To begin to reverse the deterioration from years of inadequate funding, our natural resource agencies and programs will need at least the following minimal increases over the next five years:

The Fish and Wildlife Service, $790 million to operate the National Wildlife Refuge System, and for management of threatened and endangered species, migratory birds, and fisheries.

The National Park Service, $630 million for natural and cultural resource protection, park operations, and maintenance of physical infrastructure.

The Bureau of Land Management, $125 million for wildlife, fisheries, and threatened and endangered species, to provide recreational opportunities, and for paleontology research. (Note: the request for BLM is well below needs for adequate stewardship of its 260 million acres. This request is based on amounts that could be used effectively with limited or no increases in staff.)

The Forest Service, $678 million for Fish, Wildlife, and Rare Plants; Recreation; Wilderness; Road Obliteration and Maintenance; Invasive Species; Rangeland Management; Research on Wildlife, Fish, Water and Air; Inventory and Monitoring, Watershed Improvement, and State and Private Forestry.

The U.S. Geological Survey's Biological Resources Division, $186 million for biological research, resource monitoring, information transfer, and maintenance and operations of research laboratories, cooperative units, and their equipment.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund, full funding of $900 million (approximately $600 million more than FY99) for land acquisition needs in the four agencies and to revitalize the grants to states and local communities for recreation and open space.

A National Coalition to Protect Our Public Lands

This document, "The Public Lands Funding Initiative," is a compilation of the best information available, including data requested from government agencies, independent analyses and investigations, and even anecdotal experience. The recommendations made here are endorsed by a large number of organizations across the country. The breadth of support is impressive. We are sportsmen, environmentalists, outdoor recreationists and others. We have a duty to maintain and enhance our public lands. We have an obligation to future generations to maintain the value of this natural heritage. Today, we are failing to uphold this trust.

The coalition behind the Public Lands Funding Initiative believes the time has come to meet the needs of our parks, forests, refuges, wildlife, fish and plants. The recommendations of the Public Lands Funding Initiative are modest -- sufficient to maintain and protect the lands, fish, wildlife and plants without embellishment. These are bare bones needs. We hope that as a healthy economy continues to produce budget surpluses, additional funds will be invested in maintaining the value of our publicly held natural assets.

In our first two years' efforts, we have successfully raised public awareness of the needs of our natural resource management agencies. As a result, the Interior Appropriations Subcommittees have received modest increases in their 302(b) allocations. With these additional funds, the Subcommittees have been able to supply badly needed dollars for the management of our public lands and wildlife and to complete critical land acquisition projects. However, these must be just the first in a planned campaign of yearly increases to provide adequate protection and stewardship of these magnificent natural resources.

Protecting Our Resources: A Focused, Incremental Approach

The following table depicts increases in Budget Authority (in FY99 constant dollars) for the Interior and Related Agencies subcommittees' 302(b) allocation so that by 2004 the total needed yearly increase will be reached.

Increased 302(b) Allocations:

An Incremental Approach to Budget Growth
Increases over Prior Fiscal Year (Billions)

	FY99	FY00	FY01	FY02	FY03	FY04
302(b) Increase over prior FY		1.00	.502	.502	.502	.502
Interior Subcommittee Resulting Allocation	$14.1	$15.1	$15.602	$16.104	$16.606	$17.108
% Change from previous FY		7.09	3.32	3.22	3.12	3.02

These funding increases are the minimum needed to support some currently unmet conservation and resource management requirements of the agencies and programs identified in this document. They do not address funding needs for natural resource and environment programs and agencies which receive funding through other appropriation bills nor other programs and agencies which receive funding through the Interior bill.

This program of modest increases over six years will allow our public land management agencies to provide the resource protection and public recreation opportunities that the public demands. It will allow the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management to respond to the needs of millions and millions of visitors every year. And most importantly of all, it will help ensure that America's public lands -- the special places that are monuments to our national character -- will survive for generations to come.

Fish and Wildlife Service:
proposed increase of $790 million in the base by 2004

The mission of the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Critical but severely underfunded programs include Operations and Maintenance of the National Wildlife Refuge System, and the endangered species, migratory bird, and fisheries programs.

National Wildlife Refuge System

The 93 million acre National Wildlife Refuge System is the only federal public lands system dedicated primarily to the conservation of fish and wildlife; it is crucial to protection of migratory birds, endangered species, and other wildlife. Nearly 30 million people annually visit our National Wildlife Refuges to enjoy activities such as bird-watching and other wildlife observation, hiking, fishing, nature photography, hunting, and environmental education. Wildlife refuges are accessible to families and communities across the country -- a national wildlife refuge is now within an hour's drive of most American cities.

