Note: Excludes emergency firefighting costs, which fluctuate from year to year due to weather and fuel conditions. General Over the ten-year period, the following changes have occurred: Energy, minerals, and lands activities have almost doubled, primarily as a result of greater development of onshore and offshore energy resources. The "traditional" BLM activities of forest management, cadastral Rangeland management activities and recreation have remained A smaller share of costs (about half as much) goes to administration. Planning and data management costs are now a substantial part of the In addition to the programmatic changes that have occurred, the nature of funding requirements has also changed markedly. Using the same comparison (1972 and 1982), the following chart shows costs by object class. In 1982, as compared with 1972, 0 more of each BLM dollar is spent on contracted services space, utilities, and communications (which have quadrupled supplies, materials, and equipment less of each BLM dollar is spent on Several efforts are currently underway to improve the development and administration of BLM's budget. First, the Bureau's budget process is being thoroughly reviewed. Because the Bureau's budget is developed and implemented by 12 BLM state offices and 55 district and other field offices, it is critical that the decision-making process results in appropriate trade-offs and in decisions that can be efficiently implemented and that are responsive to changing priorities. The review now underway is expected to result in recommendations that will ensure clearly defensible budget priorities and improved targeting of limited funds and personnel to meet the most urgent requirements for managing the public lands. Second, a review of the Bureau's financial management system is underway to develop more simplified reports that will be more useful to BLM managers at all levels. Finally, the first steps of automating budget and planning data are being taken. Because the Bureau's programs involve so many subactivities (the funds for each of which must be controlled) and a decentralized field organization, it has become impracticable to manually "track" appropriated funds. Automation of the budget process will result in more accurate and efficient control of funds. No increases in funds or personnel are requested for these efforts. Conclusion This budget responds to the needs that the Bureau must address as the manager of the Nation's largest block of lands lands which have both tapped and untapped resources for energy and minerals development; recreation, timber, and forage use; and historical, cultural, and environmental values. With existing funds and personnel, the Bureau has made significant improvements in its responsiveness to those needs and is exploring other possibilities to make its activities more cost-effective and efficient. At the same time, some of these needs require additional funds, outlined here and explained in more detail in the following justifications. |