Forest Service Programs

Forest Service programs that help to promote safety and job creation in rural America are also underfunded in this budget. Economic Action Programs, which enable rural communities and businesses that make use of forest resources to become more economically self-sufficient, were zeroed out. I encourage the restoration of funding for these important programs. I request that your Subcommittee include a total of $52.6 million for these programs, including $40 million for the base Education Action Program and $12.6 million for the Education Program under the National Fire Plan.

I also join the Western Governor's Association in again raising concerns about funding for wildland fire suppression. The FY 2005 budgetary cap adjustment of $500 million for wildfire allowed the federal agencies to avoid shortfalls for fire suppression from the previous year. I urge the Subcommittee to do the same in the coming fiscal year. If the Forest Service is to be a partner with its neighbors in rural America, it must be able to provide its share of the funding, but the President's budget fails in this respect.

Fish and Wildlife Service Endangered Species Program

The chief hurdle to broader success of the Endangered Species Act has been and remains insufficient funding, and this year is no exception. The President's budget request for Fiscal 2006 would eliminate several important efforts, including the recovery of freshwater mussels a the White Sulphur Springs National Fish Hatchery in my Congressional District. This facility is developing propagation techniques to increase the population of freshwater mussels and I urge the Subcommittee to restore these funds.

I am, as well, concerned that nationwide 232 listed species - species in imminent danger of extinction are without recovery plans. To continue the ongoing recovery efforts, the program should be funded at no less than the FY 2005 enacted level of $69.9 million.

I also urge the inclusion of sufficient funding for Consultation and Habitat Conservation Planning to ensure that economic development activities can proceed expeditiously. Developers, state agencies, private landowners, and others who plan and conduct development activities should be able to secure permits, approvals, and licenses in a timely manner. But insufficient funding has become an unnecessary hurdle that is slowing economic activity and adding to the cost of development.

In my own state of West Virginia, the Fish and Wildlife Service has experienced significant increases in the numbers of requests for consultations and habitat conservation plans it receives. A decade ago, the Elkins office was not involved in habitat conservation plans; today there are close to 100 such plans in development. Similarly, its consultations have increased from 200 a decade ago to an anticipated 448 for the coming fiscal year. To keep up with proposed development activities nationwide, I request that this program receive a funding level of $57 million for FY 2006.

With respect to listing of endangered species, I request $30 million in funding. Thi would enable the Service to begin to make a dent in the enormous backlog of the 248 speci are candidates for listing, and the 790 species without critical habitat designation.

International Species Conservation

The United States has been a global leader in wildlife conservation efforts. The chal confronting fish, birds, and other wildlife across our hemisphere, and on the African and continents are greater than ever before. Last year, a cumulative $9.7 million was approp through the Multinational Species Conservation Fund for matching grant programs. programs leverage support from other non-federal sources and help to preserve rhinos, elephants, Neotropical migratory birds, and, now, marine turtles. Considering the com demands for limited resources, I urge maintaining funding at no less than the cumulative a appropriated for the Multinational Species Conservation Fund in Fiscal 2005.

Abandoned Mine Reclamation

The Abandoned Mine Lands (AML) program is intended to help restore former minir to safe and healthy conditions for coal mining communities. The program is funded throug assessed on the coal industry. But the level of funding allocated annually has failed to kee with the expansive restoration needs; in fact, spending has not even kept pace with the level o fee receipts.

The Office of Surface Mining has identified funding needs exceeding $3 billion to a top-tier priority coal mining site problems. Meanwhile new problems are regularly being að the inventory as conditions worsen at old mine sites and communities grow to the fringes of mining lands. The Subcommittee is urged to ensure that the level of monies made availabl the Fund are adequate to ensure the safety and well-being of families who live in co communities.

I note as well, that the authorization for the collection of AML fees again faces exp in the coming months. To extend the vital work of restoring health and safety to abandone lands, I am, once more, joining Representative Cubin in introducing legislation to exte collection and ensure the continued viability of this program.

Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)

The President's Fiscal Year 2006 budget request undermines the education, healt security, and other basic needs of sovereign Indian Nations.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is in need of an additional $58.4 million over the budget i for BIA for law enforcement activities authorized under the Indian Tribal Justice Act. Acc

to Department of Justice statistics, Indian men and women are more than twice as likely to be the victim of a violent crime than any other racial or ethnic group.

Additionally, $10 million is needed to immediately address severe deficiencies in tribal detention centers. In September 2004, the Department of Interior Inspector General released a report, "Neither Safe Nor Secure: An Assessment of Indian Detention Facilities," finding conditions at Indian detention centers to be decrepit and unsafe, with severe shortages in resources and manpower.

The Navajo Nation, for example, faces a crisis as violent criminals are frequently released back into society, due to the lack of prison facilities. Initially, 103 jail beds existed in six Navajo detention facilities – all constructed in the 1950's and 1960's – until one of the jails was condemned, lowering the bed count to seventy. Violent crime on Navajo land is six times the national average.

In his budget, the President slashed school construction and facility repair by $119 million - perhaps the hardest hit item in the budget for all of Indian country. I recommend reinstating all of that funding. These negligent funding levels are leaving Indian children behind and undermining the success of tribal communities.

