursue s ales and adoptions, and expand methods of population control, among other activities. The House supported a smaller increase (+1%). In report language, the House Appropriations Committee indicated thatit is s eeking a well-defined action plan for BLM management of wild horses andburros (H.Rept. 116-448, p. 12). The Administration also proposed additional funds for coal management (+19%) to improve coalleasing, permitting, and inspections. The Housedid not support the increase. Appropriations for cadastral, lands, and realty management would increase (+7%) underboth the request andH.R. 7608. The additional funding for this program-which performs cadastral surveys, manages rights-of-way, and implements changes to land ownership-was intended to facilitate broadband infrastructure on BLM lands. Land Acquisition. BLM typically receives appropriations from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to acquire lands. To focus on maintaining current BLM lands, the Administration's FY2021 request did not include A A '2 k

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