Appropriations, 2001	$133,116,000
Budget estimate, 2002	149,368,000
House allowance	149,867,000
Committee recommendation	151,933,000

The Committee recommends an appropriation of $151,933,000 for royalty and offshore minerals management, an increase of $2,565,000 above the budget request. The Committee has provided $10,727,000 for fixed cost increases. A comparison of the budget estimates and the Committee recommendations are shown in the following table:

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                                                Budget estimate Committeerecommendation     Change 

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Outer Continental Shelf lands:                                                                     

Leasing and environmental program                   $38,573,000             $38,772,000  +$199,000 

Resource evaluation                                  23,389,000              25,210,000 +1,821,000 

Regulatory program                                   49,073,000              49,407,000   +334,000 

Information management program                       14,894,000              14,960,000    +66,000 

Subtotal, Outer Continental Shelf lands             125,929,000             128,349,000 +2,420,000 

Royalty management:                                                                                

Compliance                                           48,106,000              48,539,000   +433,000 

Revenue and operations                               35,223,000              35,467,000   +244,000 

Indian allottee refunds                                  15,000                  15,000            

Subtotal, royalty management                         83,344,000              84,021,000   +677,000 

General administration:                                                                            

Executive direction                                   2,003,000               2,025,000    +22,000 

Policy and management improvement                     4,036,000               4,078,000    +42,000 

Administrative operations                            16,770,000              16,174,000   -596,000 

General support services                             20,016,000              20,016,000            

Subtotal, general administration                     42,825,000              42,293,000   -532,000 

Use of receipts                                    -102,730,000            -102,730,000            

Total, royalty and offshore minerals management     149,368,000             151,933,000 +2,565,000 

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Within the funds for resource evaluation, the Committee has provided $800,000 for royalty and offshore minerals management for the Center for Marine Resources and Environmental Technology program to support exploration and sustainable development of seabed minerals. The Committee has also provided $800,000 for the Marine Mineral Technology Center in Alaska to conduct assessments on potential gold reserves off the coast of Nome.

Within the funds provided for the regulatory program, $1,400,000 shall be used to support operations and research activities of the Offshore Technology Research Center. The Committee has reduced the budget request for the Administrative operations activity by $800,000. These funds were requested to conduct an external audit of the agency's financial information. The Committee has instead provided funds for external auditing of all the bureaus in the Department of the Interior directly to the Inspector General.

The Committee has continued bill language similar to language included in the fiscal year 2001 appropriations act under general provisions, Department of the Interior to prohibit the use of funds for Outer Continental Shelf leasing and development activities in certain areas. The Committee notes again, as it has in past fiscal years, that development activities outside of approved areas identified in the agency's 5-year Outer Continental Shelf development plan are not permitted under law.

The Committee understands that the process of projecting offsetting receipts 1 to 2 years into the future is, at best, an uncertain business. Recognizing this, the Committee has again given the Minerals Management Service the authority to utilize receipts accruing from rental rates in effect prior to August 5, 1993 to augment the primary sources of receipts should this be necessary to reach the operating levels intended by this Committee.

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