July 11, 2014

The Department of the Interior (DOI) released their fifth annual economic report on July 11. The report, which provides information on fiscal year (FY) 2013, was released in advance of the House Appropriations Committee markup that reviews the Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill for FY 2015. The report finds that DOI contributed $360 billion to the U.S. economy and supported about 2 million jobs in FY 2013.

This report, compiled by DOI’s Office of Policy Analysis, estimates the impact of DOI land usage and activities in FY 2013. Interior lands received roughly 407 million visits in 2013, resulting in an economic benefit of $41 billion. DOI suggests that renewable energy activities, including hydropower, wind, and solar, contributed about $5 billion in economic output and supported more than 20,000 jobs. The report estimates that oil, gas, and coal from Interior lands created an estimated economic output of $220 billion and roughly 1 million jobs. Non-fuel producing minerals, like gold, created an estimated economic output of $12.5 billion and supported roughly 45,900 jobs.

The DOI report addresses impacts of the FY 2013 budget sequestration spending cuts, which resulted from the Budget Control Act of 2011 and which cut $828 million from the Interior. The report estimates that due to sequestration, DOI issued 300 fewer onshore oil and natural gas leases in Western states, which hurt revenue intake.

Sources: Department of the Interior, E&E News

Updated 8/8/14