Interior Department Appropriations, FY 2004 bill

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2004 - Makes appropriations for the Department of the Interior and related agencies for FY 2004.

Title I: Department of the Interior- Makes appropriations to the Bureau of Land Management for: (1) land and resource management; (2) wildland fire management; (3) remedial action of hazardous waste substances; (4) construction; (5) land acquisition; (6) Oregon and California grant lands; (7) range improvements; (8) service charges, deposits, and forfeitures; and (9) miscellaneous trust funds.

Appropriates funds to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for: (1) resource management; (2) construction; (3) land acquisition; (4) the Landowner Incentive Program; (5) the Stewardship Grants Program; (6) the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund; (7) the National Wildlife Refuge Fund; (8) expenses related to carrying out the North American Wetlands Conservation Act; (9) neotropical migratory bird conservation; (10) the Multinational Species Conservation Fund; and (11) wildlife conservation grants.

Makes appropriations to the National Park Service for: (1) the National Park System; (2) the U.S. Park Police; (3) national recreation and preservation; (4) carrying out the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of 1978, the Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the Omnibus Parks and Public Lands Management Act of 1996, and the Land and Water Conservation Act of 1965; and (5) construction. Rescinds specified contract authority to obligate funds from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for FY 2004.

Makes appropriations to: (1) the U.S. Geological Survey for surveys, investigations, and research; (2) the Minerals Management Service for royalty and offshore minerals management and oil spill research; (3) the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement for regulation and technology and the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund; (4) the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for the operation of Indian programs, construction, Indian land and water claim settlements and miscellaneous payments to Indians, and Indian guaranteed loans; (5) assist U.S. territories and to carry out the Compacts of Free Association with respect to Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau; (6) the Department of the Interior for departmental management and payments in lieu of taxes; (7) the Offices of the Solicitor and of the Inspector General; (8) the Office of Special Trustee for American Indians for Federal trust programs and Indian land consolidation; and (9) the Department of the Interior for natural resource damage assessment and restoration activities.

Cancels certain unobligated balances under the heading of the Working Capital Fund.

Sets forth authorized and prohibited uses of specified funds, including: (1) a prohibition on the use of funds to study or implement any plan to drain Lake Powell or reduce the water level of the lake below the range of water levels required for the operation of the Glen Canyon Dam; (2) a limitation on the total amount of all fees imposed by the National Indian Gaming Commission for FY 2005 to $12 million; and (3) a prohibition on the use of funds for Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Units in Alaska.

(Sec. 132) Designates Congaree Swamp National Monument as Congaree National Park.

Title II: Related Agencies - Makes appropriations for the Department of Agriculture for the Forest Service for: (1) forest and rangeland research; (2) State and private forestry; (3) the National Forest System; (4) wildland fire management (including $1.5 billion for forest fire pre-suppression, emergency fire suppression, hazardous fuels reduction, and emergency rehabilitation activities); (5) capital improvement and maintenance; (6) land acquisitions, including specified National Forest areas in Utah, Nevada, and California; (7) range rehabilitation, protection, and improvement; (8) gifts, donations, and bequests for forest and rangeland research; and (9) Federal land management in Alaska.

Makes appropriations for the Department of Energy for: (1) fossil energy research and development activities; (2) naval petroleum and oil shale reserve activities; (3) the Elks Hills Lands Fund; (4) energy conservation activities; (5) activities of the Office of Hearings and Appeals and of the Energy Information Administration; and (6) the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.

Specifies that unless specifically provided for in an appropriations Act, funds made available to the Department of Energy under this Act may not be used to: (1) finance or implement authorized price support or loan guarantee programs; or (2) issue or process procurement documents for various enterprises.

Makes appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Indian Health Service and Indian health facilities.

Makes appropriations for: (1) the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation; (2) the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development; (3) the Smithsonian Institution; (4) the National Gallery of Art; (5) the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; (6) the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; (7) the National Endowment for the Arts; (8) the National Endowment for the Humanities; (9) the Commission of Fine Arts; (10) the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation; (11) the National Capital Planning Commission; (12) the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum; and (13) the Presidio Trust.

Title III: General Provisions- Sets forth limitations on the use of funds under this Act.

(Sec. 305) Prohibits any assessments, charges, or billings from being levied against any program, budget activity, subactivity, or project funded by this Act without advance notice to Congress.

(Sec. 323) Permits the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior to make reciprocal agreements in which individuals furnished to provide fire management services are considered, for tort liability, employees of the country receiving the services when the individuals are fighting fires. Prohibits the Secretaries from making any agreement in which a foreign country does not assume any and all responsibility for acts or omissions of Americans fighting fires in such country.

(Sec. 328) Allows the Secretaries of Agriculture and the Interior, in awarding a Federal contract for any of specified purposes with funds made available by this Act, to give consideration to local contractors who are from economically disadvantaged rural communities and who provide employment and training for dislocated and displaced workers in such communities. Allows the Secretaries to award grants or cooperative agreements in certain areas to various entities, including local non-profits and the Youth Conservation Corps. Includes in such areas habitat restoration or management and forest hazardous fuels reduction.

(Sec. 334) Authorizes the Secretary of Agriculture to cancel, with the consent of the timber purchaser, any contract for the sale of timber in Alaska if: (1) the sale is uneconomical to perform; and (2) the purchaser agrees to terminate its rights under the contract and release the United States from all liability. Prohibits the United States from surrendering any claim against a timber purchaser that arose under a contract before cancellation. Makes timber included in such a contract available for resale.