Recessing for the month of August, the U.S. House of Representatives left the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill unfinished after a final deal was cut on raising the nation's debt ceiling.Congressional leaders are now expecting that all fiscal year 2012 (FY12) will be included within an omnibus appropriations bill. Some amendments were made to the House Interior Appropriations bill on the House floor before action was halted, but it is unclear if those funding and policy changes will be included in the comprehensive bill that will be developed in the fall. In addition, the long-term impacts to conservation from the $2.1 trillion in overall spending cuts that were approved within the debt ceiling agreement are still unknown, according to the Wildlife Management Institute.

The House began debate on the Interior and Environment Appropriations bill in late July, considering numerous policy and funding amendments. In a bipartisan effort, the House agreed to a $25 million increase in funds for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The original bill included less than $62 million for the fund that protects open space and recreation opportunities. Representatives Charles Bass (R-NH), Robert Dold (R-IL), Jay Inslee (D-WA), Jim Gerlach (R-PA), Pat Meehan (R-PA), Dave Reichert (R-WA) and Christopher Murphy (D-CT) succeeded in restoring $20 million to the fund. An amendment offered by Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO) boosted LWCF funding by another $5 million intended to facilitate increased access to public lands for sportsmen and recreationists. Despite the congressmen's efforts, however, the LWCF appropriation for FY12 still stands at less than one-tenth of the $900 million that Congress is authorized to spend each year.

In addition to the increase in LWCF funding, the House also approved an amendment that stripped the so-called "extinction rider" from the bill. The provision would have prevented the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from spending any funds to list new species under the Endangered Species Act. Representatives Mike Thompson (D-CA), Norm Dicks (D-WA), Michael Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) led the effort to strip the language from the bill. Thirty-seven Republicans and more than 180 Democrats supported the amendment that was approved by the House in a 224-202 vote.

"I applaud my colleagues, particularly the Republicans, for joining me to fight this misguided legislation," Representative Thompson said. "Many of my colleagues are truly invested in saving our natural resources, and I was impressed by their impassioned remarks in support of my amendment. Their efforts will ensure that our endangered and threatened species are protected for the future."

However, even though details on the final FY12 appropriations bills are not yet developed, it is clear that overall funding levels will be declining in the coming years,? since the debt ceiling agreement included substantial spending cuts. Discretionary spending will drop by $910 billion over 10 years and, before the end of this year, a bipartisan committee will be tasked with identifying $1.5 trillion in additional cuts to be made over the next 10 years. Those cuts are likely to be felt within the FY12 funding levels and for years to come, as some suggest that the most optimistic scenario for some agencies would be to get a spending freeze rather than reduction.

Representative Mike Simpson (R-ID), Chairman of the Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, said EPA and Interior must brace for leaner times, as must other federal programs. "They won't have growing budgets, that's just the reality," he said. "Nobody will have growing budgets."

It is because of the looming budget cuts that a new coalition of more than 600 organizations has formed to support the overall funding allocations for conservation programs. In a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH), the groups called on Congress to address the federal deficit while still investing in critical conservation, recreation and historic preservation programs in 2012.

"The Federal budget cannot and should not be balanced disproportionately on the backs of conservation, outdoor recreation and preservation," the letter noted. "Doing so will impose on the future generations whose well-being depends on the conservation and preservation of our common natural and historic resources." (jas)