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

[Roger Kuhlman]

Why is it that only now that Obama wants to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund? Something is fishy here methinks.
 
Our country has a major problem with excessive spending and a huge national debt. The US can't keep on borrowing and spending. It has got to stop since this practice is unsustainable. Frightening facts: over $14 trillion of accumulated federal debt, $1.6 trillion federal deficit for FY2011, expected federal deficits of $1 trillion for the next few years, Unfunded liabilities for Social Security, Medicare, and government pensions $60+ trillion, unknown huge additional liabilities for Medicaid and Obama's new healthcare entitlements.
 
I would like to know why concerned, major environmental and conservation organizations are not pushing to stop human population growth in America. Human overpopulation is one of the two most powerful drivers of environmental problems but these groups are virtually silent on the issue.
 
Roger

> 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
>
> [New York Times]
>
> Interior's Budget Request Would Boost Conservation, Increase OCS Oversight
> By PHIL TAYLOR of Greenwire
> 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 >
> 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"
> >
>
>
>
> 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:
>
> > The program leverages tens of millions of dollars from state and
> private sources each year
>
> > 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.
>
> > 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.
>
> > 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.
>
> > 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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