Despite its importance to the conservation of our vibrant living heritage, chronic and severe funding shortfalls threaten the Refuge System's ability to achieve its mission. Current operations needs total $722 million, documented by the FWS Refuge Operating Needs System (RONS) and the maintenance backlog totals $526 million documented by the Maintenance Management System (MMS).

Funding increases provided by Congress in the last two years -- especially for maintenance -- have taken a first step toward addressing the Refuge System's critical funding needs. However significant additional increases must be allocated to remove the threat posed by lack of funding -- particularly increases for operations, which have not kept pace with those for maintenance.

For example, increases in operations funding are critically needed to carry out the requirements of the new National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act and to implement the directives of the first ever National Wildlife Refuge System Conference, including: inventory and monitoring (which requires additional biological staff); implementation of new compatibility regulations that depend heavily on the best available science; and development of Comprehensive Conservation Plans. Increases are also important for implementing the new Refuge Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act; these investments will leverage far more than their value by supporting hundreds of new volunteers at Refuges across the country. A minimum increase of $260 million yearly funding, explained in more detail below, is needed to help address these backlogs and to bring the Refuge System to two-thirds of its operating capacity. Specific needs of the National Wildlife Refuge System include:

Protecting Wildlife. The funding shortfall of $137 million (RONS) limits efforts to: survey, inventory and monitor fish, wildlife, and plant populations; detect significant population declines and disease problems; restore endangered or declining species; control invasive wildlife; and maintain other needed hands-on biological activities. Stations are often so minimally staffed that biologist positions are lacking or unfilled; in fact most refuges do not have even a single biologist. The recent Fish and Wildlife Service document "Biological Needs Assessment, National Wildlife Refuge System Division of Refuges July 1998" underscored the shortage in biological staffing. In Alaska there is an average of one biologist/700,000 acres; for the remainder of the country one/86,000 acres.

Improving Habitat. The funding shortfall of $303 million (RONS) limits efforts to: restore and improve existing managed habitats and additional lands; control invasive plants; and protect and monitor water rights and air quality. In Alaska there is an average of one habitat specialist/25 million acres; for the remainder of the country one/37,000 acres.

Involving People. The funding shortfall of $282 million (RONS) limits efforts to: provide visitor services, education and compatible recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing; work with state, tribal and local agencies; enter into partnerships with private landowners; and develop comprehensive conservation plans. In Alaska there is an average of one outreach specialist/33,000 visitors; for the rest of the country one/86,000 visitors.

Critical Maintenance. The funding shortfall of $526 million has resulted in the poor condition of the Refuge System's facility and equipment infrastructure. Many buildings are in a deteriorated state and vehicles and equipment are marginally operational or in some cases completely non-functional. Trails, wildlife viewing platforms and interpretive signs are often not available or are poorly maintained.

Endangered Species Program

The FWS is responsible for implementing the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to conserve and recover listed species, yet its ESA funding has been chronically inadequate. A 1990 Department of the Interior Inspector General's Audit Report "The Endangered Species Program, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service" (No. 90-98) emphasized this funding shortfall, noting "it is obvious that the Service's [ESA] mission cannot be fully accomplished at present funding levels." The minimum increase of $420 million per year identified below for implementation of the ESA does not include new obligations that could result from reauthorization of the act.

Since issuance of that report, the Service's ESA funding needs have increased tremendously; the number of listed species has almost doubled, increasing workloads for recovery planning and implementation and Section 7 consultations and accompanying increased monitoring activities. At the same time, the Service has taken advantage of flexibility under the Act to initiate proactive conservation measures for declining species not yet in need of listing, to increase utilization of Habitat Conservation Plans (HCPs), and to develop incentives for private landowners to contribute to the recovery of listed species. As the FWS has increased use of Candidate Conservation Agreements (CCAs) and HCPs, however, it must invest additional funds to ensure these conservation tools are based on sound science and undergo adequate monitoring and follow up. Specific needs of the ESA program include:

Candidate Conservation. The Service needs an increase of $17 million annually to assess the status of about 300 species (even though only about 10% of these will ultimately be listed) and to get ahead of the extinction curve and need to list by developing about 200 CCAs each year.

Listing. FWS needs at least $20 million more per year to handle current and backlogged listing needs; however, this figure does not include millions more needed for critical habitat designation. As a result of both funding shortfalls and the lingering impacts of the 1995-96 listing moratorium, the Service currently has a backlog of 159 species needing listing proposals, 63 awaiting final decisions and 90% of listed species awaiting critical habitat designation (the law requires it for all listed species).

Consultation. The FWS currently needs about $140 million more per year to perform adequately and scientifically about 40,000 formal, programmatic, and informal consultations; accommodate its increased usage of HCPs; and conduct necessary monitoring and follow-up. The amount for monitoring will increase as more HCPs are developed.

