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Chair Pingree, Appropriations Committee Release Fiscal Year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Funding Bill

Legislation creates jobs, supports Native Americans, confronts climate change, and fosters equity

Washington, June 28, 2021
  • Rep. Pingree in a committee room

As Chair of the House Appropriations Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Subcommittee, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) released the FY 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill, which will be considered in subcommittee tonight. The legislation funds agencies and programs in the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Forest Service, and other programs. 

“House Democrats continue making long-overdue investments to care for our planet, fight the climate emergency, return science as the foundation for decision making, and meet our trust obligations to tribal nations,” Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee Chair Chellie Pingree said. “The Fiscal Year 2022 bill builds upon last year’s successes to advance the priorities of the American people – ensuring we have clean air and water, protecting our natural resources, preserving biodiversity for future generations, and taking meaningful actions to support the Biden-Harris administration’s ambitious goals to simultaneously address climate change and create good-paying jobs across America.” 

“The American people understand that confronting the climate crisis can be a pathway to creating good-paying jobs and inclusive economic growth. That’s exactly what House Democrats are doing with this bill’s critical investments in a green economy,” Appropriations Committee Chair Rosa DeLauro said. “With offshore wind development, reclamation of abandoned mines, and a Civilian Climate Corps, we can turn a challenge into an opportunity. I am also pleased that this bill increases funding for environmental enforcement, so we can crack down on polluters who all too often escape the consequences for the damage they cause. I am also very proud that this bill supports Native American families with investments in education and health and fosters equity with a focus on environmental justice.”

In total, the draft bill includes $43.4 billion in regular appropriations, an increase of $7.3 billion – 20.2 percent – above 2021. There is also an additional $2.45 billion of funding for fire suppression. The legislation:

  • Creates good-paying American jobs through investments in renewable energy development, including offshore wind, and a national initiative to reclaim abandoned mines and cap orphan oil and gas wells
  • Confronts the climate crisis by expanding environmental enforcement efforts, creating a Civilian Climate Corps, and launching a renewed focus on land and water conservation
  • Supports Native American families by investing in a strong and resilient Indian Country, including through education and health care programs
  • Dramatically expands environmental justice efforts to address unacceptable pollution in communities of color
  • Honors the federal government’s responsibilities to Native Americans

A summary of the draft fiscal year 2022 Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies bill is below. The text of the draft bill is here. The subcommittee markup will be webcast live and linked from https://appropriations.house.gov/events/markups. 


Bill Summary:

(In FY 2022, Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) allocations are maintained as mandatory appropriations.)

Department of the Interior (DOI) – The bill provides a total of $15.6 billion in discretionary appropriations for DOI, an increase of $2.3 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level and $240 million below the President’s budget request. Of this amount, the bill includes:

  • $1.6 billion for the Bureau of Land Management (MLR/O&C)
  • $1.9 billion for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
    • $315million for Ecological Services
    • $582 million for National Wildlife Refuge System
    • $22 million for Multinational Species Conservation Fund,
    • $82 million for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, 
  • $3.5 billion for National Park Service, an increase of $324 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $28 million below the President’s budget request. Within this amount, the bill includes:
    • $3 billion for Operation of the National Park System, an increase of $277 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $12 million below the President’s budget request. 
    • $80 million for National Recreation and Preservation, an increase of $6 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $6 million above the President’s budget request.
    • $156 million for the Historic Preservation Fund, an increase of $12 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $4 million above the President’s budget request. Within this amount, the bill includes $81 million for State and Tribal Historic Preservation Offices, $30 million for Save America’s Treasures grants, $28 million for competitive grants to preserve the sites and stories of underrepresented community civil rights, and $10 million for grants to Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
  • $1.6 billion for the U.S. Geological Survey, an increase of $327 million above the enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request.
  • $223.93 million for the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, an increase of $31.12 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $3.85 million below the President’s budget request.
    • $45.82 million for the Renewable Energy Program, an increase of $17.35 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request.
  • $4 billion for Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and Office of the Special Trustee, an increase of $507 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $65 million below the President’s budget request. Within this amount, the bill includes:
    • $1.9 billion for Bureau of Indian Affairs Operation of Indian Programs, an increase of $308 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $8 million above the President’s budget request.
    • $75 million for a new Indian Land Consolidation account to acquire fractionated interests in trust land.
    • $188 million for Bureau of Indian Affairs Construction, an increase of $59 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request.
    • $11.8 million for the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program, equal to the FY 2021 enacted level and the President’s budget request.
    • $1.1 billion for Bureau of Indian Education Operation of Indian Programs, an increase of $110 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request.
    • $267 million to Bureau of Indian Education Construction, an increase of $3 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $3 million above the President’s budget request.
    • Fully funds Contract Support Costs and Payments for Tribal Leases.
    • $110 million for Office of the Special Trustee, an increase of $1 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $110 million above the President’s budget request.
  • $421 million for Departmental Offices, $57 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $6 million above the President’s budget request. Within this amount, the bill includes:
    • $128 million for Office of Insular Affairs, an increase of $12.8 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $5.5 million above the President’s budget request.
    • $120 million for Energy Community Revitalization Program to address hard rock mining and orphaned oil and gas wells.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) – The bill provides a total of $11.34 billion in for EPA – an increase of $2.11 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level and $110.8 million above the President’s budget request. Of this amount, the bill includes:

