Secretary Norton Applauds Rep. Tancredo's
Leadership of Interior 2004 Budget

(WASHINGTON) - Secretary of the Interior Gale A. Norton today praised Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo for his leadership of the Department of the Interior's 2004 Appropriations Bill, which President Bush signed into law today.

"I applaud Rep. Tancredo for his strong support of the programs of the Interior Department," Norton said. "Thanks to him and other representatives, the budget provides funding for major initiatives to improve national parks, build and restore Indian schools, prevent and suppress wildland fires," Norton said. "It also contains provisions to enhance traditional and renewable energy and to improve management of our wildlife refuges and other public lands."

The 2004 Interior budget provides $9.8 billion for the Department's programs and operations, which exceeds the President's request by more than $41 million, and funds important programs to enhance the responsible development of energy resources on public lands, improve to Indian schools, and address water related issues that are critical to Colorado's future."

The President's budget request for discretionary appropriations for Department of the Interior programs in the Interior bill totaled $9.76 billion. The conference agreement is $41.3 million or 0.4 percent above the President's budget request and $111.5 million or 1.2 percent above the 2003 enacted funding level.

Budget highlights include the following:

For the second year, Congress has provided increases for Secretary Norton's Cooperative Conservation Initiative. The total 2004 appropriation for CCI is $118.9 million. This is $18.8 million over 2003 and cumulatively $31 million over 2002. This includes an increase of $4.8 million for the Fish and Wildlife Service's Partners for Wildlife program.

The 2004 budget provides $500,000 for Take Pride in America - to rally citizens to become engaged through volunteerism and fund raising to leverage federal investments in conservation partnerships effectively and efficiently.

Congress provides $788 million for fire including $99 million to repay funds borrowed in 2003. Suppression activities are funded at the ten-year average, and continue robust funding of $185 million for fuels treatment.

In 2002, the Department increased acres treated 45,000 acres in 2002, an increase of 27 percent; DOI will emphasize collaborative efforts to protect wildland urban interface communities; 50 percent of on-the-ground fuels reduction funding is directed to contracts to protect communities and aid local economies; and many of the fuels reduction contracts will be awarded to small, local companies.

The Congress funded the request of $10 million in grants funding to help equip and train rural fire departments for wildfire preparedness and initial attack capability.

Funding for the NPS maintenance backlog is $706 million, comparable with the request. Combined with DOT funding for roads, the 2004 program will provide over $1 billion to parks maintenance.

Congress provides, $297 million, slightly more than the requested level for BIA education construction. This investment will allow us to replace school facilities at seven or more locations and address critical health and safety concerns at a number of other schools.

The 2004 appropriations provide $72 million for the Natural Resource Challenge - our program to improve the management of natural resources in parks. This increases funding above the level that the President committed to fund.

The Congress funds federal land acquisition at $109 million, $34 million below the request. The State grants component of LWCF is funded at $94 million, $66 million below the request.

Congress funds our unified Indian trust budget at $456 million. Congress limited funding for historical accounting to $45 million, $85 million below our request. Bill language limits the scope of accounting in 2004 pending actions by Congress to amend the 1994 Trust Management Reform Act.

The budget for the Bureau of Land Management included increases for resource protection and restoration while also facilitating access for energy development, funding to reinvigorate forest health treatments, improve recreational opportunities, and services on public lands, and funding to strengthen law enforcement capabilities.

The budget for the Fish and Wildlife Service included increases for endangered species activities, refuge operations and maintenance, migratory birds, law enforcement programs and hatchery operations and maintenance.

For the National Park Service, Congress funded the majority of the $16.4 million increase for park base operations and fully funded the $14.3 million increase request for cyclic maintenance.