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Summary

The Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill includes funding for the Department of the Interior (DOI), except for the Bureau of Reclamation, and for two agencies within other departments — the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture and the Indian Health Service (IHS) within the Department of Health and Human Services. It also includes funding for arts and cultural agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency, and numerous other entities. The President requested $25.78 billion for FY2009 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, a $1.63 billion (6%) reduction from the FY2008 level of $27.40 billion. While the President sought to increase funds for some agencies, he requested reduced funds for most agencies. Among the proposed increases for FY2009, over FY2008 appropriations, were the following: $42.3 million (36%) for the Minerals Management Service (MMS); and $33.8 million (5%) for the Smithsonian Institution (SI). Among the proposed decreases were the following: $885.1 million (18%) for the Forest Service (FS); $319.0 million (4%) for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); $206.9 million (20%) for DOI Wildland Fire Management; $99.9 million (4%) for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA); and $64.6 million (5%) for the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). The House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies have held hearings on agency budget requests. No bill to fund Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies for FY2009 has been introduced to date. Congress may debate a variety of funding and policy issues during consideration of FY2009 Interior appropriations legislation. These issues might include appropriate funding for BIA construction, education, and housing; IHS construction and urban Indian health; wastewater/drinking water needs; land acquisition; the Payments in Lieu of Taxes program; the Superfund program; and wildland fire fighting. Other issues include Indian trust fund management, leasing in the Outer Continental Shelf, and royalty relief. This report will be updated to reflect major congressional action.

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