• Clean, Safe Water for America. The final budget provides $1.7 billion -- an additional $230 million or 16-percent increase from last year -- for the President’s Clean Water Action Plan, a five-year initiative to help communities and farmers clean up the almost 40 percent of America’s surveyed waterways still too polluted for fishing and swimming. In addition, the budget provides states $2.15 billion in financing for clean water construction projects.
• Preserving Precious Lands. An additional $325 million for FY99 -- a $55 million increase from last year -- through the Land and Water Conservation Fund will be used to acquire dozens of natural and historic sites around the country, including critical winter range for Yellowstone bison, New Mexico’s Baca Ranch and the last remaining private stretches of the Appalachian Trail.
• Protecting Endangered Species. The final budget provides an additional $32 million in FY99 -- a 23-percent increase from last year -- providing funds for protection and recovery of endangered and threatened species, as well as enhancements for important habitats.
• Leading the Fight Against Global Warming. The final budget provides over $1 billion -- a 26-percent increase from last year -- to support research investments that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, oil consumption, and energy costs for consumers and businesses by promoting increased energy efficiency and clean energy technologies.
• Defending Our Environment Against Stealth Attacks. President Clinton forced Congress to drop special-interest riders that would have rolled back hard-won environmental protections. Anti-environmental language in the budget bills would have:
  • Forced overcutting of timber on national forests and accelerated logging of Alaskan rain forest.
  • Allowed intrusive helicopter landings in Alaska wilderness and the first road ever carved through a designated wilderness area.
  • Hindered salmon restoration in the Pacific Northwest, and allowed harmful commercial fishing in wilderness waters of Glacier Bay National Park.
  • Blocked common-sense actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and barred the Administration from informing the public about the threat of global warming.
  • Placed restrictions on the use of brownfields funds that would have denied municipalities the funds they need to undertake clean-up at brownfield sites.

Budget Accomplishments

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