WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump today proposed an $11.7 billion Fiscal Year 2018 (FY 2018) budget for the Department of the Interior. The President's budget allows Interior to carry out its core mission of responsible multiple-use of public lands in a way that both conserves America’s iconic landscapes and supports responsible resource development. The President’s budget prioritizes public lands infrastructure by increasing funding for National Parks to address their deferred maintenance backlog. The budget also prioritizes responsible American energy production on federal lands and national security. To download highlights of the DOI FY 2018 budget, click this link: https://www.doi.gov/budget/appropriations/2018/highlights
“President Trump promised the American people he would cut wasteful spending and make the government work for the taxpayer again, and that's exactly what this budget does,” said Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. “Working carefully with the President, we identified areas where we could reduce spending and also areas for investment, such as addressing the maintenance backlog in our National Parks and increasing domestic energy production on federal lands. The budget also allows the Department to return to the traditional principles of multiple-use management to include both responsible natural resource development and conservation of special places. Being from the West, I've seen how years of bloated bureaucracy and D.C.-centric policies hurt our rural communities. The President's budget saves taxpayers by focusing program spending, shrinking bureaucracy, and empowering the front lines."
Additionally, the budget requests $123.9 million of discretionary Department of Defense appropriations to be transferred to the Department of the Interior to support enactment of the 2010 Compact Review Agreement with Palau. The Palau Compact is an important element of the Pacific national security strategy.
"The Territories and Freely Associated States are absolutely critical to the strategic readiness of the United States, and they are part of the fabric of who we are as fellow Americans," said Secretary Zinke. "President Trump's budget proposal makes it abundantly clear that these lands, often on the front lines of escalating tensions, are under our protection and serve vital importance."
The Department of the Interior oversees one-fifth of the nation's land and the entire Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The Department is charged with overseeing energy development on federal lands and waters, grazing allotments and timber sales, water conservation and delivery, upholding Tribal trust responsibilities, conservation of wildlife and habitat, and maintaining access for recreation in National Parks and other public lands, among other priorities.
The FY 2018 budget includes the President’s continued focus on the following priorities:
America First Energy: $791 million to power America's future
American Infrastructure: Investing in Interior's $300 Billion Portfolio
$4.4 Billion for America's Land: Increasing access, back to the basics on stewardship
Legislative Priorities: Saving Taxpayers $5.8 Billion
Advocating access to public lands carries a responsibility to be part of the solution for managing the public lands. As a strong proponent for participation to make a difference, I am a full time advocate for recreation and the Managing Editor of the OutdoorWire family websites.
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