Hi Folks,
Just back from 10 days of wilderness canoeing in Canada. Karen and
I still love the northern Georgian Bay canoe country, but we found that
what was once easy to do in a day is now pretty hard. Lots of cormorants
and lousy fishing in what once was very good fishing. I think there is a
causal relationship, which I would be glad to discuss off line.
We arrived back to read the very interesting discussion about the
refuge system.
Regarding funds for refuge support:
First, money from all sources provided to the refuge system is welcome by me
Second, it once was true, and I think still is, that the Duck Stamp
provides for the purchase of lands and that the general tax revenue
provides for the operational budget of the entire supporting system.
Hence, the plaque at the lookout for the Knox-Marcellus wetlands,which
says that the land was bought with funds from hunters, i.e., sales of
the duck stamp.
Third, Obama proposed $1.3 billion for FWS operations in the coming
fiscal year, much of which is for the refuge system itself (and also for
implementation of the Endangered Species Act). The historical total
amount of funds raised by duck stamp sales from the 80 year history of
the project is about $900 million with about $24 to $25 million per year
recently. This is very nice to have, but the annual funds raised by the
duck stamp sales is maybe about 2% of the annual budget for the refuge
system. Interestingly, there is no designated funding source for refuge
management for non-consumptive use of the refuge as there is from taxes
on sales of ammunition or guns. I wish the federal government would have
passed such a tax on bird seed or binoculars. Such a tax proposal was
supported by NYSOA several years ago when there was federal
consideration of such a refuge-supporting tax proposal discussed in
congress. I recall reading that the proposal was strongly opposed by the
major manufacturers of optical equipment used by birders. By the way,
the revenue from duck stamps is remaining about level, or actually
declining with adjustment for inflation. In New York the decline is
particularly severe: the annual sales have declined from about 100,000
duck stamps per year in the 70's to about 40,000 in the last decade. As
duck stamp revenue has remained about level for the last couple decades,
the general federal budget provides a larger share of the annual
expenditures for the refuge system.
John Confer
On 8/5/2014 11:01 AM, Diane Morton wrote:
> Meena,
> The duck stamp sales go DIRECTLY to the National Wildlife Refuge
> system. $15 of your tax money would have only a tiny fraction
> supporting the refuge system. Mostly, it is the duck hunters who fund
> the refuge system through the purchase of duck stamps. Birders who
> enjoy the NWRs might also like to support them in this way. I view it
> as supporting the refuges, not as supporting the hunters. So far, the
> hunters have been supporting the birders.
>
> Diane
>
>
> On Tue, Aug 5, 2014 at 10:49 AM, Meena Madhav Haribal
> <m...@cornell.edu <mailto:m...@cornell.edu>> wrote:
>
> Hi all,
>
> One more important thing about wildlife drive and foot traffic –
> It is the small amount of the area which will be disturbed for
> birds (not for insects and other lowly creatures) compared to the
> area that is available for the wildlife, some hundreds of acres.
> 28.33 km^2 is the refuge area and complex is much larger. But its
> educational value far surpasses the disturbances.
>
> And talking about the duck stamps, we are all paying taxes to
> support the wildlife, which comes from the federal and state
> taxes. We should ask our congress to contribute more towards
> wildlife conservation projects rather than spending on wars and
> some other useless things as far as I am concerned! So there is no
> need to buy duck stamps to help the hunters according to me at
> least! Same $15 from our tax money if it is contributed to
> wildlife that would be a whole lot of $$$!
>
> Talking about birds, all birds seems to have become quiet around
> my house in the early morning since last week, not even Robin is
> singing, I don’t know if they left the area or still around. It is
> curious where they go after they have bred? Stay locally or
> migrate? Any thoughts?
>
> Meena
>
> Meena Haribal
>
> 409, Boyce Thompson Institute (BTI)
>
> Phone 6073011167 <tel:6073011167>
>
> Email: m...@cornell.edu <mailto:m...@cornell.edu>
>
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