With an appropriation of $87,050,000 for the fiscal year beginning July 1, an increase of $7,346,502 over the current year total, the Bureau of Indian Affairs will expand and improve its operations along several major lines, Commissioner of Indian Affairs Glenn L, Emmons said today.
The principal increase is about $4,200,000 in educational funds which will provide schooling for 5,000 additional Indian children, 2,870 in public schools and 2,130 in Federal schools operated by the Indian Bureau. It will also permit a continuation of the Bureau's new adult education program launched last year with five tribal groups.
Another important part of the increase, $2,456,000, is to broaden the scope of relocation services for Indian families and individuals seeking better employment opportunities away from the reservations. More intensive help and guidance will be available to the relocating Indians before they leave the reservations and after they arrive at their destinations.
An additional $1,588,000 for repair and maintenance of schools and other Government structures required for Bureau operations in isolated areas will permit work programming at the rate of 16 cents per square foot of floor space in contrast with a rate of approximately 8 cents for the current year.
Other increases are $833,000 for realty work to permit expansion of the Bureau Is realty staff which is urgently needed to keep abreast of the steadily increasing volume of requests from Indians for action on leases and other realty transactions involving Indian trust lands; $416,000 for strengthening the law and order program on Indian reservations; $500,000 for the forestry program designed to increase the volume of timber sales with the ultimate objective of placing on the market all timber that can be produced by the Indian forests under sustained-yield managements; and $377,000 to keep pace with a 20-year soil and moisture conservation program on Indian lands.
While the total of increases for individual items adds up to more than $10,000,000, this is offset by a decrease of about $3,000,000 in the funds for building construction and by other minor adjustments. The $7,346,502 figure represents a net increase in the Bureau's total appropriation.
