Editor's note: This corrects that the bill as drafted would remove Endangered Species Act protections for all gray wolves in the Lower 48 states and includes reaction from Defenders of Wildlife.

A draft House appropriations bill for the National Park Service shows cuts almost entirely across the board from current funding levels, though the reductions are not as severe as those proposed by President Trump in his Fiscal 2018 budget. 

Released Tuesday by the House Subcommittee for Interior Appropriations, the measure also calls for removal of Endangered Species Act protections for all gray wolves in the Lower 48 states. 

"The House's dirty budget would gut vital protections for our natural heritage and wildlife, especially for endangered species, including wolves," said Defenders of Wildlife CEO and President Jamie Rappaport Clark. "This wolf rider means certain death for America's wolves. It forces the Department of the Interior to abdicate its responsibilities for protecting gray wolves, which are currently listed as endangered in much of the contiguous United States. It also disrupts the abilities of other federal agencies to comply with their obligations under the law. It is particularly egregious that this rider would halt all efforts to protect and recover the Mexican gray wolf - the most endangered gray wolf in the world with just 113 in the U.S. and 35 in Mexico."

Heading into a markup session Wednesday, the bill calls for a 2 percent ($64.5 million) cut in the Park Service's discretionary budget, dropping it to $2.86 billion from $2.93 billion for the current fiscal year. The president's proposal called for a budget of $2.55 billion, a 13 percent reduction from current levels, according to an analysis by John Garder, the National Parks Conservation Association's director for budget and appropriations.

"While we commend appropriators for rejecting the president’s terrible budget and attempting to minimize damage to the Park Service, it’s a very disappointing bill for national parks," said Mr. Garder in an email. "At a time when visitation is at an all-time high and parks are challenged by understaffing, this bill, if passed, would only lead to further erosion of parks’ ability to meet their mission. These numbers are untenable, so what Congress needs to do is pass a budget deal that allows for more realistic numbers. Parks will only continue to suffer with numbers like this."

The only area of the Park Service budget that would get an increase above current appropriations under the draft is for construction, which the subcommittee boosted by $10.5 million, or 5 percent, to $219.8 million. Proposed for a 26 percent cut is the Land and Water Conservation Fund, down to $120.6 million, while the Park Service's Partnerships program is facing a 25 percent cut (down to $15 million) under the measure.

"It’s helpful that the bill includes an increase for park construction, but in context, it’s a modest one that would still leave these badly needed maintenance dollars far behind what they were a decade ago," Mr. Garder said. "That increase is also very disappointingly coupled with a decrease in funding for operating parks. It’s a welcome and commendable gesture, but the reality is parks need a vastly different trajectory than what this bill can offer."

The draft bill does call for $15 million for the Park Service's Centennial Challenge fund, but requires that at least 50 percent of that come from private donations.

The bill also kicks down the road for another year the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act, which gives the Park Service the authority to collect entrance and recreation fees. In recent years there have been efforts to tinker with that legislation, but none has succeeded. The act was due for reauthorization this year. Its reauthorization is seen as an opportunity to consider user fee increases (including park entry fees, filming fees, and commercial buses fees). FLREA might also consider more efficient ways for NPS to collect fees, making it more cost-effective for a greater number of park units to collect entry fees.

What can't be overlooked are the budget parameters congressional appropriators are dealing with. The Trump administration and many in the GOP want a massive infusion for defense, and that is driving cuts in most other areas. For Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency, the appropriators have almost $1 billion less to distribute.