Interior Appropriations Executive Summary

The Interior-Environment Appropriations bill spends $32.1 billion.
This is a 16% increase over last year’s funding level of $27.5 billion.

The Interior Appropriations bill includes 303 earmarks, costing taxpayers $244.5 million. This includes a $1 million earmark for the Belmont House, a well-known house on Capitol Hill frequented by congressional staff and members attending parties, lobbying events, and re-election fundraisers.

Department of Interior
Specifically, the Department of Interior will see a 9% increase in its annual budget over last year’s level.

According to GAO, the Department of Interior now faces a maintenance backlog ranging from $13.2 billion and $19.4 billion.

Despite record funding, the Park Service saw its maintenance backlog increase by $400 million during a nine month period last year.  It more than doubled between 1999 and 2007.

Environmental Protection Agency
This legislation provides the EPA with $10.15 billion, which is a 33% increase over the 2009 spending level. This increase of nearly a third in the agency’s budget is inappropriate at a time of negative inflation.

The Forest Service will receive $5.23 billion (+$480.8 million or 10% increase over FY 2009). The Forest Service also received $1.15 billion from the 2009 Stimulus.

Misplaced Priorities
This bill continues to fund low-priority and special interest projects across the country, instead of focusing these funds toward the existing national parks and monuments in disrepair and in need of significant maintenance.

Coburn Amendments to the Interior Appropriations Bill

Amendment 2463
Publicize all reports required by this bill, if such publicizing does not compromise national security interests.  Click here for additional background.

Amendment 2480
Eliminate National Park Service earmark for the Sewall Belmont House in Washington, DC and redirect funds to higher priority maintenance backlog needs. Click here for additional background.

Amendment 2523
None of the funds in the Act may be used to impede, prohibit or restrict activities of the Secretary of Homeland Security to enforce border control laws on federal lands. Click here for additional background. Click here for the National Border Patrol Council letter of support. Click here for the Eagle Forum letter of support.

Amendment 2466
Prohibit the use of funds in this Act to block, delay, or halt the development of renewable energy on public lands, or the licensing and development of transmission lines on public lands necessary to deliver electricity derived from these renewable resources. Click here for additional background.

Amendment 2483
Require all federal land acquisition funds in the bill (for one year) to be used instead to help meet growing maintenance needs on existing federal lands. Click here for additional background.

Amendment 2468
Require a report on the total federal land owned by the federal government and the total cost to maintain this land. Click here for additional background.  

Amendment 2482
Require all private property owners to be notified of a National Heritage Areas designation near their property and allow them to decide whether or not to opt in. Click here for additional background.  Read the letter of support from the Property Rights Alliance here.

Amendment 2511
Require that all grants and contracts (and earmarks) awarded under this act be competitively bid.  Click here for additional background.