	Introduction

The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriations bill contains appropriations for the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) in the Department of the Interior (DOI). For FY2013, on July 10, 2012, the House Committee reported H.R. 6091 ( H.Rept. 112-589 ), approving $1.16 billion, down 21.5% from the FY2012 level of $1.48 billion contained in P.L. 112-74 . The President had requested $1.55 billion in annual appropriations, an increase of 4.9% over FY2012. The committee's proposed changes in accounts and subaccounts range from elimination (-100%) to a decrease of 6%. By far the largest portion of the FWS annual appropriation is the Resource Management account, for which the House Committee approved $1.04 billion, down 15.1% from FY2012. Among the programs included in Resource Management are Endangered Species, the Refuge System, Law Enforcement, Fisheries, and Cooperative Landscape Conservation and Adaptive Science. (Moreover, Congress may choose to continue to appropriate funds for programs whose authorization has expired.) Within this account, the committee held funding for National Fish Hatchery Operations at $46.1 million, identical to the FY2012 level, and took a larger share out of aquatic habitat and species conservation. In some cases the mandated role of a hatchery, in whole or in part, is to provide mitigation for activities by other agencies. The House committee provided $3.0 million for this account, down 90.7% from the FY2012 level of $32.2 million; the accompanying report made no specific comments on the program, although the introduction to the accompanying report contained a discussion of the Administration's climate change programs generally, and criticized them for duplication and lack of coordination. The Migratory Bird Conservation Account (MBCA) is a source of mandatory spending for FWS land acquisition (in contrast to the other three federal lands agencies, which rely entirely on annual appropriations). The House committee reduced all of the MSCF programs by 50.0% relative to FY2012, emphasizing that all of the authorizations in this account have expired, or will expire in FY2012.
The annual Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies appropriation funds agencies and programs in three federal departments, as well as numerous related agencies and bureaus. Among the agencies represented is the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), in the Department of the Interior. Many of its programs are among the more controversial of those funded in the bill. For FY2013, the House Committee on Appropriations approved H.R. 6091, a bill containing $1.16 billion for FWS, down 21.5% from the FY2012 level of $1.48 billion contained the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 112-74, Division E, H.Rept. 112-331). The President requested $1.55 billion, an increase of 4.9% over the FY2012 level. Relative to the FY2012 level, reductions in the various accounts and most subaccounts ranged from 6.0% down to elimination, although four subaccounts were held at the FY2012 levels. No increases were approved. Other highlights of the bill include the following:
$1.04 billion for Resource Management, by far the largest account in the FWS budget, and a reduction of 15.1% from the FY2012 level. Rejection of an Administration proposal to reduce funding for national fish hatcheries from $46.1 million to $43.2 million, despite a controversy over appropriate funding for hatcheries intended to mitigate other agencies' water projects. $3.0 million for Cooperative Landscape Conservation and Adaptive Science, a reduction of 90.7% from the FY2012 level of $32.2 million. Elimination of funding for general land acquisition for national wildlife refuges. A focus on reductions in programs whose authorizations have expired or are expiring in FY2012. Funding restrictions or directives regarding wolves in Wyoming; hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting on federal lands; and management of certain captive-bred endangered game species.
This report analyzes the FWS funding levels for the FY2013 appropriations bill. Emphasis is on FWS funding for programs that have generated congressional debate or particular constituent interest, now or in recent years. General efforts to reduce federal spending will encourage scrutiny of all spending, in FWS as in other agencies.