Wildlife and National Wildlife Refuge System funding - a heads up
This is a good time for birders and naturalists to be aware, and if
you choose, act on proposed federal funding cuts affecting wildlife.
GRANT PROGRAMS
The proposed House Continuing Resolution (CR) zeroes out two grant
programs that support the purchase of sensitive lands, the North
American Wetland Conservation Fund (NAWCA) and the State Wildlife
Grants program.
NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM
The House of Representative's CR pushes cuts to the National Wildlife
Refuge System as far as possible without causing actual layoffs.
According to the Defenders of Wildlife website "It eliminates funding
for the National Wildlife Refuge System’s climate change program. This
program, which works to inventory and monitor refuge resources,
provides broad benefits and actually prevents the loss of taxpayer
dollars. The need for an inventory and monitoring program was made
clear by the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, which forced Refuge
System staff to hastily catalog the assets of Gulf Coast refuges in
order to recover for the American people the cost of damaged resources
from responsible parties. Currently, the only refuges in the System
with a thorough inventory are those that were in the path of oil, and
the loss of funding would prevent data acquisition throughout the rest
of the system that will help guide effective management of wildlife
populations. National Wildlife Refuges Public Lands Protection."
Additionally, in general, it "cuts in half the funding requested for
climate change adaptation, a 35 percent reduction from FY2010. "
The problem for the refuge system will get worse as we can expect
these budget cuts to continue into Fiscal Year 2012’s budget and
thereafter. An expected push to Fiscal Year 2008 funding levels for
the refuge system will result in an effective 20% cut, including
layoffs, closing approximately 54 visitor centers, stopping 11 under
construction. Currently 20% of effort on refuges comes from
volunteers (the equivalent of 648 full time employees). With
anticipated cuts to staff and without supervisors on staff, this
cascading effect will significantly reduce volunteer work. Additional
cuts of this size will mean refuge closings.
Cooperative Association for Refuge Enhancement, a coalition of diverse
groups supporting adequate funding for the National Wildlife Refuge
System including the American Birding Association and Ducks Unlimited,
is asking for level funding for the system for FY 2011 and in FY 2012
for $511 M, that gives the System the means to stay even.
LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND (LWCF)
According to the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA), "The
Land and Water Conservation Fund is one of the best tools we have to
conserve land to protect wildlife by growing the National Wildlife
Refuge System. Throughout its history, the LWCF program has added
millions of acres to the National Wildlife Refuge System and other
federal lands."
These critical funds, which do not use taxpayers dollars but are paid
for through revenues from offshore oil and gas drilling that are
deposited in the Treasury specifically for LWCF purposes. This is a
small percentage of revenue from offshore gas and oil drilling. The
House proposes virtual elimination of funding, bringing it to the
lowest level in 45 years. A commitment to this program was made by
Congress in 1964.
The levels proposed in the House Continuing Resolution for the LWCF
are not enough to cover the administrative costs of previously-funded
projects and activities for this year. This would probably result in
immediate layoffs.
The President’s FY 2012 budget recommends full funding – 900 million
dollars - for LWCF, so this will probably continue to be a target of
cuts.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Call our senators within the next two weeks before the Senate budget
vote. Contact your House Representatives regarding future action.
Letters to editor can be very effective. Congressional staffs do
monitor newspapers for public response.
RESOURCES
For additional information:
www.defenders.org - Click on "Get the facts" at the lower left
www.refugeassociation.org - on the right "Refuge Birthday Campaign -
Bringing it Home" and "Protect Refuge System Funding". Under the drop
down "Publications", click on "The Flyer". You'll find links to an
action alert that you can send.
These and other sites can provide updates and background information.
I hope you will act to express your views on these funding issues.
Barbara Volkle
Northborough, MA
[email protected]
Ric
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Ric Zarwell
Email: [email protected]
Home/Office: 563-538-4991
Mobile: 563-419-4991
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