BUDGET NEWS

BLM Proposes $1.7 Billion for FY 2005 Budget To Enhance Multiple-Use Management through Conservation Partnerships

To promote conservation partnerships that enhance its multiple-use management of the public lands, the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) today proposed a Fiscal Year 2005 budget of $1.7 billion. The BLM’s FY 2005 budget proposal, which is a $53 million programmatic increase over the FY 2004 enacted level of funding, would provide increases of $4.8 million for the agency’s resource-restoration Challenge Cost Share program and $3.2 million for its sage-grouse conservation and restoration efforts. The budget request also includes increases of $5.6 million for land acquisition and $4 million for monitoring the implementation of new land-use plans. The Bureau’s 2005 budget proposal redirects $10.5 million for management of the more than 39,000 wild horses and burros that roam the public lands. Through a combination of new funds and redirected funds, the budget proposes an increase of $12 million to improve the health of forest lands in western Oregon.

Clarke noted that the Challenge Cost Share program has produced many partnership success stories, including a multi-year project with the City of Eugene, Oregon, that restored wetland habitat. Under the cost share program, which strives for a one-to-one dollar match or better, the city matched the BLM’s $150,000 contribution with $525,000 to remove fill from 8.9 acres of historic prairie wetlands....

PRESIDENT SEEKS MORE THAN $1.3 BILLION FOR U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE IN 2005 BUDGET

President George W. Bush is requesting more than $1.3 billion -- $22.6 million more than last year for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2005 budget. The request represents the administrations continuing commitment to protect Americas natural resources and support conservation partnerships in communities across the country.

Among the key features of this budget package are an increase for partnership and cost-share grant programs under the Presidents Cooperative Conservation Initiative and $2 million for a new Science Excellence Initiative. Budget increases for hatcheries and migratory bird programs help to round out a package that will allow the Service to conserve, with its partners, the nature of America....

President’s FY 2005 Budget Request Strengthens Commitment to Preserving and Protecting America’s Parks and Special Places

The Bush Administration’s FY 2005 proposed budget for the National Park Service is $2.4 billion. This budget proposal, which is a net increase of over $100 million above FY 2004, demonstrates a strong commitment to sustaining the National Park System with emphasis on reducing the maintenance backlog, strengthening law enforcement and improving visitor safety programs, enhancing resource management, and expanding partnership and volunteer opportunities.

Presented with a significant park maintenance backlog at the beginning of his Administration, President Bush promised to address the backlog problem and to reverse the trend. The President committed to spend $4.9 billion over 5 years to address known problems while NPS conducted inventory and condition assessments to determine the magnitude of deferred maintenance of NPS assets and the preventive requirements to protect the investments being made. Between FY 2002 and FY 2004, a total of $2.8 billion has been appropriated to specifically address the deferred maintenance issue. The FY 2005 budget proposes $1.1 billion, including $310 million as part of the President’s Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century reauthorization proposal. This request reflects an increase of $77 million over the FY 2004 level for reducing the maintenance backlog....

FY 2005 Budget Empowers Agency to Accelerate Environmental Protection

President Bush's 2005 budget provides $7.76 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency, a $133 million increase over the 2004 budget request. EPA Administrator Mike Leavitt, joined by key Agency officials, announcing the budget at a Washington, D.C. news briefing today, expressed pleasure with the resources being provided to the Agency.

"With the President's budget, we can increase the velocity of environmental protection -- protecting our land, cleaning our air and cleansing our water -- efficiently, effectively and without impairing the economy," Leavitt said. "We are adopting better ways -- facilitating collaboration, harnessing technology, creating market incentives -- and we are committed to measuring progress, not process."

To build on the progress in protecting children's health and the successful national partnership to reduce emissions from school buses, the President's budget provides an increase in funding, from $5 million to $65 million, for the Clean School Bus USA program.

To ensure cleaner, safer water, the President's budget provides:....


President's Agriculture Budget Proposes Increased Funding to Protect the Nation's Food Supply and Conserve Natural Resources

Agriculture Secretary Ann M. Veneman today released details of President Bush’s FY 2005 budget for U.S. Department of Agriculture programs and services, which includes increased funding to help ensure a safe and wholesome food supply, safeguard America’s homeland and conserve natural resources.

Veneman said the budget is consistent with the Administration’s policy book, “Food and Agricultural Policy for the 21st Century.” The FY 2005 budget calls for $82 billion in spending, an increase of $4 billion, or about 5 percent, above levels for FY 2004, and represents growth of 19 percent since the Bush Administration took office. Discretionary outlays are estimated at $20.8 billion, a 3 percent change, or $720 million below the 2004 level....

Our good friends at the Forest Service have no press release on their website on the President's budget. Even the USDA press release posted above, only refers to the Jan. 28 release of the Healthy Forests budget. According to this Fox News analysis, the Forest Service's budget is cut by 7.6 percent to $4.2 billion.

For a joint release from EPA, USDI, USDA and the White House which covers all environmental programs, go here.

Click here for AP's summary of the Interior budget.

For a Reuter's story on EPA's 7 percent budget cut, go here.

For three different stories on the Park Service budget, go here, here and here.

Click here for the Defenders of Wildlife take on the budget.

For the Wilderness Society's comments on the budget go here. This release contains the following interesting tidbit: The budget also proposes new authority allowing the Bureau of Land Management to significantly expand its authority to sell off public lands under its jurisdiction -- and to use the funds for infrastructure maintenance.