Additionally, despite cutting its budget to $34.5 million, the Department of the Interior continues to claim that land consolidation is a top priority; this is nowhere near the existing need. This program should be funded at the authorized level of $95 million, if we truly desire to get the trust fund and land trust issues under control without having to consolidate ownership of Indian trust lands.

Conclusion

I harbor no illusions about the availability of federal funding. The budget is severely constrained and funding needs are continuing to grow. However, our Nation's natural resource treasures are in need of investment and the President's spending priorities are clearly misdirected. I encourage the Subcommittee to consider taking a different approach and to make a greater investment in the most pressing needs of our nation's lands, our precious natural resources, and our heritage.

Native Programs

Statement of the Honorable Don Young
Committee on Appropriation

Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies
March 18, 2005

Mr. Chairman, it is indeed an honor to submit testimony on Alaska Native Programs within the Interior Appropriations bill to my friends on this distinguished Subcommittee.

Indian Health Service

Mr. Chairman, since Congress amended the Indian Self Determination Act, the India Health Service (IHS) has entered into Self-Governance Compacts with tribes. Alaska entere an "All Alaska Compact" with the IHS which has provided a more direct and improved serv Alaska Natives and has greatly reduced the administrative costs of having the IHS administe these services. I fully support the appropriations with the IHS's Self-Governance Compact f to continue funding for the "All Alaska Compact”.

Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

The Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium based in Anchorage, is the newest triba health organization in Alaska which manages area-wide tribal support and community health programs, area-wide environmental health and engineering functions, and the statewide fund of the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage, Alaska.

There are several health conditions and program areas which require special conside and I support the following request from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium:

1. Support of Senators Stevens and Murkowski on key Medicaid federal medicaid assistance percentage (FMAP) issues affecting Alaska, including extending Senator Frank Murkowski's two-year Alaska FMAP enhancement, and resolving CMS' denial of Alaska Medicaid's "fairshare" State Plan Amendment that would do nothing more than allow Alask Medicaid to reimburse tribal facilities for customary, prevailing at 100% FMAP, consistent existing laws and regulations.

2. Support funding for, and prioritization of, Indian Health Service appropriations fo critically-needed replacement hospitals in Nome and Barrow, Alaska.

3. Continued leveraging of the Alaska Federal Health Care Access Network infrastr including using the AFHCAN system as a platform for development of integrated Electronic Health Records systems in Alaska and using the AFHCAN office as a Northwest Regional Telehealth Resource Center.

4. Support an increase of 10% to the Indian Health Service appropriations to offset the 810% documented annual costs increase (IHS appropriations have only been offset by 1-2% for these costs).

Alaska Native Health Board

The Alaska Native Health Board represent the Alaska Native regional and village health organizations throughout the state of Alaska that serve the entire population in the areas in which there is no other health service available I support their request for the following:

1. Community Health Aide/Practitioner. The Community Health Aide/Practitioner (CHAP) concept was borne out of the need to respond to widespread health threats rampant in Rural Alaska in the 1950's, including the tuberculosis epidemic, high infant morality, and high rates of injuries in rural areas. The CHA/Ps are the first responders and the only access to health care in 178 remote Alaska villages. ANHB requests a $9.9 million increase for the Community Health Aide/Practitioner program.

2. Village Built Clinic. In FY 1972 there were 156 health aides and enough funding to lease 41 clinics to practice from. The lease program gradually grew through the years until a total of 142 clinics were authorized and funded under the program. This cap remained for a number of years until FY 1989 when Congress increased the funding and raised the number of clinics that could be leased to the present level of 170. Funding for Indian Health Service lease programs has not grown in the past 15 years and remains at $3.7 million. ANHB requests $5.5 million increase for the Village Built Clinic (VBC) Lease Program over a three-year period.

3. Water and Sewer Projects. Approximately 92% of American Indian and Alaska Native homes have been provided sanitation facilities since the inception of the IHS sanitation facilities since the inception of the IHS sanitation construction program, but roughly 8% of the homes still lack a safe indoor water supply, compared to 1% of all U.S. homes. ANHB requests a $20 million increase be appropriated to the Indian Health Service budget.

4. Medevac and Patient Travel. The most essential element to emergent care in Alaska is Medevac. Accessing adequate emergency facilities from throughout remote areas experiencing marginal to adverse flying conditions across Alaska continues to pose both chronic and immediate challenges. In recent years the cost and frequency of Medevac flights have continued to climb. The Alaska Native Medical Center experienced a 30% increase in the number of Medevac flights in the past four years. Factored together with the FAA regulations, costs increased five fold. ANHB requests $2 million in recurring base funding through HIS to meet costs associated with FAA requirements for critical care air ambulances services; and seeks an additional $2 million increase of recurring base funding to adequately address patient travel needs.

5. IHS Health Facilities. ANHB seeks funding for the Norton Sound Health Corporation hospital in Nome, Alaska and the Samuel Simmons Memorial Hospital in Barrow, Alaska.

The Nome Hospital-The Norton Sound Health Corporation operates the Nome Hospital.