Recovery. Currently FWS needs $108 million more per year for recovery planning and implementation (a backlog of more than 300 listed species currently do not have recovery plans) and to provide incentives for conservation of listed species on private land. The amount needed for implementation will increase as more species are listed.

HCP Land Acquisition. To help states acquire lands in conjunction with HCP efforts, an increase of at least $134 million is currently needed. Given the increased use of large-scale statewide HCPs, yearly needs will be the same for the foreseeable future. Hundreds of species such as the Karner blue butterfly, Florida scrub jays, Key deer, marbled murrelets, and the ecosystems on which they depend will benefit from this program.

Migratory Bird Management Program

FWS is also responsible for the management of migratory bird populations, including 58 game species and 778 non-game species protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918. Recreational activities involving migratory birds such as observation, photography and hunting generate more than $13 billion per year in economic impacts, yet the FWS does not have adequate funding to ensure their conservation. The Service needs an increase of $15 million per year for critical activities such as conservation plan implementation, monitoring, outreach, national and international coordination of activities, and utilization of scientific information in designing management strategies, especially for management of non-game birds and conservation of habitat.

Restoration, Recovery, and Management of Our Nation's Fisheries and Aquatic Resources

As America approaches the 21st Century, demand and use of water are placing increased stress on fishery and aquatic resources and associated habitats. While the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is one of several agencies with authority and responsibility to balance growth with conservation of aquatic resources, the Service brings unique capabilities. Among the valuable assets the Service brings are a cadre of broadly focused field biologists in a Management Assistance program, a National Fish Hatchery System, and a network of Fish Technology and Health Centers. Each of these tools plays a vital role in recovering species listed under the Endangered Species Act, restoring otherwise depleted fisheries, ensuring genetic integrity of wild stocks, mitigating impacts to fisheries from federal energy and water development projects, and assisting others in managing fisheries. Successful programs for recovery of Apache trout in the Southwest, restoration of lake trout in the Great Lakes, and restoration and management of migratory striped bass along the East Coast would not have been possible without the fisheries expertise of the FWS.

The Service provides on-the-ground policy expertise and leadership in the restoration, recovery, and management of the nation's fisheries and aquatic resources. Areas of expertise and responsibility include evaluation of river flows and fish passage, prevention and control of aquatic invasive species, and evaluation and restoration of fish and other aquatic species populations and their habitats. Through strategically placed Fish and Wildlife Offices and Hatcheries, the Service seeks to maintain and improve the natural diversity, resilience, and vitality of aquatic resources. Despite these ongoing activities, the challenges continue to mount. Monitoring and evaluation of new and ongoing population and watershed restoration programs, identification and removal of fish passage impediments, and restoration of key habitats are all areas deserving additional support. These efforts will occur in collaboration between the Service and other federal, state, and tribal conservation agencies, as well as with local communities, conservation organizations, individual citizens, and affected industries. As a result, increased progress can be made toward the restoration and conservation of aquatic resources. A minimum increase of $95 million in yearly funding is needed to help address critical funding shortfalls.

Funding requirements:

Population and Recovery Programs. $18 million is needed for planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of restoration and recovery programs.

Flows and Passage. $10 million is needed to identify and establish critical instream flows necessary for various life-stages of aquatic organisms. Eliminate obstacles to upriver and downriver passage.

Fish and Aquatic Resource Habitat Restoration. $15 million is needed to identify and complete instream and riparian habitat restoration projects through watershed partnerships.

Critical Facilities Maintenance. Eventually, over $200 million will be required to eliminate the Service's maintenance backlog at National Fish Hatcheries.

National Park Service:
proposed increase of $630 million in the base over five years

The National Park System was established to preserve and protect the special places that comprise our nation's natural and cultural heritage. The National Park Service teaches us about our history as a people and offers unparalleled outdoor recreation opportunities. Unfortunately, the Park Service's ability to carry out its mission has been hampered by chronic under-funding. Since 1979, the number of visitors to the National Park System has increased from 205 million to 275 million and 60 new parks have been created. Unfortunately, the Park Service's authorized budget has not kept pace with these additional demands and responsibilities.

Over $600 million annually in additional funding is needed to meet ongoing operational needs, including visitor services and interpretive needs, public safety, research, and natural, recreational and cultural resource management. After years of neglect, the parks face a multi-billion dollar backlog in resource management, visitor information and exhibits, land acquisition, maintenance, and construction.

Routine maintenance of the parks' physical infrastructure has fallen behind. Roads are crumbling, roofs are leaking, sewage lines are breaking, and historic structures are falling into disrepair. More importantly, the research, planning, and management actions necessary to preserve the very resources the parks were established to protect are not getting done.

