H.R. 2691 - Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004
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October 30, 2003
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H.R.2691
Title:Making appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2004, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Taylor, Charles H. [NC-11] (introduced 7/10/2003) Cosponsors: (none)
Committees: House Appropriations
House Reports: 108-195; Conference Reports: 108-330
Related Bills: H.RES.319, H.RES.418, S.1391
Latest Major Action: 11/10/2003 Became Public Law No: 108-108 [Text, PDF]
Burgess voted YES
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SUMMARY AS OF:
7/17/2003--Passed House, amended. (There are 2 other summaries)
Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 - Makes appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies for FY 2004.
Title I: Department of the Interior - Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for: (1) land and resource management; (2) wildland fire management; (3) remedial action of hazardous waste substances; (4) construction; (5) land acquisition; (6) Oregon and California grant lands; (7) range improvements; (8) service charges, deposits, and forfeitures with respect to pubic lands; and (9) miscellaneous trust funds.
Appropriates funds for FY 2004 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for: (1) resource management; (2) construction; (3) land acquisition; (4) the establishment of a Landowner Incentive Program that provides assistance to private landowners for private conservation efforts; (5) the establishment of a Private Stewardship Grants Program; (6) expenses related to carrying out the Endangered Species Act of 1973; (7) the National Wildlife Refuge Fund; (8) expenses related to carrying out the North American Wetlands Conservation Act; (9) financial assistance for projects to promote the conservation of neotropical migratory birds; (10) expenses related to carrying out the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, and the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000; and (11) wildlife conservation grants to States, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and Indian tribes.
Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to the National Park Service (NPS) for: (1) the National Park System; (2) the U.S. Park Police; (3) expenses for national recreation and preservation programs; (4) expenses to carry out the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978; (5) expenses related to carrying out the Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996; (6) construction; and (7) land acquisition and State assistance from the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
Rescinds specified contract authority to obligate funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for FY 2004.
Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to: (1) the U.S. Geological Survey for surveys, investigations, and research; (2) the Minerals Management Service for royalty and offshore minerals management and oil spill research; (3) the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement for regulation and technology and the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund; (4) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for operation of Indian programs, construction, Indian land and water claim settlements and miscellaneous payments to Indians, and Indian guaranteed loans; (5) assist U.S. territories and to carry out the Compacts of Free Association with respect to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau; (6) the Department of the Interior for departmental management; (7) make payments in lieu of taxes to local units of government containing certain Federally owned lands; (8) the Offices of the Solicitor and of the Inspector General; (9) trust programs for Indians; (10) a program for consolidation of fractional interests in Indian lands by direct expenditure or cooperative agreement; and (11) the Department of the Interior for natural resource damage assessment and restoration.
Cancels certain unobligated balances under the heading of the Working Capital Fund.
Sets forth authorized and prohibited uses of specified funds.
(Sec. 114) Provides that a grazing permit or lease that expires during FY 2004 shall be renewed under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 or, if applicable, the California Desert Protection Act. States that the terms and conditions contained in the expiring permit or lease shall continue in effect under the new permit or lease until the Secretary completes processing of the new permit or lease.
(Sec. 131) Allows such funds as are necessary to be transferred from "Departmental Management, Salaries and Expenses", to "United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Resource Management" for operational needs at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge airport.
(Sec. 132) Prohibits any funds appropriated for the Department of the Interior by this Act or any other Act from being used to study or implement any plan to drain Lake Powell or reduce the water level of the lake below the range of water levels required for the operation of the Glen Canyon Dam.
(Sec. 133) Amends provisions of the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution, 2003, pertaining to the Tribal School Construction Demonstration Program, including to set forth a new definition for a tribally controlled school. Allows schools that are not funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to participate in the demonstration program with the understanding that only construction funds and no funding for school operations or facilities operations and maintenance will be provided to these schools.
(Sec. 134) Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on various topics related to the educational facilities available to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (including the impacts that the construction of new facilities might have on natural, cultural, and other resources present within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway).
(Sec. 135) Directs the Secretary to convey to the Veterans Home of California-Barstow, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #385E, all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to a specified property in the Mojave National Preserve in exchange for a specified property. Designates the property conveyed by the Government as a national memorial commemorating United States participation in World War I and honoring American veterans of that war.
(Sec. 136) Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Act of 2003 - Establishes the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area in North Carolina, to be managed by the Blue Ridge National Heritage Area Partnership.
(Sec. 137) Prohibits any funds in any Act from being used by the Department of the Interior to support the Klamath Fishery Management Council.
