Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2026

Wildlife Conservation: Up to $3,000,000 is available for wildlife habitat management through cost-shared projects with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (Bureau of Land Management section).

Recreation Access: Up to $3,000,000 is allocated for recreation resources management (Bureau of Land Management section).

Historic Preservation: Funding is provided to preserve the sites and stories of the African American Civil Rights movement and other equal rights struggles (National Park Service - Historic Preservation Fund section).

Tribal Support: Significant funds are designated for Indian programs, including welfare assistance, housing improvement, and road maintenance (Bureau of Indian Affairs section).

Water Infrastructure: Capitalization grants are provided for Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds to support water quality and infrastructure (Environmental Protection Agency - State and Tribal Assistance Grants section).

Water Infrastructure in Alaska: $40,000,000 is designated for addressing drinking water and wastewater needs in rural and Alaska Native Villages (Section 3).

Border Infrastructure: $36,000,000 is allocated for architectural, engineering, and construction of high priority water and wastewater facilities near the U.S.-Mexico Border (Section 2).

Support for Persistent Poverty Counties: At least 10 percent of the $98,000,000 for CERCLA activities is dedicated to assisting persistent poverty counties (Section 4).

Tribal Health Services: The bill provides significant funding for the Indian Health Service, including $2,500,000 for alcohol or drug treatment services (Indian Health Service section).

Wildfire Readiness: Funding is provided for fire preparedness, suppression, and fuels management to assist with wildfire-related needs (Department-Wide Programs - Wildland Fire Management section).

Wildfire Smoke Preparedness: $8,500,000 is set aside for wildfire smoke preparedness grants (Section 15).

Land Reclamation: Funds are allocated for the reclamation of abandoned mine lands and economic community development (Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement section).

Benefits for National Parks and Public Lands: The Land and Water Conservation Fund receives allocations for specific projects to improve public lands (Section 429).

Restrictions on Sage-Grouse Protection: The bill prohibits the use of funds to issue proposed rules for greater sage-grouse, which may impact species protection efforts (Sec. 119).

Land Conveyance Requirements: Land conveyed for the Long Bridge Project in Virginia or DC is subject to terms and conditions required by the Secretary (Sec. 116).

Environmental Research Limitations: Funds for ecosystem research cannot be used for new surveys on private property without written authorization from the owner (United States Geological Survey section).

Restrictions on Local Government Funding: In the U.S.-Mexico border area, local governments cannot receive funds for colonia infrastructure unless they establish local ordinances preventing new development without proper infrastructure (Section 2).

Administrative Limits in Alaska: For the $40,000,000 allocated to Alaska, no more than 5 percent of the funds can be used for administrative and overhead expenses (Section 3).

Strict Requirements for Smithsonian Leases: Lease agreements for the Smithsonian Institution are limited to a period of no more than 30 years (Smithsonian Institution section).

Mining Application Limitations: Funds cannot be used to process applications for a patent for any mining or mill site claim under general mining laws, with very specific exceptions (Section 404).

Environmental Regulation Restrictions: The bill prohibits the use of funds to implement regulations requiring permits for certain emissions related to livestock production (Section 435) or greenhouse gas reporting from manure management systems (Section 436).