House Natural Resources Committee
Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee
The President’s FY 2024 Budget for the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement
On Tuesday, May 16, 2023, at 10:15 a.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, the Committee on Natural Resources, Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources will hold an oversight hearing titled “Examining the President’s FY 2024 Budget for the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement.”
Witnesses:- Tracy Stone-Manning, Director, Bureau of Land Management
- Glenda Owens, Deputy Director, Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement, Washington, DC
The fiscal year (FY) 2024 President’s Budget requested $1.7 billion for the BLM to promote its multiple use and sustained yield mandate. The proposed budget is an increase of $140.5 million above FY 2023 enacted funding. The budget requests $304 million for the Land Resources account, which provides for integrated management of public land resources, including forestry, range, and cultural resources, as well as wild horses and burro management. The budget requests $230 million for Energy and Minerals Management ($4 million less than FY 2023 enacted funding) which provides for oil and gas management and inspection activities, coal management, other mineral resource management and renewable energy.
The BLM’s budget request includes $72.5 million for the Renewable Energy Management program and an increase of almost $32 million from FY 2023 enacted. According to the BLM’s budget justification, the increase will support siting, leasing, processing rights-ofway applications, and oversight of renewable energy projects and transmission lines connecting to renewable energy projects. The money would also be used to hire 81 full time employees in BLM headquarters, state and field offices, and the Renewable Energy Coordination Offices.
The DOI budget requests $1.93 billion for the Wildland Fire Management Program, a 9.5 percent increase compared to FY 2023 enacted levels of $1.86 billion. The majority of this funding is for Preparedness and Suppression Operations (including the Wildfire Suppression Operations Reserve Fund), which totals $1.33 billion. Of this, $72 million is identified for a legislative proposal to provide a permanent increase in pay for wildland firefighters.