FY 2024 Funding Package Released

[Laura Bies]

The U.S. House of Representatives and Senate Appropriations Committee have released a package of six appropriations bills for Fiscal Year 2024 (which started on Oct. 1, 2023). The federal government has been operating under a series of continuing resolutions (or funding extensions) since the beginning of the fiscal year.

The package includes a bill that provides funding for the Department of the Interior, home to many programs related to bird research, management, and conservation.  While overall funding levels for Interior would remain the same as FY 2023, many agencies with the department would see budget cuts. Proposed reductions from the previous fiscal year include $51 million for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, $150 million for the National Park Service, and $42 million for the U.S. Geological Survey.

Within the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Migratory Bird Management Program would receive $53.2 million, including $30.4 million for Conservation and Monitoring; $5.4 for Permits; $591,000 for the Federal Duck Stamp program; and $16.82 million for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan/Joint Ventures program. The bill would also provide $49 million for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund and $5 million for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund.

Congress will likely vote on the spending package this week, averting a partial government shutdown.

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The Ornithological Council is a consortium of scientific societies of ornithologists; these societies span the Western Hemisphere and the research conducted by their members spans the globe. Their cumulative expertise comprises the knowledge that is fundamental and essential to science-based bird conservation and management.  The Ornithological Council is financially supported by our member societies and the individual ornithologists who value our work. If the OC’s resources are valuable to you, please consider joining one of our member societies or donating directly at Birdnet.org. Thank you for your support!

 

[Jeff Spendelow]

Hi Laura: If overall the DOI budget remains the same, but USFWS, USNPS, & USGS are getting decreases, then which agencies are getting increases? -Jeff

[Laura Bies]

The Interior bill included increases for "wildland fire management activities and continued wildland firefighter base salary increases." Overall, $1.5 billion is provided for these activities (I'm not sure yet how much of an increase that is over FY 2023). 

[Jeff Spendelow]

Thanks!