• Developing the Nation's energy resources efficiently and responsibly to reduce the Nation's reliance on energy imports.

• Supporting local economies through recreation on Federal lands.

Helping local economies find self-sustaining ways to manage historical properties and promote heritage tourism through the Preserve America Initiative.

• Including local communities in stewardship and decision-making on Federal lands through the Cooperative Conservation Initiative.

Supporting a Compassionate Society

• Supporting the replacement and renovation of Indian schools to create a safe learning environment for Indian schoolchildren.

Making Government More Effective

• Assessing the condition of National Park Service facilities and setting performance goals to prioritize repair and replacement projects.

• Expediting the removal of existing Abandoned Mine Land dangers within 25 years.

Enabling the sale of public lands in Nevada while ensuring taxpayers are compensated fairly.

Shifting certain costs of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program to power customers.

MEETING PRESIDENTIAL GOALS-Continued

• Proposing or modifying fees related to land and mineral use to shift $27 million in costs to those directly benefiting from the resources.

• Terminating $90 million in State recreation grants that support activities that are not Federal responsibilities.

Agency-specific Goals

• Reforming and reorganizing tribal trust programs and activities to provide greater accountability to the beneficiaries.

Promoting outcome-based performance by setting goals of establishing healthy, sustainable fish and wildlife populations.

Improving water management and restoring ecosystems in California's Central Valley through the collaborative California Bay-Delta program.

• Preventing water crises and reducing conflict over water in the West through the Water 2025 program.

PROMOTING ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND OWNERSHIP

The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)

Reducing the Nation's dependence on foreign energy sources is a top Administration priority. The United States imports approximately half of its daily oil consumption of 20 million barrels. Although the United States produces almost all of the natural gas it uses, it will have to import more natural gas in the future because of growing demand and restrictions on developing energy resources on public lands.

The Administration supports authorizing the limited exploration of the region with the most promising oil reserves-commonly referred to as the "1002 Area"-within ANWR, using the strictest environmental standards. The Department of the Interior (DOI) estimates that the 1002 Area holds between 5.7 billion and 16 billion barrels of recoverable

reserves, or, at peak production, up to one million barrels per day of new domestic oil supply. In addition, the development footprint from production would only cover about one-tenth of one percent of the 1002 Area. (See accompanying chart.)

Outdoor Recreation on Public Lands

Millions of people each year visit our national parks, forests, refuges, and public lands. These areas offer unparalleled outdoor recreational opportunities, ranging from exploring mangrove thickets at Ten Thousand Islands National Wildlife Refuge in Florida to hiking on the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. DOI manages an array of natural and cultural wonders, including 388 national parks or park units, 546 national wildlife refuges, and 261 million acres of public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

The American Recreation Coalition estimates that outdoor recreation generates $250 billion of economic activity annually. Americans pursuing recreation opportunities on Federal lands support

Preserve America

American history comes alive in historic buildings, cultural sites, and communities that celebrate their historic settings. Thousands of historic and cultural sites are the pride of local communities everywhere. Many of these communities have the opportunity to use historical sites to promote heritage tourism and economic development. The President's Preserve America initiative provides $12.5 million in 2006 for upfront planning and associated assistance to communities looking for ways to preserve their local heritage in a self-sustaining manner. For example, Virginia City, Montana, attracts visitors with one of the best-preserved gold mining towns in the West. As Americans travel, they seek to reconnect with our Nation's rich history and diverse culture; the Preserve America initiative will help communities meet this growing demand for heritage tourism.

- 1,000

40%

20%

Backlog Funding

0

1998 2000 Source: Department of the Interior.

500

0

2002

2004

2006

To better serve these visitors and protect the resources that attract them, the 2006 Budget continues to support operational funding for Interior's land management agencies. Operational funding for parks, refuges, and public lands will be 20 percent higher than in 2001. The result of this support has been consistently satisfied visitors. Every year since 1998, about 95 percent of park visitors have rated the overall quality of services in national parks as good or very good. In addition, 97 percent of visitors to BLM public lands in 2003, and 90 percent of visitors to wildlife refuges in 2002, were satisfied with their experience.

The humpback chub and other native fish in Grand Canyon National Park struggle to compete with trout previously brought to the area by humans. To help the native fish recover, NPS is working with partners to remove non-native fish from Colorado River tributaries. The Arizona Game and Fish Department, Glen Canyon Dam Adaptive Management Program, the Navajo nation, and other partners have matched Federal funds almost three to one, helping to restore another key link in the national park's ecosystem.

Cooperative Conservation Initiative

The Administration wants to promote conservation and stewardship of our Nation's lands and other natural resources. Local involvement is critical to enduring, successful, effective and long-lasting conservation results and was emphasized in the President's recent Executive Order on the Facilitation of Cooperative Conservation, E.O. 13352. The Department's Cooperative Conservation Initiative (CCI) consists of a variety of volunteer, partnership, and cost-share conservation programs in the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and the National Park Service (NPS). The CCI embodies the purpose of the Executive Order by promoting collaborative actions that support the use, enhancement, and enjoyment of natural resources. In addition, the CCI allocates $126 million in Federal matching funds for resource conservation and restoration projects, ranging from FWS coastal habitat restoration to BLM grazing management improvements and wetlands restoration. The use of matching funds improves cooperative relationships with local stakeholders and increases the impact of conservation efforts. As partners invest time, money, and energy into projects, the CCI gives landowners and communities a stake in local conservation efforts.