{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=711bcbb4-0df1-471d-a0a0-6d780172b137", "Murkowski Announces Interior Provisions in Year-End Omnibus Bill to Benefit Alaska", "2015-12-18", "2015", "2015-12", "Republican", "House", "AK", "Lisa Murkowski", "M001153", "www.murkowski.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "12.18.15\n\t\t\t Murkowski Announces Interior Provisions in Year-End Omnibus Bill to Benefit Alaska \n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tSenator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) today announced a series of provisions within the year-end omnibus budget package that will approve, support, and fund a broad range of initiatives important to Alaska. Murkowski secured many of the provisions through her role as Chairman of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which provides Alaska with a strong voice in federal budget negotiations. Today the Senate voted on the bill which passed in a vote of 65-33.\r\n\r\n(Senator Murkowski highlights wins for AlaskaClick image to watch video)\r\nMurkowski developed a strong Interior Appropriations bill that was marked up in the Appropriations Committee in June 2015. After the bill was reported, Senate Democrats repeatedly blocked the consideration of individual appropriations bills. Left with no choice but to turn an omnibus measure, Murkowski worked with her colleagues to include funding and policy initiatives that address a wide range of Alaska-specific priorities. Those provisions include support for energy development in the state; greater funding for alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs; the continuation of the backhaul waste removal program; a prohibition on the regulation of lead content in ammunition and fishing tackle; and full funding for contract support costs for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Indian Health Service.\r\nA summary of Alaska-specific provisions in the omnibus appears on the following pages.\r\nFulfilling Federal Responsibility to Alaskan Communities\r\n \r\nFully funds the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program at $452 million.\r\n\r\nIn FY15, Alaska received more than $28 million in PILT payments.\r\nPILT compensates local governments for tax revenues lost due to federal land ownership, and provides for vital services such as firefighting and police protection, the construction of public schools and roads, and search-and-rescue operations.\r\n\r\n\r\nRestores the National Wildlife Refuge fund (PILT for Fish and Wildlife Service lands), which the President had proposed to cut. \r\n \r\nSupporting Energy Development in Alaska\r\nONSHORE\r\n \r\nProvides a $23 million increase for onshore energy programs on public lands, which will boost capacity for development within the NPR-A and on other BLM lands in Alaska.\r\nCompels BLM to find a path forward on oil production in the NPR-A by solving metering issues.\r\nFunds accounts necessary to facilitate transmission lines in Southeast for renewable energy.\r\n \r\nOFFSHORE\r\n \r\nProvides necessary funds to support both offshore conventional and renewable energy development.\r\nProvides funds for Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to work on the next 5-year leasing plan.\r\n \r\nHonoring Responsibilities to Alaska Natives and Native Americans\r\n \r\nProvides full contract support costs (CSC) for the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) and Indian Health Service (IHS) as well as creates a separate appropriations account so that other agency funds cannot be taken to pay for the legal obligation to pay full CSCs.\r\nProvides an additional $195 million to address safety, education, and infrastructure needs.\r\n\r\nProvides an additional $25 million for BIA with important increases to programs that help combat domestic violence, substance abuse, and other public safety initiatives.\r\n\r\nThis includes $10 million in Tribal Court funding for P.L. 280 states such as Alaska. This is the first time tribal courts in Alaska have received federal funding.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nProvides an increase of $9 million for the Tiwahe initiative, which will help communities design a comprehensive approach for the delivery of social services and justice programs.\r\nProvides $40 million for IHS to address critical infrastructure needs in villages and on reservations nationwide.\r\nProvides $20 million for IHS construction projects.\r\nProvides full funding for IHS staffing packages at new facilities.\r\nProvides $2 million for Village Built Clinics, a program unique to Alaska that supports health care clinics in villages and rural areas.\r\nProvides an additional $10 million for IHS alcohol and substance abuse treatment programs.\r\n \r\nEnhances Land Access and Opportunities for Sportsmen\r\n \r\nProvides new funding to the National Park Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service for recreational access. The total for recreational access funding is $20.5 million.\r\nPrevents the Department of the Interior from designating de facto wilderness by prohibiting funding for the wildlands program and urges the Administration to receive state and local support for any designation of a monument.\r\nDirects more recreation dollars for the National Forests in Alaska to enhance visitor services and recreation opportunities.\r\nProhibits EPA from regulating lead content of ammunition and fishing tackle. \r\n \r\nFunds Conservation Priorities\r\n \r\nProvides $450 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).