U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Office of Communications

NEWS RELEASE

MMS REQUESTS $247.7 MILLION FOR FY 2001 BUDGET

        The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Mineral Management Service (MMS) is requesting $247.7 million for the FY 2001 budget to manage mineral resources on the Nation’s Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) in an environmentally sound and safe manner, to ensure that the American public receives fair market return for these publicly-owned resources, and to provide timely collection, verification, and distribution of mineral revenues from Federal and Indian lands.

        "The MMS programs are vitally important to the security of the Nation and the well-being of the national economy. This year, we are particularly pleased that revenues from oil and natural gas production in the Federal OCS will support the President’s Lands Legacy initiative," remarked MMS Director Walt Rosenbusch.

        This year’s request of $247.7 million is $7.3 million above the FY 2000 enacted level. The FY 01 budget request includes $124.1 million in current appropriations (an increase of $13.9 million); and $117.4 million in offsetting collections from OCS rents (a decrease of $6.6 million) which includes a legislative proposal for $10 million in new user fees. In addition, the proposed FY 2001 budget includes $587.4 million in permanent appropriations to provide States their statutory share of mineral leasing revenues generated on Federal lands.

        The FY 2001 budget will also allow MMS to complete its highest priority, the Reengineering Initiative of the Royalty Management Program (RMP). "This initiative represents a significant investment that allows MMS to design and implement a new royalty management business process and accounting system. The goals are faster delivery of royalties and ensuring compliance for all leases in the shortest possible time.

        Under full implementation, we estimate a dramatic reduction in the amount of data now reported to us, which means millions of dollars in savings for industry and the taxpayers," commented Director Rosenbusch.

        As the Federal agency that manages the Nation's natural gas, oil and other mineral resources on the OCS, the MMS strives to provide outstanding service to all of its customers: taxpayers, States, Indian Tribes and allottees, and the energy industry. The FY 2001 budget request seeks modest increases that will allow MMS to ensure that the public receives fair market value for oil and natural gas from the Nation’s OCS. The agency collects, on average, about $4 billion yearly in mineral revenues from offshore Federal leases, and from onshore mineral leases on Federal and Indian lands.

-MMS-

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