DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS BILL, 1998 Story date: March, 1998

The following is a copy of the official publication.

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

The Bureau of Land Management is responsible for the multiple use management, protection, and development of a full range of natural resources, including minerals, timber, rangeland, fish and wildlife habitat, and wilderness on about 270 million acres of the Nation's public lands and for management of 300 million additional acres of Federally-owned subsurface mineral rights. The Bureau is the second largest supplier of public outdoor recreation in the Western United States, with an estimated 65 million visits totaling 570 million visitor hours of recreation use on the public lands under the Bureau's management.

Under the multiple-use and ecosystem management concept the Bureau administers the grazing of approximately 4.3 million head of livestock on some 164 million acres of public land ranges, and manages over 43,000 wild horses and burros, some 270 million acres of wildlife habitat, and over 150,000 miles of fisheries habitat. Grazing receipts are estimated to be about $16.1 million in fiscal year 1998, compared to an estimated $15.0 million in fiscal year 1997 and actual receipts of $15.4 million in fiscal year 1996. The Bureau also administers about 4 million acres of commercial forest lands through the `Management of lands and resources' and `Oregon and California grant lands' appropriations. Timber receipts (including salvage) are estimated to be $98.5 million in fiscal year 1998 compared to estimated receipts of $96.2 million in fiscal year 1997 and actual receipts of $92.8 million in fiscal year 1996. The Bureau has an active program of soil and watershed management on 175 million acres in the lower 48 States and 92 million acres in Alaska. Practices such as revegetation, protective fencing, and water developments are designed to conserve, enhance, and develop public land, soil, and watershed resources. The Bureau is also responsible for fire protection on the public lands and on all Department of the Interior managed lands in Alaska, and for the suppression of wildfires on the public lands in Alaska and the western States.

MANAGEMENT OF LANDS AND RESOURCES

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Appropriation enacted, 1997 $575,664,000

Budget estimate, 1998 587,495,000

Recommended, 1998 581,591,000

Comparison:

Appropriation, 1997 +5,927,000

Budget estimate, 1998 -5,904,000

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The Committee recommends $581,591,000 for management of lands and resources, an increase of $5,927,000 from the fiscal year 1997 level and a decrease of $5,904,000 from the budget estimate.

The amounts recommended by the Committee compared with the budget estimates by activity are shown in the following table:

001

Land resources- The Committee recommends $131,080,000 for land resources, including increases of $2,172,000 for fixed costs, $1,330,000 for the Escalante National Monument, $2,000,000 for the abandoned mine land program, $1,000,000 for prescribed fires, $1,000,000 for noxious weed management, $2,443,000 for the wild horse and burro program, and $150,000 for Afton canyon.

The $150,000 for the Afton canyon area of critical environmental concern is to enhance water sources for desert bighorn sheep and upland game birds.

The Committee expects the Bureau to institute a competitive bidding process for the wild horse and burro program with a minimum bid of $125 per horse or burro. Monies received by the Bureau from this bidding process should be used as follows: (1) for responsible horse management on the range, (2) for a more effective adoption compliance monitoring program, and (3) for increased use of immunocontraception as a population management tool. In addition, if funds are available the Bureau should institute a required training program for all wild horse program employees. The Bureau should report to the Committee on the status of the wild horse and burro program by March 1, 1998.