WASHINGTON, DC.- The Smithsonian’s FY 2012 federal appropriation totals $811.5 million. It is $52 million above the FY 2011 appropriation. The new budget includes $636.5 million for Salaries and Expenses and $175 million for Facilities Capital, which includes $75 million for construction of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. All of the above accounts will be reduced by .16 percent, according to the bill that applies to the Smithsonian. The Salaries and Expenses account covers $2.3 million for uncontrollable increases in rents and utilities and workers’ compensation. The FY 2012 appropriation continues to place the programmatic increase into the broad categories of the Institution’s strategic plan, linking the funds directly to the overall mission. This year, the Smithsonian will use some of the S&E funds to support