BLM Resource Allocation

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO provided information on the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) fiscal year (FY) 1991 and FY 1992 budget and staff allocations for nine western states in management programs addressing oil and gas, coal, rangeland, cultural resources, wilderness, recreation resources, and resource planning. GAO noted that: (1) the BLM resource allocation process, including its budget development phase, takes place over 3 fiscal years; (2) BLM state offices adjust current budgets for such factors as inflation, administrative priorities, and initiatives, to develop new budgets; (3) numerous BLM, Department of the Interior, and Office of Management and Budget officials review and revise the proposed budgets over the 3-year development period, as well as the President and Congress; (4) total BLM FY 1992 budget allocations for the nine states ranged from $29.8 million to $53.2 million; and (5) total BLM FY 1992 staff allocations ranged from 510 full-time equivalents (FTE) to 975 FTE.