Specific unmet needs of the National Park System include:

Natural Resource Protection. In 1994, a study conducted by the National Parks and Conservation Association found that acquiring adequate baseline data on natural resources was one of the highest priorities for most park superintendents. Unfortunately, inadequate budgets have meant that even five years later many parks still lack basic data on park ecosystems and the threats to them. Collecting this basic data is estimated to require $129 million in additional funding

Systemwide, Park Service officials estimate that they require $468 million to complete outstanding natural resource management projects in the parks. In addition, there is over $100 million in annual recurring operational needs for natural resources. Overall, the natural resource budget is only about 6 percent of the total operating budget for the National Park System, averaging about $63 million in constant dollars over the past 10 years.

Other natural resource protection needs:

Visual and biological effects of urbanization and other near-park development ($54 million);
Accelerated erosion and disruption of native plant communities due to past land practices ($40 million);
Effects on threatened, endangered, and other at-risk wildlife ($39 million);
Resource damage due to the invasion of exotic, i.e., non-native, plants ($58 million);
Loss of plant and animal species ($53 million)

Cultural Resource Protection. National Park cultural resource needs are estimated to exceed $416 million, including archeological inventories, cataloging and preservation of museum collections, and completion of ethnographic studies. The National Park Service is the steward of a vast trove of material -- more than 75 million items -- representing the story of human existence in North America. However, only about 62 percent of preservation and protection conditions in park museum collections meet professional standards, and only about half of the collections in the system are catalogued. At the current pace, it will take until 2021 to complete the cataloguing backlog, at a cost of $54.3 million.

Other cultural resource protection needs:

• Correct 1,729 deficiencies in museum fire protection ($17. 3 million);
• Correct 4,259 deficiencies in museum environment ($24.5 million);
• Correct 2,731 deficiencies in museum security ($5.3 million);
• Correct 5,410 deficiencies in storage ($63.3 million);
• Correct 1,048 deficiencies in exhibit preservation and protection ($34.5 million excluding $78 million in construction costs over $500,000).

Recreation. At current funding levels the Park Service is unable to attain its statutory mandate or to accommodate ever increasing public recreation demand at its facilities. Only a fraction of the National Scenic Trails under Park Service care are in place; the agency's Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance program meets less than 50 percent of the demand for its services. Over the last decade, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail has received an enormous proportion of Park Service attention and financial funding. The NPS also has jurisdiction over four other national scenic trails - the Ice Age, North Country, Potomac Heritage, and the Natchez Trace Trails, plus 10 national historic trails. In addition, each of the 15 trails administered by the Park Service should have at least one full-time staff person. As the land acquisition program for the Appalachian Trail nears a close, the Park Service, with adequate funding, should be able to turn its energies toward adequately protecting the other congressionally-designated trails.

Operations. Approximately 75 percent of each park's budget goes toward the salaries and benefits for its employees, leaving very little to meet all the other needs. The remainder must pay for visitor services, facilities maintenance, utilities, and emergency response, and most importantly, resource protection. It is extremely difficult for parks to take the aggressive, proactive steps needed to safeguard natural and cultural resources when such a large portion of their base budget is consumed by personnel costs. For example, only about $30 million is currently dedicated to fund the numerous applied-science needs at all units of the system.

Physical Infrastructure. According to Park Service estimates, the immediate capital construction needs in the parks total $5.6 billion. These needs include repairing roads and bridges, historic structures, employee housing and utility lines. Even more sobering is that with only minor exceptions, the $5.6 billion figure includes no natural resource protection work. No funds are included to provide for the basic inventory and monitoring necessary to know the nature and condition of park resources. Nothing is included to support the management steps necessary to preserve the quality of those resources. Other unmet capital needs include: land restoration ($1.1 billion); employee housing ($442 million); and utilities, including gas, electric, water, and sewer ($304 million).

In total, the Public Lands Funding Initiative recommends that the National Park Service annual budget be increased $630 million over six years. The ongoing deterioration in natural, historic, recreational and cultural resources creates a national imperative for additional funding for our National Parks. The responsibility for properly funding the national parks ultimately rests with Congress. We have been left a precious legacy by those who came before us; those who will come after deserve the same.

Bureau of Land Management:
proposed increase of $125 million in the base by 2004

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is responsible for 264 million acres of federal land in the 12 western states, 3,000 species of wildlife and fish, 300 million acres of subsurface mineral estates, 50 palentologic sites, and a vast array of archaeological and historic sites. BLM manages a broad array of fish and wildlife habitat in deserts, rangelands, mountains, forests, and tundra. It provides rugged or remote outdoor recreational experiences for an increasing number of Americans. The total increased funding required to fully support BLM s environmental-recreation programs is at least $125 million annually. Specific needs include: Wildlife, Fisheries, and Threatened and Endangered Species Programs. The funding increase needed: $48 million annually. BLM currently staffs a single biologist per million acres, half the level needed to meet a minimum professional standard to manage these three programs. Managed resources include 216 federally listed threatened and endangered species and 1,200 candidate plant and animal species. Botanists are staffed at levels lower than biologists -- approximately a third of the minimum professional standard.

