OREANDA-NEWS. March 20, 2017. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke today announced President Trump’s $11.6 billion Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 budget blueprint request for the Department of the Interior. The budget meets the Department's core mission while also saving taxpayers $1.5 billion or 12 percent reduction from the FY 2017 Annualized Continuing Resolution level.

The President’s budget blueprint prioritizes strengthening America’s energy security by increasing funding for programs that support responsible development of oil, natural gas, coal and renewable energy on public lands and offshore waters. The blueprint also sustains funding for DOI’s collection and disbursement of roughly $10 billion annually for mineral development, an important source of revenue to the Treasury, states, and Indian mineral owners.

The President's blueprint directly supports funding for land management operations for the National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and Bureau of Land Management, ensuring streamlined operations and greater access to public lands for multiple uses, including recreation, conservation, and responsible development of natural resources. The budget ensures National Park Service assets are preserved for future generations by increasing investment in deferred maintenance projects.

"America’s public lands are our national treasures and the President’s budget sends a strong signal that we will protect and responsibly manage these vast areas of our country “for the benefit and enjoyment of the people’,” Secretary Zinke said. "Before serving in government, I served on the front lines for 23 years as a military officer. I can say for certain that this budget allows the Interior Department to meet our core mission and also prioritizes the safety and security of the American people. From supporting tribal sovereignty and self-determination across Indian country to investing more than $1 billion in safe and reliable water management in the western U.S., to budgeting for wildland fire preparedness and suppression, and streamlining access to the energy resources America needs, this budget enables the Department to meet its core mission and prioritizes programs that will put Americans’ security first.”