FLORIDA FARMERS INC.
(Formerly known as Florida Farmers Suppliers Coalition)

 

Committee on Appropriations

Committee on Appropriations

Committee on Appropriations

 

 

 

 

News Room

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE FY07 INTERIOR AND ENVIRONMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL

 

May 11th, 2006 - -

Fiscal Year 2006        Fiscal Year 2007        Fiscal Year 2007        Change from         Change from

      Enacted                 Budget Request         Recommended              Request                Enacted__

 

$26.1 billion                $25.5 billion                $25.9 billion                +$418 million        -$145 million

 

Priorities and Highlights

  • Reduces funding for grants programs, land acquisition, and construction to restore funding for core, mission-essential programs.
  • Supports energy programs authorized by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, including $37 million in the Department of the Interior to expedite expansion of energy development on Federal lands and $23 million in EPA for the National Clean Diesel Initiative.
  • Administration proposed bill language is not included, which would sell Forest Service lands to fund rural schools, and sell BLM public lands to generate funding for Federal operations and for the Treasury.
  • Provides the requested $5 million for the FY07 federal share of the Flight 93 memorial. 
  • Includes statutory language limiting the Smithsonian’s ability to execute any contract or legal agreement which could limit public access to the Smithsonian collections.  In addition, the bill reduces the Smithsonian’s salaries and expenses account by $5 million. 
  • Fully funds the National Fire Plan at $2.7 billion, $80 million above last year and $65 million above the request.  These funds will fund a comprehensive approach by channeling firefighting resources to extinguish fires before they become large and expensive; reducing wildfire risk with active management to reduce hazardous fuels; and funding vital forest health and pest management activities. 
  • Provides $69 million for Everglades restoration and conditions the allocation of the funds with full funding and compliance of the consent decree.  
  • Provides $5.9 billion for Indian programs, $204 million above the fiscal year 2006 enacted level; including funds to continue construction of 3 Indian health centers, increased operational funds for the most under-funded health programs, and funds for educational grants, human services programs, and law enforcement needs.
  • Provides level funding (as requested) of $124 million for the National Endowment for the Arts and $141 million for the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Total Agency Funding

Department of Interior is funded at $9.65 billion, $211 million below last year and $40 million above the request. 

U.S. Forest Service is funded at $4.2 billion, $63 million below last year and $98 above the request. 

National Park Service is funded at $2.2 billion, $19 million above request and $100 million below the enacted level.  Most of the reductions in the request were to Stateside land and water grants which have no direct impact on the parks, and limiting new construction and land acquisition.  The Committee has provided a $41 million increase for park base operations.

Environmental Protection Agency is funded at $7.56 billion, $55 million below last year and $254 million above the request. 

  • Environmental programs and management are funded at $2.3 billion, $10 million below last year and $30 million above the request. 
  • State, Tribal Assistance grants which protect public health by helping states and communities comply with the Clean Water and the Safe Drinking Water Act are funded at $3 billion, $209 million below last year and $207 above the request

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is funded at $1.3 billion, $55 million below last year and $2 million below the request.  Resource management activities are funded at $1 billion, $15 million above FY06 and $21 million above the request. 

Program Eliminations

$30 million Stateside Land and Water Grants

$9 million Forest Service economic action program

$10 million BLM rural fire program

$5 million Asia Pacific Partnership

Funding Restorations (total amount recommended is in parenthesis)*

$17 Million for Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) ($216 million)

$31 million for Forest health programs ($127 million)

$25 million for State and volunteer fire assistance ($95 million)

$40 million for Forest Service road maintenance ($133 million)

$8 million for Forest Inventory and Analysis ($67 million)

$35 million for EPA, State air program implementation ($220 million)

$10 million for EPA, State water program implementation ($204 million)

$10 million for Superfund cleanup ($833 million)

 

* The above funding restorations are partially offset by reductions of $79 million in land and easement acquisition programs and $44 million in Department of the Interior grant programs.  Construction programs throughout the bill are reduced below 2006 levels.  These reductions were necessary to restore funding for core, mission-essential Federal operations.