Title II: Related Agencies - Makes FY 2004 appropriations for the Department of Agriculture for the Forest Service for: (1) forest and rangeland research; (2) State and private forestry; (3) the National Forest System (NFS); (4) wildland fire management; (5) capital improvement and maintenance; (6) land acquisitions, including specified National Forest areas in Utah, Nevada, and California; (7) range rehabilitation protection, and improvement; (8) gifts, donations, and bequests for forest and rangeland research; and (9) Federal land management in Alaska.
Defers funds made available in prior years for clean coal technology from being used until October 1, 2004, subject to a specified condition. Makes appropriations for the Department of Energy for: (1) fossil energy research and development that includes acquisition of real property, plants or facilities, technological investigations and research targeting mineral substances, and a Clean Coal Power Initiative; (2) naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities; (3) installment payments pertaining to the Elk Hills School Lands Fund; (4) implementation of energy conservation activities; (5) implementation of activities of the Office of Hearings and Appeals, and of the Energy Information Administration; and (6) the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.
Specifies that, unless specifically provided for in an appropriations Act, funds made available to the Department of Energy under this Act may not be used to: (1) finance or implement authorized price support or loan guarantee programs; or (2) issue or process procurement documents for various enterprises.
Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Indian Health Service (IHS) and Indian health facilities.
Makes appropriations for FY 2004 to: (1) the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation; and (2) the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development.
Makes appropriations in specified amounts for various purposes to: (1) the Smithsonian Institution (earmarking certain funds for the National Museum of the American Indian, the Council of American Overseas Research Centers and other specified programs, ); (2) the National Gallery of Art; (3) the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; (4) the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; (5) the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities; (6) the Challenge America Arts Fund, for Challenge America Grants for arts education and public outreach activities to be administered by the NEA; (7) the Commission of Fine Arts, including expenses for National Capital Arts and Cultural Affairs; (8) the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; (9) the National Capital Planning Commission; (10) the United States Holocaust Memorial Council, for the Holocaust Memorial Museum; and (11) the Presidio Trust Fund.
Title III: General Provisions - Sets forth limitations on the use of funds under this Act.
(Sec. 305) Prohibits any assessments, charges, or billings from being levied against any program, budget activity, subactivity, or project funded by this Act without advance notice to Congress.
(Sec. 323) States that employees of the foundations established by Acts of Congress to solicit private sector funds on behalf of Federal land management agencies shall, in FY 2004 and thereafter, qualify for General Service Administration contract airfares.
(Sec. 324) Permits the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to make reciprocal agreements in which the individuals furnished by an agreement to provide fire management services are considered, for tort liability, employees of the country receiving the services when the individuals are fighting fires. Prohibits the Secretaries from making any agreement in which a foreign country does not assume any and all responsibility for acts or omissions of American firefighters who are firefighting in such foreign country.
(Sec. 330) Allows the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, in awarding a Federal contract for any of specified purposes with funds made available by this Act, to give consideration to local contractors who are from economically disadvantaged rural communities and who provide employment and training for dislocated and displaced workers in such communities. Allows the Secretaries to award grants or cooperative agreements in certain areas to various entities, including local non-profits and the Youth Conservation Corps. Includes in such areas habitat restoration or management and forest hazardous fuels reduction.
(Sec. 332) Extends the recreational fee demonstration program for two years.
(Sec. 333) Amends the Land Between the Lakes Protection Act of 1998 to allow the Secretary of Agriculture to utilize funds regarding the Recreation Area consistent with the authorities formerly exercised by the Tennessee Valley Authority when it had jurisdiction over the Area. Includes in such authorities campground management and visitor services, paid advertisement, and procurement of food and supplies for resale purposes. (Current law allows the Secretary of Agriculture to exercise such authorities regarding procurement of property, services, supplies, and equipment).
(Sec. 334) Amends the Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2000, with respect to the pilot program for the harvest of forest botanical products. Directs the Secretary to establish appraisal methods and bidding procedures to determine the fair market value of forest botanical products harvested for the program. Revises a provision pertaining to the collection of fees to direct the Secretary to recover at least a portion of the fair market value of the harvested forest botanical products and of certain costs incurred by the Department of Agriculture. (Current law directs the Secretary to recover all of such costs). Permits the Secretary to collect fees associated with the pilot program through FY 2009.
(Sec. 335) Declares that none of the funds in this Act can be used to initiate any new competitive sourcing studies.
(Sec. 336) Declares that none of the funds made available by this Act may be used for the implementation of a competitive sourcing study at the Midwest Archaeological Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, or the Southeast Archaeological Center in Florida.
(Sec. 337) Declares that none of the funds made available by this Act may be used to implement amendments to Bureau of Land Management regulations on Recordable Disclaimers of Interest in Land, with regard to any lands within specified types of areas.
