[House Document 108-137]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
108th Congress, 1st Session - - - - - - - - - - - - House Document 108-137
REQUESTS FOR FY 2004 BUDGET AMENDMENTS
__________
COMMUNICATION
from
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
transmitting
REQUESTS FOR FY 2004 BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS OF
AGRICULTURE AND THE INTERIOR TO REIMBURSE EMERGENCY EXPENSES TO
SUPPRESS FOREST FIRES IN FY 2003.
October 21, 2003.--Referred to the Committee on Appropriations and
ordered to be printed
The White House,
Washington, October 16, 2003.
Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
Speaker of the House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Speaker: I ask the Congress to consider the
enclosed FY 2004 budget amendments for the Departments of
Agriculture and the Interior to reimburse emergency expenses to
suppress forest fires in FY 2003.
These amendments would adjust upward the total
discretionary budget authority requested by $0.4 billion,
bringing the total discretionary funding agreed to by my
Administration and the Congress to $786.0 billion. While this
request increases total discretionary spending beyond the
previously agreed upon level, my Administration and
congressional leadership determined earlier this year that
emergency funding could be added when mutually agreed upon in
advance. This request is consistent with that agreement.
The requests in this transmittal are for the purpose of
fulfilling known and urgent requirements that cannot reasonably
be met through the use of existing agency funds. I hereby
designate the specific proposals in the amounts requested
herein as emergency requirements.
The details of these requests are set forth in the enclosed
letter from the Director of the Office of Management and
Budget.
Sincerely,
George W. Bush.
[Estimate No. 21, 108th Cong., 1st Sess.]
Executive Office of the President,
Office of Management and Budget,
Washington, DC, October 15, 2003.
The President,
The White House.
Submitted for your consideration are requests for FY 2004
budget amendments for the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and
the Interior (DOI).
The 2003 fire season to date has seen over 50,000 fires
burn nearly 3.2 million acres. The total FY 2003 cost of these
fires was $1.3 billion, well above the historical average.
Prolonged drought and dense growth led to unusually intense
wildfires this year. Many of these fires have threatened lives
and homes in communities throughout the West. These fires have
also caused extensive damage to watersheds and wildlife habitat
that require emergency rehabilitation to prevent further damage
to our natural resources.
Due to extraordinary and unanticipated expenses in
responding to fires on Federal public lands, the request would
provide an additional $0.3 billion for USDA's Forest Service
and an additional $0.1 billion for DOI's Bureau of Land
Management to reimburse accounts from which funds were
transferred in FY 2003. These amendments would adjust upward
the total discretionary budget authority requested by $0.4
billion, bringing the total discretionary funding level agreed
to by the Administration and the Congress to $786.0 billion.
While this request increases total discretionary spending
beyond the previously agreed upon level, the Administration and
congressional leadership determined earlier this year that
emergency funding could be added when mutually agreed upon in
advance. This request is consistent with that agreement. To
ensure adequate funding to meet anticipated suppression needs
in FY 2004, it is important that Congress fully fund your base
request for fire suppression. We will continue to work with the
Congress to address this important issue.
The requests in this transmittal are for the purpose of
fulfilling known and urgent requirements that cannot reasonably
be met through the use of existing agency funds. I recommend
that you designate the specific proposals contained in this
transmittal as emergency requirements.
I have carefully reviewed these proposals and am satisfied
that they are necessary at this time. Therefore, I join the
Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior in recommending
that you transmit the amendments to the Congress.
Sincerely,
Joshua B. Bolten,
Director.
Enclosure.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT
FY 2004 Budget Appendix Page: 177
FY 2004 Pending Request: $1,541,775,000
Proposed Amendment: $301,000,000
Revised Request: $1,842,775,000
(In appropriations language under the above heading, delete
``$1,541,775,000'' and substitute $1,842,775,000; and add the
following after the fourth proviso:)
Provided further, That of the funds provided, $301,000,000
is to repay prior year advances from other appropriations from
which funds were transferred for wildfire suppression and
emergency rehabilitation activities: Provided further, That
Congress designates the amount provided in the previous proviso
as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose:
This proposal would provide an additional $301 million for
the Forest Service to reimburse accounts from which funds were
transferred in FY 2003 for use in firefighting.
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Bureau of Land Management
WILDLAND FIRE MANAGEMENT
FY 2004 Budget Appendix Page: 528
FY 2004 Pending Request: $698,725,000
Proposed Amendment: $99,000,000
Revised Request: $797,725,000
(In appropriations language under the above heading, delete
``$698,725,000'' and substitute $797,725,000; and add the
following after the third proviso:)
Provided further, That of the funds provided, $99,000,000
is to repay prior year advances from other appropriations from
which funds were transferred for wildfire suppression and
emergency rehabilitation activities: Provided further, That
Congress designates the amount provided in the previous proviso
as an emergency requirement for this specific purpose:
This amendment would provide an additional $99 million for
the Department of the Interior to reimburse accounts from which
funds were transferred in FY 2003 for use in firefighting.