4 Wins for the Outdoors in the President’s Budget

Photo credit: Bob Wick, BLM. Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, California.

Last week, the President released his budget for 2023. As you might remember from our Appropriations 101 post, the President’s budget is mostly a political statement rather than policymaking, since it is up to Congress to appropriate funding for government programs.

However, the administration’s budget has a few noteworthy inclusions that could make life better for the outdoor recreation community. The political energy around public lands and climate investments is evident in the President’s budget, with many line items that looks to protect the outdoors, expand outdoor access, and improve recreation. Next, Congress will be responsible for appropriating funding to make sure the agencies—and the public lands and waters we all rely on—have the resources they need.

Among the biggest wins for the outdoors in the President’s proposed budget are:

More Funding for Forest Service Recreation and Staffing

The President’s budget proposes some major increases for the Forest Service, including for the Recreation, Wilderness, and Heritage account. This is the primary account that the agency uses to provide for recreation access and to improve the recreation experience. The President’s budget proposes $110M for this account, roughly a 189% increase from current levels. These funds would be used to provide public access to more than 193 million acres of land, 159,000 miles of trails, and more. In the last twenty years, these programs have seen huge cuts in staffing and appropriations, and more funding would make a material difference for outdoor recreation experiences on public lands and waters.

Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful

The administration is asking for funding for several programs that will help the country achieve the goals set out in the Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful report, including funds to create a Stewardship Atlas, funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and $125 million for the Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership Program, which works to create parks and green spaces in urban areas and in underserved communities.

Civilian Climate Corps

One of the provisions we were most excited about in the reconciliation efforts was funding for a Civilian Climate Corps. The President’s budget proposes $80 million across several agencies to put Americans to work restoring public lands and building resilience to the effects of climate change. While we are excited to see funding for the Civilian Climate Corps, $80 million falls far short of the $10–30 billion that had previously been proposed for the program.

Better Bureau of Land Management Conservation and Planning

The White House is proposing an increase of nearly $300 million for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), of which big portions would go to rebuilding needed staff capacity, as well as improving land planning. Importantly, the proposed budget supports a substantial increase for the BLM’s National Conservation Lands program, which helps the agency manage conserved lands like national monuments. Funding for National Conservation Lands has actually decreased since the program’s inception in 2000 despite protected acreage nearly doubling, and these funds are greatly needed for BLM to effectively care for more recently conserved areas like Bears Ears.

There are also a few misses in the President’s budget, including decreasing funding for the Army Corps of Engineers’ recreation budget, which is important for boaters among others. It also fails to increase the Forest Service’s Capital Improvement and Maintenance and the Park Service’s National Recreation and Preservation accounts. Finally, it proposes continuing offshore and onshore oil and gas leasing, as well as development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which would have resoundingly negative effects on coastal recreation, climate, and conservation.

When Congress ultimately does finish appropriations for 2023, we hope it will pass these critical investments in recreation and conservation, which would deliver huge benefits for the millions of Americans who get outside each year.

If you care about funding for the outdoors, take two minutes to send a message to your members of Congress, asking them to prioritize appropriations for public lands and waters. Adequate funding is one of the biggest obstacles to protecting public land, and it’s a problem that doesn’t get nearly enough attention—you can change that.