$0 funding for State Wildlife Grants proposed in FY '11 Continuing Resolution

[Mike Quinn]

 The NYTimes points out that Obama would like to, for the first time, fully
fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (which is the source of the State
Wildlife Grant Funds), whereas the House Republicans would rather gut the
whole thing...
Mike Quinn, Austin

[image: New York Times] <http://www.nytimes.com/>

Interior's Budget Request Would Boost Conservation, Increase OCS OversightBy
PHIL TAYLOR of Greenwire <http://www.greenwire.com/>Published: February 14,
2011

The Obama administration this morning proposed significant new funding for
land and water conservation and offshore drilling oversight that would be
counterbalanced by cuts to agency construction, the U.S. Geological Survey
and some tribal programs.

The Interior Department's $12 billion request would roughly flat-line the
agency's spending in fiscal 2012 as part of the administration's recent
pledge to freeze discretionary spending for the next half decade.

Under the Obama proposal, new Interior revenues would be generated through
mineral royalty reform and increased fees for oil and gas permitting,
inspections and non-producing leases.

The revenue would help boost the Land and Water Conservation Fund to its
maximum $900 million annual authorized cap, a level the fund has reached
rarely since it was created in the 1960s. That contrasts sharply with a
House Republican proposal to nearly gut the program entirely in the
remaining 2011 fiscal year.
full:
http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2011/02/14/14greenwire-interiors-budget-request-would-boost-conservat-46479.html
or: http://nyti.ms/fuaMlX

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Wagner, David <david.wagner at uconn.edu>
Date: Wed, Feb 16, 2011 at 3:35 PM
Subject: $0 funding for State Wildlife Grants proposed in FY '11 Continuing
Resolution
To: "LEPS-L at LISTS.YALE.EDU" <LEPS-L at lists.yale.edu>


 State Wildlife Grant funding for fiscal year 2011 is in imminent peril—a
large number of jobs, research projects, and hundreds of internships are at
stake, not to mention the imperiled wildlife that would have otherwise seen
greater protection.  See below.



David L. Wagner

Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Storrs, CT 06269-3043

v. (860) 486-2139; f. (860) 486-6364




 ------------------------------

*From:* david almquist [mailto:daidunno at hotmail.com]
*Sent:* Wednesday, February 16, 2011 2:35 PM
*To:* davealmquist at hotmail.com
*Subject:* FW: $0 funding for State Wildlife Grants proposed in FY '11
Continuing Resolution



You can go here
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
to write your representative.  You have to know the +4 part of your zip,
which you can find here
http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp

If you would send this to anyone who may want to contact their
representative and tell them that the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) should be
fully funded for fiscal year 2011 and that the present Continuing Resolution
that allots $0 to this program, when $90M was requested, is unacceptable,
that would be great.  I believe that this has to be done by tomorrow at the
latest.

Besides my job and the many benefits to conservation, for the more
practical-minded of you:

Ø  The program *leverages tens of millions of dollars* from state and
private sources each year

Ø  The *State and Tribal Wildlife Grants* program *directly supports jobs in
every state and territory*.  The program employs professional biologists who
use the best available science to lessen the impacts of development and
other threats on fish and wildlife and use technical assistance to help
private landowners and land management agencies implement voluntary
conservation measures.

Ø  The program directly benefits the economy allowing states to hire local
labor (i.e. heavy equipment operators, contractors, universities, etc.) to
restore habitat that leads to improved fish and wildlife populations and
environmental conditions.  *Conservation jobs typically have a higher ratio
of jobs created per dollars spent* than infrastructure-related jobs such as
road construction.

Ø The *State and Tribal Wildlife Grants* program is *supported by over 6,300
organizations and businesses* that make up the national Teaming With
Wildlife coalition.

Ø  The State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program *will save taxpayer
dollars*by conserving fish and wildlife before they become more costly
(and
controversial) to conserve as endangered species.


 Thanks,

Dave
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