Critical needs also exists in "newer" science areas such as conservation biology and various specialties such as plant ecology. Funding is needed for specific habitat assessment and population surveys, recovery plan implementation and monitoring, species reintroduction, and long-term restoration efforts.

Recreation Resources and Recreation Maintenance. The funding increase needed: $16.9 million annually. The recreation program provides quality recreational opportunities for the public while maintaining a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. Significant increases in recreation correlated with decreases in staffing have resulted in serious funding shortfalls. Increased funding will assist in the identification of recreational needs, development of services and training personnel. $10.2 million would address the development of trails, campsites and interpretative services, as well as the implementation of fee demonstration projects and cooperative management programs. The maintenance program deals with nearly 1400 recreation sites and 12,000 miles of trails. To meet these annual requirements an increase of $6.7 is needed. Corrective maintenance is needed for projects that have been neglected for up to 12 years; currently a total appropriation of $22 million is needed to mitigate these problems.

Paleontology. The funding needed: $1.5 million annually. BLM is responsible for administering fossil finds on public lands. Many of the earliest described and most widely known dinosaur specimens come from our public lands. These are fragile, non-renewable resources which fuel scientific discovery and evoke scientific curiosity. This important work has no budgetary line item which requires funding to be redirected from other accounts, reflecting marginal support for scientifically-significant land. In addition to an annual appropriation, $150,000 is needed to upgrade the Cleveland-Lloyd Dinosaur Quarry in Utah, the only publicly-interpreted paleontological facility in the federal lands system.

Wilderness. The increase in funding needed: $12 million annually. The BLM is responsible for 134 Wilderness Areas with 5.2 million acres located in 9 western states and 622 Wilderness Study Areas consisting of 7.4 million acres. Increased on-the-ground patrols are needed to provide resource protection and visitor services and gather information necessary to manage wilderness. Additional funding is needed for reclamation/restoration projects which will decrease the possibility of future vehicle trespass and simplify wilderness management. Funds are also needed to complete mining claim validity examinations, cadastral boundary surveys, and appraisals and cultural clearances in support of land exchanges.

Culture. The increase in funding needed: $1.5 million annually. BLM is the steward for the government's largest, most varied and scientifically most important body of archaeological and historical resources, estimated at 4 to 4.5 million cultural properties. At present none of the states has a full-time historian or historic archaeologist to handle these responsibilities.

Weeds Initiative. The increase in funding needed: $3.3 million annually. BLM lands suffer from widespread and devastating invasions by exotic species of plants which destroy native wildlife habitat and decimate forage value. Currently only one full-time state-level weed coordinator and two full-time national positions are funded. Funding is needed to provide a full-time weed management specialist at most field offices, inventory the presence of weeds, develop and apply treatment, and develop and work with partners in outreach and training. These funds should be spent in an environmentally sensitive manner.

Riparian-Wetland Initiative. The increase in funding needed: $25 million annually. The riparian-wetland initiative begun in 1991 was intended to restore at least 75% of riparian and wetland areas to their proper functioning condition by 1997; however, this goal has not been met due to funding shortfalls. Riparian areas, the green ribbons adjacent to creeks, streams, lakes and rivers, provide pure water, reduce the risk of flood damage and streambank erosion, increase ground-water supplies, and supports a diversity of wildlife and plant species. Appropriate restoration and management of wetland and riparian areas is an extremely complex effort involving understanding of earth, water and vegetation interactions. An array of specialists knowledgeable about hydrology, soils, and vegetation is required to determine ecological site potential and desired plant communities, design and implement grazing prescriptions and practices, and conduct numerous other activities to ensure sound restoration and management. To fully meet the professional standard of managing riparian-wetland resources, interdisciplinary teams are needed at each field office where staffs are presently at 30-40% of that level.

Rangeland. The increase in funding needed: $17 million annually. Since the 1995 Range Reform regulations were implemented, BLM has worked with Resource Advisory Councils to develop sound standards and guidelines (S&G), which are fundamental to improving conditions on our nation's public rangelands. With the S&G's in place, the agency must turn its attention to implementing these protective standards, to protect and restore soil stability, water quality, watershed functions, vegetative health, habitat conditions and other ecological factors. Implementation will require the BLM to more actively monitor range conditions, consult with grazing permitees and other affected interests, and in some cases amend existing land use plans and grazing permits.

