NEH, National Park Service & Smithsonian FY 2010 Budget Increases

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Park Service would receive major boosts in funding under the House Appropriations’ Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies fiscal year (FY) 2010 “Chairman’s Mark” that was approved on June 11. The full House Appropriations Committee is expected to take up the bill sometime next week.

In fiscal year 2010, NEH would receive an increase of $15 million over its FY 2009 appropriation. NEH’s budget would go from the current $155 million to $170 million. The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) would receive a comparable $15 million increase over last year’s number up to $170 million.

The National Park Service (NPS) would receive a $195 million increase, up to $2.7 billion. Of that amount, the NPS Operations budget would receive $2.2 billion; $129 million more than the current year’s budget. The bill includes $100 million for park upgrades in advance of the Centennial of the Park Service in 2016. $25 million is included to fund Park Partnership cost share projects.

The Save America’s Treasures program would receive $30 million, which is a $10 million increase over FY ’09 and the President’s request. The Preserve America program, which received no funding last year, would receive $6 million. This is $3 million more than the President’s 2010 request.

The Smithsonian Institution’s budget would see a $43 million increase over FY 2009 and $15 million more that President Obama’s budget request. The Smithsonian would receive $774 million in FY ’10 versus $731 million in the current fiscal year.

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