[TN-Bird] Congress giveth and Congress taketh Away!
- From: OLCOOT1@xxxxxxx
- To: birdky@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, albirds@xxxxxxxxxxx,ARBIRD-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 24 Jun 2003 08:22:56 EDT
I receive the following from Paul Baicich, Director of Conservation for ABA.
I thought you might be interested in what is happening on these funding
issues.
Good Birding!!!
Jeff R. Wilson
OL' COOT / TLBA
Bartlett Tenn.
Dear Birding and Wildlife-watching Friends,
Yesterday, I wrote to you all about Congressional action in two areas in
regard to the mark-up for FY '04 for the House Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee. The two issues were as follows:
1. State Wildlife Grants (SWG) with $75 million (a $10 million increase
over last year's level and a $15 million increase over the President's
request). This does not reach the asked-for $125 million we have been
seeking, and we should continue to press for that amount on the Senate side.
2. Neotropical Migratory Bird fund was increased by the subcommittee by
$2
million, to reach $5 million. We can keep the pressure up, again, on the
Senate side.
What I NEGLECTED to notice was the funding for NAWCA (the fund for the
North American Waterfowl Conservation Act). I had ASSUMED that this model
piece of funding was getting the amount it richly deserved, with another
increase for FY '04.
WRONG!
Surprisingly, the subcommittee only provided $24.56 million for the North
American Wetlands Conservation Fund. This is almost $14 million BELOW last
year's level and even $25 million below the President's request!
Whoa!
For reasons that escape most of us, NAWCA is being clobbered. Big-time.
Bird conservation is being dealt a serious blow with this kind of drastic
funding cut. Remember, not only does NAWCA provide funding for waterfowl
habitat and projects, it addresses MULTIPLE suites of bird species in
wetland habitat.
This is serious stuff.
If you combine the damaging SWANCC Supreme Court wetlands decision with
this recent threatened NAWCA cut, wetlands are being delivered a serious
one-two punch in fairly quick succession.
Like the two issues mentioned yesterday and above (SWG and NMBCA), the
NAWCA issue can now be addressed by the Senate. It's time to add "saving
the NAWCA funding" to your list of tasks to write your Senators!
Sorry if I didn't notice this particular issue yesterday, but this is
exactly what happens when you just ASSUME that good projects will continue
to be supported by Congress.
Eternal vigilance, my friends, eternal vigilance...
Paul
=====================================================
Paul J. Baicich
Director of Conservation and Public Policy
American Birding Association
P.O. Box 404
Oxon Hill, MD 20750
301-839-9736 (839-wren)
301-839-2763 [fax]
"The whole idea is to deliver what money can't buy"
-- Bruce Springsteen
=================NOTES TO SUBSCRIBER=====================
The TN-Bird Net requires you to sign your messages with
first and last name, city (town) and state abbreviation.
-----------------------------------------------------
To post to this mailing list, simply send email to:
tn-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
-----------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, send email to:
tn-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Topographical Maps located at http://topozone.com/find.asp
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Visit the Tennessee Ornithological Society
web site at http://www.tnbirds.org
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
TN-Bird Net Owner: Wallace Coffey, Bristol, TN
jwcoffey@xxxxxxxxxx (423) 764-3958
=========================================================
Other related posts:
- » [TN-Bird] Congress giveth and Congress taketh Away!