A disturbing fiscal fact: BLM is one of the top revenue-generating agencies in the Federal government. In 1996, BLM-managed lands generated over $1 billion from mineral leasing royalties, timber sales, grazing fees, and recreation use. Remarkably, 76% of these fees are transferred to the Bureau of Reclamation under a 1902 law that provides for the construction of federal irrigation projects, significantly reducing BLM's ability to manage the land effectively.

Forest Service:
proposed increase of $678 million in the base by 2004

The U.S. Forest Service (FS) manages more than 191 million acres of public lands, including 156 National Forests, 20 National Grasslands, 4 National Monuments, a National Tallgrass Prairie, 35 million acres in the National Wilderness Preservation System, 433,000 miles of roads, and 133,000 miles of recreation trails. The agency has major responsibility for managing the habitat of more than 3,000 species of wildlife and fish, and 10,000 plant species. The National Forest System has 80 percent of the elk, mountain goat, and bighorn sheep habitat in the continental U.S.; 38 million acres of wild turkey habitat; and habitat for 250 species of neotropical migratory birds. These lands also harbor about 350 Threatened and Endangered species and an additional 2,500 sensitive species that could become listed.

Outdoor recreation is the largest contributor to the U.S. economy of any use of the National Forest System. In 1996, recreation drew more than 850 million people to these public lands and contributed at least 2.5 million jobs and an estimated $100 billion to the Nation's Gross Domestic Product. By 2045, 1.2 billion people are expected to visit National Forest System lands annually.

National Forest System lands provide more than 33 million days of wildlife watching, including photography, and nature study worth nearly $1.6 billion; 36 million days of recreational fishing worth nearly $2 billion and creating 60,000 jobs; and 16 million days of hunting worth $630 million annually, creating 18,000 jobs, and generating $256 million in State and federal taxes. Despite the value of Forest Service resources, most programs are understaffed and all are underfunded (some by as much as 50 percent.).

Fish, Wildlife, and Rare Plants. A minimum increase of $109 million in appropriations is needed for wildlife and fish habitat improvement, collection of basic fish, wildlife, and rare plant data; maintenance of biodiversity, and wetland restoration and improvement. Technical information on these species is inadequate. A modest estimate of annual needs goes well beyond this minimum increase, including $55 million for wildlife habitat improvements; $64 million for fish habitat improvements; and $68 million to promote recovery of some 350 threatened or endangered Species and to maintain viability of 2,500 sensitive species. Substantial financial contributions from the States, Tribal governments, and the private sector are lost annually because the agency does not have matching funds for cost-share projects.

Recreation. The U.S. Forest Service recreation program needs a minimum annual increase in appropriations of $248 million, which primarily addresses the need to ensure visitor and employee health and safety. This program has a total backlog of $818 million in repairs for recreation facilities and a $257 million backlog for trail maintenance and repair. The trails program is severely understaffed--each forest should have one full-time staff person to administer the trails program and the volunteers who help build and maintain trails.

Wilderness (part of the Recreation Program). Of all the programs monitored, the U.S. Forest Service's wilderness program was the most under funded. Only 20 full-time employees are assigned to manage the 35 million acres in the National Wilderness Preservation System. An estimated $86 million annual increase (included in the $248 million above) in appropriations is needed to adequately manage these important wilderness lands.

Roads. A minimum increase of $100 million per year is needed to obliterate or repair environmentally damaging, unsafe, and unneeded roads and bridges in our National Forests. There are an estimated 433,000 miles of roads in the National Forest System, including 60,000 miles of unplanned or unmanaged roads ("ghost roads"). Roads are profoundly damaging to fish and wildlife habitat, and the Forest Service estimates that it needs $10 billion to bring roads and bridges back to safety specifications and into compliance with environmental standards; ghost roads pose additional financial and environmental liabilities and also need to be obliterated. While the Forest Service's estimated $10 billion maintenance backlog has been criticized, that the agency needs substantial additional funds to decommission and maintain roads is clear. The agency has received $99.8 million to maintain existing roads and to obliterate 3,500 miles of roads in FY 99. The Forest Service should establish a more aggressive road obliteration, maintenance, and bridge and culvert repair schedule. Additional annual appropriations of $100 million in the road maintenance budget category will greatly enhance the Forest Service's ability to establish a five-year goal of obliterating 40,000 miles of unneeded and unnecessary roads.

Exotic Invasive Species Management. Exotic invasive species, such as insects, fungi, and "noxious weeds", are causing billions of dollars of lost revenue and damaging millions of acres. Exotic insects and pathogens have severely damaged or almost eliminated a dozen tree species with long-term effects on forests. This program is annually under funded by $34 million, including a $16 million shortfall for noxious weeds. Available funds for this program should be spent in an environmentally sensitive manner.

