The Tennessee Wildlife Federation, along with other conservation organizations, condemns the spending cuts in conservation programs passed this week by the U.S. House of Representatives. The cuts affect wetlands conservation to the tune of nearly $2 billion, including the loss of $47 million in funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) grants. The proposed cuts would eliminate all (100%) NAWCA funding and also eliminate the match for a total loss of $200 million in habitat work.
The cuts also remove all (100%) of the $90 million for the highly successful State Wildlife Grant program – the nation’s core program for preventing future endangered species listings and the implementation of voluntary conservation actions to stabilize declining fish and wildlife populations.
“These cuts effectively gut long-standing vital wildlife and conservation programs, especially in the area of wetlands conservation,” said TWF CEO Mike Butler. “With a national policy of no-net-loss of wetlands, it appears the House appropriations committee is single-handedly working to change this policy to the detriment of our wildlife and our country.”
Butler said specifics of these cuts will adversely affect sportsmen and conservationists in Tennessee and across the nation:
• NAWCA grants—NAWCA is the primary source of funding for the North American Waterfowl Management Plan and has generated more than $3 billion in habitat across North America during the past 20 years. NAWCA grants, along with significant matching funds from the private sector, have helped conserve more than 20 million acres of habitat in North America. These are acres critical to waterfowl, water, conservation and people.
• The budget actions would also prohibit much needed efforts to restore Clean Water Act protections to important shallow wetlands, including those in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota and South Dakota, also known as America's "Duck Factory" because of its importance to breeding waterfowl.
• State Wildlife Grants that provide more than $90 million to conserve wildlife habitat. State wildlife grant programs in Tennessee are the first line of defense to prevent species from becoming endangered. This preventative approach saves money by working to keep wildlife species from reaching the point that would require them to be placed on the endangered species list.
“These cuts are amazingly short-sighted,” Butler continued. “While we understand the desire to cut federal spending, Congress needs to realize that these programs are not part of the problem, they are part of the solution. They should remember that conservation in America pays for itself through the economic return generated by hunters, anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts. These cuts are the equivalent to lopping off the head of the goose that lays the golden egg.”
While HR1 did pass the House, it still must be addressed by the U.S. Senate. The $137 million cut in NAWCA and State Wildlife Grants represents 0.000037% of the 2011 federal budget.
Butler concluded by saying, “As politicians brag about ‘the largest cuts in discretionary spending ever,’ their efforts don’t address core spending problems driving the federal deficit and debt. These recent cuts will hurt Americans and wildlife. What is even worse is that in Tennessee most of our U.S. congressional delegation courts the support of sportsmen, regularly advertising “Sportsmen for Candidate X” as part of the campaigns. It has become all too clear that our elected officials either aren’t paying attention or do not care to represent our interests.”
TWF asks that you contact Senators Alexander and Corker and your congressman to express your opposition to these cuts to vital conservation programs and spending. Click here for contact information. |
Tennessee Wildlife Federation Condemns U.S. House Efforts to Damage Wildlife
