DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED HEARINGS BEFORE A SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS JAMIE L. WHITTEN, Mississippi, Chairman EDWARD P. BOLAND, Massachusetts TOM STEED, Oklahoma *JOHN M. SLACK, West Virginia ROBERT N. GIAIMO, Connecticut GUNN MCKAY, Utah TOM BEVILL, Alabama JOSEPH D. EARLY, Massachusetts CHARLES WILSON, Texas LINDY (MRS. HALE) BOGGS, Louisiana ADAM BENJAMIN, JR., Indiana NORMAN D. DICKS, Washington MATTHEW F. McHUGH, New York BO GINN, Georgia WILLIAM LEHMAN, Florida JACK HIGHTOWER, Texas JOHN W. JENRETTE, JR., South Carolina MARTIN OLAV SABO, Minnesota JULIAN C. DIXON, California BENNETT M. STEWART, Illinois SILVIO O. CONTE, Massachusetts J. KENNETH ROBINSON, Virginia C. W. BILL YOUNG, Florida CLAIR W. BURGENER, California CARL D. PURSELL, Michigan KEITH F. MAINLAND, Clerk and Staff Director ⚫Deceased. (II) DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS FOR 1981 MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1980. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR WITNESSES FREDERICK N. FERGUSON, DEPUTY SOLICITOR JOHN E. MERRELL, ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER DONALD A. CHENDORAIN, DEPUTY ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER WILLIAM D. BETTENBERG, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY DAVID A. WATTS, ACTING ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR, CONSERVATION AND JOHN D. LESHY, ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR, ENERGY AND RESOURCES HANS WALKER, JR., ACTING ASSOCIATE SOLICITOR, INDIAN AFFAIRS OPENING STATEMENTS Mr. Dicks. Mr. Frederick Ferguson, Deputy Solicitor, Office of the Solicitor, U.S. Department of the Interior. We will put your statement in the record. Are there any comments you would like to make of an introductory nature? [The statement follows:] STATEMENT OF FREDERICK N. FERGUSON, DEPUTY SOLICITOR, OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR, Department of THE INTERIOR Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you for this opportunity to discuss our fiscal year 1 budget request for the Solicitor's Office of the Department of the Interior. Our former Solicitor, Mr. Leo Krulitz, returned to private practice on December 7, 1979, and another Solicitor has not been appointed as yet. I have submitted the detailed budget justification to the Subcommittee. In my statement today, I would like to highlight briefly the major aspects of that request, then try to answer your questions. We are requesting approximately $16.8 million, only a 1.3 percent increase over our 1981 base appropriation, with no additional permanent positions added in fiscal year 1981. This modest increase of $218,000 will provide the resources necessary for increased employee efficiency and productivity. The $218,000 will be divided amongst three broad categories: (1) $104,000 for personnel compensation and benefits; (2) $36,000 to finance the continuation of microfilm processing; and, (3) $78,000 to finance the increased costs for administrative and central services provided to the Solicitor by the Secretary's office. |