Good Lord, I hate to jump into the list without a proper intro but ...
S.2609 was crafted and introduced by Senator Larry Craig (R- Idaho).
That alone makes me suspect not all is as it appears. Without
knowing who sent out the original alert I would guess that this a
bill is merely a continuing effort by Idaho to hamstring every
federal government agency it can (this is not to be construed as an
endorsement of USFWS on my part) and gain control over a significant
portion of it's own Fish and Game's (IDFG) budget. For the last
several years the Idaho legislation has attempted to punish IDFG
through control of it's budget and had up to this year refused to
increase resident fees because of IDFG's endorsement of removing the
lower four dams on the Snake River.
I think this is a round-about cheap shot by Idaho to undermine Salmon
and Steelhead restoration (aka breaching the Lower Snake River dams)
while undermining USFWS's authority and effectiveness. Idaho has long
wanted to gain control over management of endangered species in Idaho
and is doing all it can to weaken federal control. Idaho recently
created the Office Species Conservation in the Governor's Office in
an effort to provide a "one voice" approach to managing threatened
and listed species in Idaho. It also gives the Governor the ability
to declare an emergency relative to endangered species. Sorry for the
short lesson in Idaho politics.
I would be cautious about the bill and recommend looking at the bill
itself and not rely on rhetoric should you choose to endorse it. The
entire text of the bill can be found at
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/C?c106:./temp/~c106MEopw7
The bill requires certification of how the money is spent yearly to
Congress, establishes unreasonable grant guidelines and prohibits any
money to be used in activities, projects or programs that promotes or
encourages opposition to the regulated taking of fish.
USFWS may need some reforming in regard's to it's use of the fund but
I don't think Craig's and Crapo's approach really is aimed at that.
Call me paranoid but hey, I live in Idaho <G>.
Tim Cavileer
Moscow, Idaho
S.2609
Sponsor: Sen Craig, Larry E. (introduced 5/23/2000)
Latest Major Action: 5/23/2000 Referred to Senate committee
Title: A bill to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act
and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act to enhance the
funds available for grants to States for fish and wildlife
conservation projects, and to increase opportunities for recreational
hunting, bow hunting, trapping, archery, and fishing, by eliminating
chances for waste, fraud, abuse, maladministration, and unauthorized
expenditures for administration and implementation of those Acts, and
for other purposes.
Co-sponsers:
Sen Crapo, Michael D. - 5/23/2000
Sen Abraham, Spencer - 6/21/2000
Sen Enzi, Michael B. - 5/25/2000
Sen Grams, Rod - 6/7/2000
Sen Hatch, Orrin G. - 6/27/2000
Sen Helms, Jesse - 6/27/2000
Sen Thomas, Craig - 6/21/2000
>Not sure if this is true or not.....but if it is it's fairly alarming.
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>
>Subject: USFWS misuse of sportsmens conservation funds
>
>
>The U.S. Senate will soon begin to work on S.2609, The Wildlife and Sport
>Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000. This piece of legislation
>was crafted to stop the USFWS from using funds from the Pittman-Robertson
>Wildlife Restoration Act, instituted in 1937 as an excise tax on firearms,
>and related shooting equipment, and the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish
>Restoration Act of 1950 which taxed fishing related items. The USFWS was
>supposed to keep a small amount of these funds for administrative costs but
>the bulk of the funds were designed to be returned to state wildlife
>management agencies to increase sport fish, sport wildlife, and expand
>habitat for these critters. The funds generated by these taxes now equal
>1/3
>of the USFWS total budget and they have been using them illegally.
Moscow, Idaho
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
