FY 2016 Congressional Directives Responses
Official responses to Congressional requests for information are provided below along with short descriptions of the requests.
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4th Quarter Reprogramming
Congressional Request: All reprogramming between budget activities, budget line-items, program areas, or the more detailed activity levels shown in this agreement, including those below the monetary thresholds established in the Explanatory Statement, shall be reported to the Committees within 60 days of the end of each quarter and shall include cumulative totals for each budget activity, budget line-item, or construction, land acquisition, or forest legacy project.
Signed Letter (pdf, 176 kb)
De Soto National Forest Closures
Request: United States Forest Service is expected to report on any road closures that occurred between January 1, 2010 and June 1, 2015, including the rationale for the closures in the De Soto National Forest.
De Soto Road Closure Letter (pdf, 116 kb)
De Soto NF Road Closures (pdf, 457 kb)
Law Enforcement Operations
Congressional Request: Appropriations Act P.L. 113-76 requires Interior and Related Agencies to report steps taken to ensure stronger collaboration among all partners and focused enforcement strategies aimed at safety, interdiction and mitigation of illegal marijuana cultivation on public lands.
Signed letter (pdf, 322 kb)
Enclosure final report sent to Congress (pdf, 56 kb)
Firewood Personal Use
Request: In accordance to House Report 114-170, the U.S. Department of Agriculture must provide a report regarding personal-use of firewood permits and sales.
Firewood Letters (pdf, 1384 kb)
Congressional Report on firewood (pdf, 206 kb)
Integrated Resource Restoration (IRR)
Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in the Explanatory Statement the Forest Service is expected to complete an evaluation during fiscal year 2015 of the first three years of the proof of concept pilot and provide a report to the Interior House Appropriations Committee.
Final IRR Report (pdf, 886 kb)
Integrated Resource Restoration Letter (pdf, 907 kb)
Status of Balances of Appropriation
Section 415. The Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, and the Indian Health Service shall provide the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate quarterly reports on the status of balances of appropriations including all uncommitted, committed, and unobligated funds in each program and activity.
Balances of Appropriation Q1 Report (pdf, 165 kb)
Balances of Appropriation Q1 Letters (pdf, 698 kb)
Balances of Appropriation Q1 Bill Language (pdf, 716 kb)
Status of Balances of Appropriation
Section 415. The Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, and the Indian Health Service shall provide the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate quarterly reports on the status of balances of appropriations including all uncommitted, committed, and unobligated funds in each program and activity.
Balances and Appropriation Q2 Letters (pdf, 2234 kb)
Balances and Appropriation Q2 Report (pdf, 1691 kb)
Balances of Appropriation Bill Language (pdf, 719 kb)
Status of Balances of Appropriation
Section 415. The Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Forest Service, and the Indian Health Service shall provide the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and Senate quarterly reports on the status of balances of appropriations including all uncommitted, committed, and unobligated funds in each program and activity.
Balances of Appropriation Q3 Letters & Report (pdf, 3,415 kb)
Balances of Appropriation Bill Language (pdf, 716 kb)
March Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act Suppression Expenditures for Interior and Agriculture.
Relating to a Congressional Directive in H. R. 2996, Public Law 111-88. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide an estimate of anticipated wildfire suppression costs to improve budgeting and funding during the first weeks of March, May and July of each year, as well as during the first weeks of September of each year where appropriations for the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service have not been passed for the coming fiscal year by September 1.
FLAME Forecast March 2016 Letters (pdf, 1154 kb)
FLAME Forecast March 2016 Report (pdf, 88 kb)
Public Law 111-88 (pdf, 193 kb)
May Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act Suppression Expenditures for Interior and Agriculture
Congressional Request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in H. R. 2996, Public Law 111-88. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide an estimate of anticipated wildfire suppression costs to improve budgeting and funding during the first weeks of March, May and July of each year, as well as during the first weeks of September of each year where appropriations for the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service have not been passed for the coming fiscal year by September 1.
FLAME Forecast May 2016 final (pdf, 96 kb)
Public Law 111-88 (pdf, 193 kb)
July Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act Suppression Expenditures for Interior and Agriculture Agencies
Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in H. R. 2996, Public Law 111-88. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide an estimate of anticipated wildfire suppression costs to improve budgeting and funding during the first weeks of March, May and July of each year, as well as during the first weeks of September of each year where appropriations for the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service have not been passed for the coming fiscal year by September 1.
FLAME Forecast July 2016 Letters (pdf, 434 kb)
FLAME Forecast July 2016 Report (pdf, 292 kb)
Public Law 111-88 (pdf, 193 kb)
September Federal Land Assistance, Management and Enhancement (FLAME) Act Suppression Expenditures for Interior and Agriculture Agencies
Congressional request: Relating to a Congressional Directive in H. R. 2996, Public Law 111-88. Congress requests the Forest Service to provide an estimate of anticipated wildfire suppression costs to improve budgeting and funding during the first weeks of March, May and July of each year, as well as during the first weeks of September of each year where appropriations for the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service have not been passed for the coming fiscal year by September 1.
FLAME Forecast September 2016 Letters (pdf, 491 kb)
FLAME Forecast September 2016 Report (pdf, 28 kb)
Public Law 111-88 (pdf, 193 kb)
Bighorn Sheep Conservation
Congressional Request: In the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2016, through Senate Report 114-70, Congress directed the Forest Service to report to the Committees on our actions to ensure our Nation does not continue to lose substantial portions of either our domestic sheep industry or our bighorn sheep conservation legacy. This report highlights our work on bighorn sheep conservation, specifically risk assessments, stakeholder outreach and coordination, and collaboration with other entities on strategies to reduce the risk of disease transmission from bighorn sheep to domestic sheep.
Big Horn Sheep Letters (pdf, 179 kb)
Big Horn Sheep Attachment (pdf, 237 kb)
Cabin Fee Act
Congressional Request: The Cabin Fee Act (CFA), Public Law 113-291 (16U.S.C. 6214), section 3034 (k) requires USDA to assess all the annual permit fees in accordance with subsection (f) of the CFA.
Cabin Fee Act (pdf, 47 kb)
Public Law 113-291 Section 3024 (pdf, 59 kb)