Rangeland Management. At a minimum, a $39 million increase in appropriations is needed to manage rangelands in the National Forest System. About 21 million acres of the 92 million acres of National Forest System rangelands are in unsatisfactory condition; 42 million acres of the total require further analysis to determine their condition. National Forest System rangelands are the home for deer, elk, pronghorn, turkey, sharp-tail grouse, bighorn sheep, sage grouse, and 15 Threatened and Endangered Species, including the black-footed ferret. Current staffing levels are about 50 percent of those needed to properly manage these valuable lands.

Research on Wildlife, Fish, Water and Air. An increase in appropriations of $37.5 million is needed to develop scientific methods for monitoring, restoring, managing, and inventorying Forest Service resources. Scientific information on restoration and management of wetlands, rangelands, and forests is of primary importance, particularly research on fish and wildlife habitat improvement. The Forest Service is currently conducting research on only about 100 of the 350 listed and 2,500 sensitive species associated with National Forest System lands, and about 70% of the funding is spent on 10 highly controversial species or groups of species. Research on several taxa is grossly under funded, including bats, forest carnivores, plants, amphibians, molluscs, and crayfish. Lastly, lack of funds hampers both research on techniques and on-the ground-efforts to control the spread and virulence of pathogens and insects attacking native trees, and exotic plant species invading grasslands, forests, and wetlands.

Inventory and Monitoring. Adequate monitoring is essential for sound management of our forests, but is often neglected due to lack of budgetary support. An increase of at least $30 million is needed.

Watershed Improvements. This program includes closing roads, restoring riparian vegetation and treating abandoned mines. An increase of $20 million is needed.

State and Private Forestry. At least two programs in this area are in need of increases. First, the Forest Legacy Program should be increased to $50 million annually to function more effectively as a national program. Funding at this level will enable this chronically underfunded program to complete projects more rapidly, expand the program to more states, respond effectively to the needs of timberland owners, and save a significant amount of threatened timberland. Second, the Urban and Community Forestry program contributes to a higher quality of life and a better environment by providing grants to14 states and communities to establish, maintain, and expand urban and community forests and related green spaces. It should be funded at least at $40 million per year, a $10 million increase.

USGS Biological Resources Division:
proposed increase of $186 million in the base by 2004

The USGS Biological Resources Division (BRD) works with others to provide scientific understanding and technologies needed to support the sound management and conservation of the Nation's biological resources. This activity is based on the strong traditions of management-oriented research on fish, wildlife, and habitats developed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and other Federal and State government and non-government organizations. The Biological Resources Division constitutes the core biological research capability of the Department of the Interior, including 1,600 scientists, administrators, technicians, and other support staff at 16 biological science centers and 39 cooperative research units.

Current budgets for biological research, resource monitoring, and information transfer fall far short of meeting the science needs of the resource management bureaus in the Department of the Interior. Consequently, these Interior bureaus lack adequate biological and ecological information to base sound policies and programs to conserve, protect, and manage the biological resources entrusted to the Department. In addition, there is an increasing shortfall in funds available to maintain and operate the Division's investment in research laboratories, facilities, equipment, vessels and vehicles at the science centers and cooperative units.

Specific needs include:

Providing resource science: The current budget level is at least $25 million below funding needed to provide adequate biological science to Department of the Interior bureaus, including improving knowledge of fish and wildlife population dynamics and habitat requirements, studying aquatic and riparian habitats in flood plains and river corridors, needed analysis for conservation of other aquatic resources, investigating grassland habitat fragmentation, evaluating fire management programs, restoring wetlands and riparian habitats, understanding fish and wildlife disease problems, developing strategies for controlling invasive alien species, advancing integrated resource monitoring and assessment, and developing decision support systems. Research projects will also be designed to evaluate Habitat Conservation Plans and to participate in adaptive management programs for migratory birds using prairie wetlands and grasslands.

Increasing access to biological resources information: Current funding levels are not adequate for BRD programs which enable biological scientists, resource managers, and decision makers to electronically locate, retrieve, and use biological resources information from a wealth of existing sources. BRD is leading a collaborative effort to develop the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII), an Internet-based network of biological data, maps, analysis tools, publications and other information. Public land and resource managers can easily access the network to get information on topics such as invasive species, wildlife disease, migratory species management, and many other issues. An additional $9 million is needed annually to increase the biological information available on NBII. This includes information produced by BRD through the National Park Vegetation Mapping program, the Gap Analysis Program, and other BRD science efforts, as well as information produced by key non-BRD sources such as State resource agencies and university researchers.

Staffing cooperative units: Program funding is insufficient to fulfill Federal staffing commitments to meet the scientific research and technical assistance needs of cooperators. An increase of $1 million over the FY1999 appropriated level is needed to fully staff all unfunded science vacancies. This increase will also provide improved administrative and technical support for the Cooperative Research Units program.