\r\n\r\nThis includes $110 million for the state-side of the LWCF program, which provides grants to State and local governments. This is the largest amount directed to state-side LWCF since 2002.\r\nProvides $943,000 to acquire 500 acres in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve.\r\n\r\n\r\nIncreases funding to the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) to conserve migratory bird habitat across the country and ensures that specific mandatory funding for NAWCA will continue for the next 10 years.\r\nProvides additional funding for the State Wildlife Grants Program to improve habitat for potentially endangered species to help protect species from the need for ESA listings.\r\n \r\nSupporting Rational Wildlife Management \r\n \r\nProhibits the Fish and Wildlife Service from using funds to conduct a caribou hunt on Kagalaska Island in Alaska.\r\nProhibits costly and impractical efforts to remove cattle from Chirikof Island.\r\n \r\nNational Park Service\r\n \r\nProvides an additional $236 million for the National Park Service ($135 million of which is for the Centennial Initiative) and addresses deferred construction and maintenance backlog to prepare parks and communities for increased tourism as part of the Centennial Initiative.\r\nFunds two deferred maintenance projects in Alaska:\r\n\r\n$3.6 million for utility replacements in Denali National Park.\r\n$2.2 million to complete a bridge replacement and provide trail access in Katmai National Park.\r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nMapping and Monitoring for Improving Safety and Resource Development \r\n \r\nProvides $48 million for energy and mineral resources programs.\r\n\r\nRestores $2 million in proposed cuts for geologic mapping initiatives for unmapped areas of the country, especially in Alaska.\r\nProvides an additional $2.4 million to support critical minerals research.\r\n\r\n\r\nProvides an additional $1.32 million for 3D Alaska mapping initiative.\r\nProvides over $86 million for earthquake and volcano hazards as part of the Natural Hazards program.\r\n\r\nAn additional $1 million is included for repairing and upgrading volcano monitoring systems. \r\n\r\n\r\n \r\nFully Funds Wildland Fire Fighting \r\n \r\nProvides 100% of funding requested for wildfire preparedness and suppression, to ensure that the resources necessary to combat wildfire are available.\r\nMakes $593 million in additional funding available above the 10-year average to prevent fire borrowing if regular fire suppression funds are exhausted.\r\nProvides $545 million for hazardous fuels reduction.  \r\n \r\nFulfilling Commitments Made Under ANCSA\r\n \r\nFunds the Alaska land conveyance program at $22 million to continue momentum toward the completion of land exchanges.\r\nRequires completion of an inventory of contaminated Alaska Native lands in need of remediation and directs BLM to coordinate with all responsible federal agencies to clean lands up as soon as possible.\r\nInstructs BLM to work with the State of Alaska to efficiently rectify erroneous land conveyances made to the state.\r\n \r\nPromoting Alaskas Mining Industry\r\n \r\nProvides regulatory relief by instructing BLM to develop a definition of re-vegetation that takes into account the unique challenges in Alaska.\r\nCompels BLM to work with miners to evaluate and make reclamation determinations in an effort to support placer miners.\r\n \r\nSupporting Alaskas Timber Industry \r\n \r\nCompels the Forest Service to offer timber sales in the Tongass National Forest.\r\nTakes the recommendations of the Tongass Advisory Committee and requires the Forest Service to find out if there is actually enough young growth timber to sustain the industry before they attempt to continue the transition from old growth to young growth.\r\nRequires that timber sales from Alaska Red Cedar be economic and for the U.S. Forest Service to use an appraisal system best suited to the unique needs of Alaska.\r\nIncreases funding for Forest Inventory Analysis program to conduct inventories in Interior Alaska for potential timber activity.\r\n \r\nMaking EPA Work in Alaska\r\n \r\nFunds a grant program to allow for wood stove change out in areas like Fairbanks where wood stoves have been a major cause of the community not meeting air quality standards.\r\n\r\nFunds may also be used to support the conversion of residential boilers to achieve attainment.\r\n\r\n\r\nEnsures that the EPA continues operating the backhaul program for five years to remove solid waste and garbage from communities in rural Alaska.\r\nIncludes an additional $10 million of funding for the Alaska Native Villages Water Program (for a total of $20 million), assisting Alaska communities with improving drinking water and wastewater systems.\r\n \r\nOpportunities in the Arctic\r\n \r\nDirects the Department of the Interior to work cooperatively with local stakeholders to enhance economic opportunities for the people who live and work in the Arctic region. \r\n \r\nMurkowski is Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n    \n\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\n    \n\t\n     \n\t\n \n\t\n    \n    \n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t  \n\t\t\n\t\n\t  \n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://www.murkowski.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/pressreleases?ContentRecord_id=711bcbb4-0df1-471d-a0a0-6d780172b137"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.553817117586732, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": 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