  • $4.17 billion for EPA’s core science and environmental program work, an increase of $681 million above the FY 2021 enacted level. Within these amounts, the bill includes:
    • $642.7 million for Geographic Programs which help with restoration of nationally significant bodies of water like the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Long Island Sound. This is an increase of $100.8 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $64.4 million above the President’s budget request.
    • $61.8 million in funding for scientific and regulatory work on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), needed to establish drinking water and cleanup standards. This funding builds on the $49 million the EPA received in 2021.
  • $5.32 billion for State and Tribal Assistance Grants, an increase of $1.01 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level and $194 million above the President’s budget request. Within this amount, the bill includes:
    • $3.23 billion for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, $464 million above the enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request. This includes $428.6 million Community Project Funding for over 280 drinking water, wastewater, and storm water management projects across the country.
    • $326.6 million for targeted grants for drinking water contaminants and wastewater treatment for lead, nitrates, and other health hazards, an increase of $117.5 million above the enacted level and $7.6 million above the request.
    • $131 million for Brownfields cleanups, a $49 million increase above the FY 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request.
    • $150 million for Diesel Emissions Reduction grants, an increase of $60 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request. 
  • $1.54 billion for Superfund, an increase of $331 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $2.5 million above the President’s request.
  • $248 million for Environmental Justice activities, an increase of $235 million above the FY 2021 level. This includes:
    • $148 million in programmatic funds to expand EPA’s ability to incorporate environmental justice considerations into all aspects of its work and support other federal agencies’ environmental justice efforts.
    • $100 million for six new environmental justice grant programs designed to begin implementing environmental justice solutions on the ground in frontline and fenceline communities.  

Wildland Fire Management (WFM) - The bill provides $5.66 billion for WFM, which includes $2.45 billion in cap adjusted fire suppression funding. The total funding is $385.82 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $380 thousand below the President’s budget request.

Related Agencies –

  • $4.14 billion for the Forest Service (non-fire/without LWCF), an increase of $680.49 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $50.43 million below the President’s budget request.
  • $8.1 billion for the Indian Health Service, an increase of $1.8 billion above the FY 2021 enacted level and $1.6 billion below the President’s budget request.
    • $5.8 billion for Health Services, an increase of $189 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $101 million above the President’s budget request. 
    • $1.3 billion for Health Facilities, an increase of $351 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and $232 million below the President’s budget request.
    • Fully funds Contract Support Costs and Payments for Tribal Leases. 
  • $201 million each for the National Endowment for the Artsand the National Endowment for the Humanities, an increase of $33.5 million above the 2021 enacted levels, $23.45 million over the requested level for the National Endowment for the Humanities and equal to the request for National Endowment for the Arts.
  • $1.102 billion for the Smithsonian Institution, an increase of $69.3 million above the FY 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request. 
  • $14.1 million for the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, an increase of $95,000 above the FY 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request. 
  • $40.4 million for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, equal to the 2021 enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request. 
  • $62.6 million for the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, an increase of $1.2 million above the enacted level and equal to the President’s budget request.

 

Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) – The bill allocates $900 million for land acquisition and support for state recreation programs. 

Pingree has served on the House Appropriations Committee for the past seven years and was elected Chair of the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee in January 2021. As Chair, she oversees discretionary spending for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, US Forest Service, and several agencies related to the arts and humanities. More information about her time as Chair can be found at pingree.house.gov/interiorapprops.

 

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