Operating research facilities: Current funding for facilities operations of $8.9 million supports only 46% of the total need. The resulting $19 million shortfall is diverted from research programs to pay routine operational costs. To minimize the impact on research performance and productivity, upkeep of facilities is often deferred which ultimately results in degradation of the infrastructure. A modest increase of $25 million to the base is needed for full funding. This increase would provide support for minimum operational costs of facilities, including utilities, supplies, inspections, contract services and animal care.

Maintaining research facilities: The current maintenance and capital improvement backlog consists of over 700 projects totaling more than $65 million at the 16 science centers and various Cooperative Research Units. The projects include repair, rehabilitation, replacement, upgrade, or construction of facilities, structures, and equipment. Examples of deferred projects include: HVAC systems, water supply and control systems, environmental control systems, fences, roofs, air handling units, laboratory equipment, building demolition and replacement, fire detection and suppression systems, boats, research vessels, specialized vehicles used for research, and motors for equipment. These projects range from $5,000 to over $1 million.

In the current appropriation, BRD has $2.9 million for facility maintenance. Of that amount, $2 million is allocated for the highest priority health and safety projects. At current funding levels, few other maintenance needs are met and more projects are added to the backlog every year. This hampers BRD's ability to conduct science and deliver timely products. An increase of $9.5 million per year is needed to eliminate this maintenance backlog in 5 years and improve working, safety, and health conditions for employees, cooperators, vendors, and the visiting public. By improving cyclical maintenance as well as other repairs and renovations in a timely manner, the usefulness of these research facilities will be prolonged.

Land and Water Conservation Fund:
proposed increase of at least $600 million to the base each year (to full funding as authorized in the LWCF Act) and a permanent revenue stream in place by FY 2004 or earlier

Congress has authorized an annual revenue stream of $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) from offshore oil and gas drilling receipts, for both federal land acquisition and state and local recreation project grants. Over the past several years, this program has received less than one-quarter of the total authorized level with no funding whatsoever going to the state and local portion of the program. However, in FY98, for the first time since the enactment of the program in 1964, Congress approved full funding for the program, with all of the funds going to the federal land management units for federal acquisitions and related activities. The stateside portion of the fund remained unfunded through FY99.

Full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund on an annual basis is critical in order to provide an investment in natural and cultural resource conservation, watershed protection, wildlife habitat, and recreational resources. Unrestrained development and dramatic population increases are putting pressure on the quality of existing public lands, reinforcing the need to expand our current base. Our nation's commitment to purchase lands within our National Forests, Parks, Wildlife Refuges and Bureau of Land Management Units has fallen by the wayside due to the lack of funding over the years. The resulting backlog backlog of project needs, estimated at between $10 to $12 billion, remains unabated despite the recent acknowledgment of Congress to provide additional LWCF funds in the FY 1998 budget. Purchase and conservation of additional available land and water resources remains an urgent need.

This is also true at the state and local level, as development pressures increase the need for recreational resources in and around our cities and heavily populated metropolitan areas and threaten remaining vestiges of green space and habitat. The solution to meeting state and local recreation needs is to revive the State and Local Assistance portion of LWCF, which itself has pending unfunded grant requests totaling about $600 million due to the elimination of funding over the past four years. Congress should fully fund LWCF and, as a part of that commitment, revitalize the State and Local Assistance program.

LWCF is also critical to redress the consequences of past mistakes. For example, it funds a major land acquisition component of the multi-agency effort to restore the Florida Everglades. This is the most ambitious ecosystem restoration project ever undertaken, vital to the environment and water supplies upon which millions of people depend. Full funding of LWCF will be critical in order to acquire the federal portion of the acres needed.

Below is an outline of the federal and stateside backlog as they currently exist. The federal backlog does not take into account any expansion of units beyond their existing boundaries, nor the addition of any new units.

National Park Service: In order to acquire an estimated 345,000 acres of private inholdings located within currently existing National Park boundaries, the Park Service needs an estimated $1.5 billion to complete backlog projects for 102 existing national parks. When Alaska is included, 4.75 million acres are still privately held within currently existing National Park boundaries.

Fish and Wildlife Service: In order to acquire an estimated 2.5 million acres of private inholdings located within currently existing refuge boundaries, the Fish and Wildlife Service needs an estimated $2.943 billion to complete backlog projects.

Bureau of Land Management: In order to acquire an estimated 927,000 acres of private inholdings located within currently existing boundaries, the Bureau of Land Management needs an estimated $588 million to complete backlog projects.

United States Forest Service: In order to acquire an estimated 848,670 acres of private inholdings located within currently existing Forest Service boundaries, the Forest Service needs an estimated $747 million to complete backlog projects. These estimated numbers include backlog projects in Alaska.