The California Institute for Federal Policy Research
a resource for information regarding federal policy and California
voice: 202-974-6384 ~ fax:202-223-2330 ~ email ~ subscribe ~ home
The California Institute for Federal Policy Researchvoice: 202-974-6384 ~ fax:202-223-2330 ~ email ~ subscribe ~ home
The California Institute prepares a quick analysis of the President's budget request on the day it is released. For the FY 2009 Budget, the budget was released the morning of February 4, 2008. The following represents an examination of this portion of the budget from a California perspective. For analysis of other components visit our 2009 Budget page.
In his FY 2009 Budget Proposal, the President requests $10.6 billion in FY09 discretionary authority for the Department of Interior, as compared to the $11 billion in estimated FY08 authority.
A total of $984 million is requested to fund BLM for FY 2009, as compared to the $1 billion estimated in FY08 spending. This figure is exclusive of Wildland Fire funding.
- $108 million is requested for the management of these lands, slightly less than the $110 million requested in FY08.
The Budget documents state that the Secretary is authorized by law to sell not more than 700 acres of public lands per calendar year in and around Las Vegas, Nevada, the proceeds of which are to be used to acquire environmentally sensitive lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin of California and Nevada.
Funds in this program are used for the purpose of planning, preparing, implementing and monitoring salvage timber sales and forest ecosystem health and recovery activities, such as release from competing vegetation and density control treatments. The Federal share of receipts, which are that portion of salvage timber receipts not paid to the counties, and derived from treatments funded by this account shall be deposited into the Forest Ecosystem Health and Recovery Fund. $5 million in new authority is requested in FY09, as opposed to the $7 million estimated for FY07.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (P.L. 109 58) amends section 31 of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Lands Act (43 U.S.C. 1356 et seq.) to require that, for a four-year period, $250,000,000 in OCS revenues be paid annually to coastal States and coastal political subdivisions that have submitted approved coastal impact assistance plans. The formula for distribution is based on the amount of qualified OCS revenues generated off the coastline of each producing State. In addition, 35 percent of each State's allocable share is to be distributed to coastal political subdivisions based on population, coastline, and distance to applicable OCS leases. The payments are to be made starting in 2007 with the last payment to be made in 2010.
The Budget proposes $968 million in funding for BOR, as opposed to the $1.15 billion estimated for FY08. $779,320,000 is proposed for Water and Related Resources Funding, compared to the FY08 request of $949,882,000. This account supports the development, management, and restoration of water and related natural resources in the 17 Western States. The Budget documents state: "In 2009, Reclamation will partner with the U.S. Geological Survey to implement a Water Security Initiative that focuses resources and funding on areas in the West where conflict exists or is most likely to occur. This Initiative will merge two water conservation programs Water 2025 and the Water Conservation Field Services Program and award competitive grants based upon West-wide criteria as one approach to address and prevent such future conflicts."
The Budget proposes $56,079,000 in CVP funding for FY09, versus the $59,122,000 requested in FY08. The Budget proposes diverting the Friant Division surcharges to the San Joaquin River Restoration Fund.
The Budget proposes no new funding for FY09. The fund is intended to design, construct, operate and maintain water quality projects to remediate contamination of groundwater in the San Gabriel and Central Basins of Southern California, contingent on receipt of local cost share. Administration of the fund was transferred from the Secretary of the Army to the Secretary of the Interior by Public Law 107 66.
This Fund proposes to receive funding from the Friant Division long-term contractors and other federal and non-federal sources to implement the provisions described in the Stipulation of Settlement (Settlement) for the NRDC et al. v. Rodgers lawsuit. The $56,079,000 request for the Central Valley Project Restoration Fund includes $7,500,000 derived from Friant Division surcharges that are proposed to be deposited into this Fund.
The Budget proposes about $1.302 billion in funding for FY09; this compares to the FY08 Budget estimate of $1.367 billion.
The FY07 request is for $2.404 billion, roughly the same as last year's request for the National Park Service of $2.421 billion.
The Budget proposes $195 million, as opposed to the $229 million estimated for FY08. PILT funding is provided to counties and other units of local government for lands within their boundaries that are administered by the Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and certain other agencies
$850 million is proposed in FY 2009 to fund the program, as compared to the estimated $809 million in FY08 funding.
Funding is again prohibited for the conduct of offshore preleasing, leasing and related activities placed under restriction in the President's moratorium statement of June 12, 1998, in the areas of northern, central, and southern California, as well as other designated areas. As in past years, funds are prohibited to be used to determine the final point of discharge for the interceptor drain for the San Luis Unit until development by the Secretary of the Interior and the State of California of a plan, which shall conform to the water quality standards of the State of California as approved by the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, to minimize any detrimental effect of the San Luis drainage waters. In addition, the same provision is included in the FY08 Budget request that was included in the FY07 request relating to the reimbursement or nonreimbursement of the costs of the Kesterson Reservoir Cleanup Program and the costs of the San Joaquin Valley Drainage Program.
The Budget request for BOR CALFED funding for FY09 is $32 million, compared with FY08 estimated funding of $40 million ($49 million total including funds carried over from prior years). The CALFED Budget Crosscut for Federal fiscal years 1998 through FY 2009 reflects a collaborative effort between the Office of Management and Budget, and the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The Budget documents estimate that across all agencies CALFED spending in 2009 will be $128.74 million, as compared to $181 million in 2008, with BOR and Corps spending both falling by about $20 million, and Natural Resources Conservation Service spending dropping $10 million.
For more specific information on the CALFED crosscut Budget, go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/fy2009/pdf/apers/crosscutting.pdf .
To contact the California Institute, visit our contact page. To subscribe to the weekly California Capitol Hill Bulletin or announcements of upcoming events, visit our subscribe page. The California Capitol Hill Bulletin is an email and fax publication devoted to the nexus between California and Washington DC -- summarizing key Congressional or Administration activity from a uniquely or significantly California-oriented perspective. It is published free of charge on a weekly basis by the California Institute for Federal Policy Research and distributed to subscribed readers. To be removed from our lists or to change your memberships, visit our list management page.
The California Institute for Federal Policy Research ~ 1608 Rhode Island Ave, NW, Suite 213 ~ Washington DC 20036
Copyright © 1994-2008 ~ www.calinst.org ~ All Rights Reserved ~ Privacy Policy ~ Contact Us
This page was last modified on 02/04/08