The $26.3 billion bill included $492 million to reduce fire risks on public lands, restored $30 million the administration cut in state grants for parks and recreation areas through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and added $3.8 million to expedite grazing permitting.

The Senate reversed a $27 million cut to the Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILT) program, and added another $8 million, bringing the total to $235 million. PILT compensates counties for lost property taxes due to federal land holdings in their borders.

The program has been chronically shortchanged.

Utah received $19.6 million in the current year, and would get about $20 million under the projected figures.

“PILT funding is vital to rural counties in Utah, and in past years the money has been well below what these counties need,” said Sen. Orrin Hatch. “We're still not at full funding, but this year's increase is a significant step forward.”

The bill includes $3 million for increasing oil and gas management, with $250,000 for the Utah Oil and Gas Leasing Internet Pilot Program, which would allow online auctions of oil and gas leases, and the remainder goes to accelerating development of oil shale deposits.

The Interior spending bill and the Energy Bill the Senate passed this week “underscore our commitment to an energy strategy that is balanced, renewable and decreases dependence on foreign oil,” said Bennett, a member of the committee that wrote the bill.

The Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah would get $5 million, part of $13 million for the museum expansion Bennett has secured.