Western Oregon Forest REDUCTIONS, Management TOUGH CHOICES, The President’s 2013 budget request AND EFFICIENCIES includes an increase of $1.5 million in the Oregon and California forest Difficult choices were made during management program. This funding the formulation of the 2013 budget to supports Interior Secretary Ken support the initiatives and priorities Salazar’s strategy to bolster the volume described above. The President’s of timber offered for sale; support budget request will decrease grazing resource management planning; administration costs by $15.8 million. increase surveying for rare, uncommon, However, the impact of this decline or endangered species; provide will be mitigated by a new grazing environmental analysis for landscape- administration fee of $1 per animal level timber sale projects; and facilitate unit month that the BLM proposes to joint development and implementation implement on a pilot basis, generating of a revised recovery plan for the an estimated $6.5 million in 2013 to northern spotted owl. help the BLM in processing grazing permits. The budget proposal will Wild Horse and Burro reduce funding for the Alaska Management conveyance program by $12.4 million while the Department of the Interior To advance Secretary Salazar’s wild looks for ways to further streamline horse and burro management strategy, and reduce costs in the program. the President’s proposed budget Other proposals include: a $3.5 million calls for a $2 million increase that will reduction in the public domain forest fund research and development of management program; a $2.5 million population-control methods. The goal decrease in the Youth in the Great is to slow the annual population growth Outdoors initiative; and a reduction of rate for wild horses while decreasing $2 million in the abandoned mine lands the need to remove excess animals from program. The budget request will also overpopulated herds on western public eliminate the construction appropriation rangelands. Fewer gathers will reduce account with a proposed reduction of off-the-range holding costs, which $3.6 million. constitutes the single largest cost of the program. BLM/WO/GI-12/002+1600 BUDGET OVERVIEW America’s Great Outdoors The BLM plays a vital role in advancing With a focus on sage-grouse the President’s conservation initiative to conservation, outdoor recreation, reconnect Americans to the outdoors. renewable energy, and other key The 2013 budget includes proposed priorities, the President has requested increases for recreation, cultural $1.1 billion in appropriations for the BLM resources, and the NLCS. That funding in FY 2013. The request represents an will enable the BLM to expand and $8.3 million decrease from the FY 2012 improve opportunities for recreation, enacted funding level for the BLM and education, and scientific activities. A $1.1 its 10,365 full-time equivalent staff. million increase in the cultural resources New Energy Frontier The 2013 President’s budget proposal management program will allow the BLM The President’s 2013 budget request reflects efforts by the administration and to accelerate inventories and surveys to includes an increase of $7 million to the Secretary of the Interior to maximize determine the presence of archaeological, further promote and facilitate the public benefits while recognizing the paleontological, and historical resources; development of renewable energy on reality of funding constraints and the conduct more stabilization and protection public lands. Of these funds, $1 million need to reduce the nation’s budget projects; and expand interpretation will be used to accelerate the identification deficit. Under this cost-conscious and information sharing. A proposed of prime areas for utility-scale, renewable proposal, the BLM can still meet the $2.2 million increase in the recreation energy projects. Of the remaining funds, challenge of managing and protecting resources management program will $4 million will support geothermal the nation’s public lands by focusing on allow the BLM to develop and implement energy development, while $2 million the following priorities: more travel management plans and also in geothermal funds will be transferred strengthen management of national from the oil and gas program to the scenic and historic trails and national PROTECTING RESOURCES AND MANAGING renewable energy program. wild and scenic rivers. A $3 million USES OF PUBLIC LANDS Sage-Grouse Conservation increase for the NLCS will enable the The 2013 budget request will also BLM to strengthen law enforcement, provide the BLM with the necessary The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) create jobs and enhance our nation’s The President’s budget proposal requests enhance visitor safety and experiences, funds to facilitate timely access to and may best be described as a small agency economic growth. In FY 2010, the BLM a $15 million increase for the BLM to and expand interpretation programs and environmentally sound development with a big mission: to sustain the health, contributed more than $112 billion to implement sage-grouse conservation products for national monuments and of Federal oil and gas resources. In diversity, and productivity of America’s the U.S. economy and supported more measures to help prevent the future national conservation areas. addition, the proposal will ensure that public lands for the use and enjoyment than 500,000 American jobs. The BLM listing of this species for protection the Federal government is collecting its of present and future generations. The is one of a handful of agencies that under the Endangered Species Act. In its The 2013 budget request also includes proper share of revenue from oil and gas Bureau administers more public land— generates more revenue than it spends. March 2010 ruling that listing the species increases for programs funded through production on public lands. A proposed over 245 million surface acres—than any In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be is “warranted but precluded,” the Fish and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, $5 million increase will restore the BLM’s other Federal agency in the United States. generated by activities on BLM-managed Wildlife Service (FWS) said the BLM was a vital component of the America’s Great leasing and inspection capacity to the Most of this land is located in the 12 western lands, including an estimated $5.1 billion not fully implementing the necessary Outdoors initiative. The 2013 budget 2011 enacted level. states, including Alaska. The BLM also from onshore oil and gas development, measures to ensure species conservation. proposal includes $33.6 million for manages 700 million acres of subsurface with about half of those revenues going The BLM has been working closely with Federal land acquisition, an increase of The 2013 budget request also proposes mineral estate throughout the nation. to the states where the leasing occurred. 10 western states as well as Federal, $11.2 million from FY 2012 funding. to expand and strengthen the BLM’s state, and local partners to amend oil and gas inspection capabilities by In accordance with the Federal Land The public lands and resources multiple land-use plans. These changes imposing fees on industry. The fee Policy and Management Act of administered by the BLM are one of will ensure short-term and long-term schedule included in the budget will 1976, the BLM manages public land America’s greatest assets. They benefit conservation and restoration measures generate an estimated $48 million in resources for multiple uses, such as our nation as a whole, as well as local for the greater sage-grouse and its collections, which will offset a proposed energy development, livestock grazing, communities, both economically habitat. The BLM strives to amend these reduction of $38 million in appropriated recreation, and timber harvesting, while and environmentally. Communities plans in a way that protects the health of funds, providing for a net increase of protecting a wide array of natural, cultural, throughout the West are supported the land while also facilitating safe and $10 million in funds available for this and historical resources. Many of these and strengthened through activities, responsible energy development and critical responsibility. resources are found within the BLM’s goods, and services associated with recreational opportunities that power 27-million-acre National Landscape resources located on public lands. The our economy. This planning process was Conservation System (NLCS). The BLM believes that the best management formally initiated in late 2011, and the conservation system includes 16 national of these resources results from creativity, additional funds requested in 2013 will conservation areas, 221 wilderness areas, ingenuity, perseverance, the ability to enable the BLM to ramp up this process and 16 national monuments. learn and adapt, and the willingness and take other actions to address the to work together in cooperation and concerns of the FWS before a final President Obama’s proposed fiscal year partnership. These qualities exemplify decision on whether to list the sage- (FY) 2013 budget will enable the BLM to the American spirit. grouse is made in 2015.