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to be included in the fiscal year 1989 base for the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.  Other add-ons included $375,000 to begin design of the first of several American Indian halls to be replaced and to fund outreach programs for Native Americans at the National Museum of Natural History, and $50,000 to cover the cost of cataloging materials at the Smithsonian Institution Libraries.

A majority of the cuts recommended by the House was upheld by the conferees. These cuts included $1,000,000 in utilities and communication costs for the Office of Plant Services, $600,000 for lapse salaries on all new positions requested, and $544,000 in miscellaneous items throughout the Institution. Several additional cuts recommended by the Senate were upheld. These included a decrease of $1,064,000 as a result of the reestimate of costs government-wide for the new Federal Employees Retirement System, loss of $300,000 for Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute research initiatives, $164,000 less for Columbus Quincentenary support, $150,000 less for accounting and procurement costs, plus additional cuts totaling $283,000.

The Smithsonian was directed to use up to $200,000 from available funds for a study related to possible relocation of the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation. In answer to the Smithsonian's request to redirect $666,000 to fill all authorized guard positions, approval for up to $356,000 was granted with the stipulation to retain $310,000 to maintain extended hours for summer visitors.

In the Construction account, the conferees agreed with the House mark of $1,315,000 which provided funds for the Whipple Observatory Base Camp design, roadwork, and site work. The remaining $3,155,000 requested for this project was deferred until fiscal year 1989. In addition, $1,585,000 that the Senate recommended be shifted from the Restoration and Renovation account to the Construction account was allowed to remain in the Restoration and Renovation account; however, the conferees called for discussion with the Institution on the manner of presentation of certain projects. The appropriation for the Restoration and Renovation account also got an add-on of $5,000,000 to accelerate the reduction of the enormous backlog of restoration and renovation projects at the Institution.

In the Zoo Construction account, add-on funds of $3,000,000 for the renovation of the old hospital and research facility were provided. The final amount was based on the Senate mark which was $500,000 over the House mark to adjust for more current cost estimates for the project. This action restored the funding which had been deferred from the fiscal year 1987 request.

[[underlined]] Trust Funds: [[/underlined]] No changes have been made to the Trust fund budget approved by the Regents in September. However, certain activities have been funded out of the program/administrative contingency. Of the $803,000 budgeted for the contingency, $624,100 has been allocated. This total includes a variety of small projects plus major funding of $300,000 to establish the Office of the Assistant Secretary for External Affairs. The following motion was suggested and approved: