House Cut to State Wildlife Grants Causing a Big Stir Among State Fish and Wildlife Agencies

Despite the strong bipartisan support for State Wildlife Grants, the program was severely cut this month by the U.S. House of Representatives to $50 million. Many states are up in arms about this news, as so many rely on this funding to support proactive conservation programs that will ultimately prevent species in their states from becoming endangered.

Last year, the State Wildlife Grants Program secured $68.5 million in funding and the President's Fiscal Year 2007 budget proposed increasing the program to $74.7 million. The Interior Appropriations Subcommittee's decision to cut this program despite growing support threatens to weaken our nation's ability to keep wildlife from becoming endangered.

“In its first few years, the State Wildlife Grants Program has already helped restore degraded habitat, reintroduce native fish and wildlife, and encourage the effective stewardship of private lands,” said John Cooper, Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks and President of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies . “We are extremely grateful to our Representatives and Senators who have joined together in this strong show of support for wildlife conservation and hope that the Senate will restore funding for the program.”

Created by Congress in 2001, State Wildlife Grants allocate federal dollars to every state wildlife agency to address pressing wildlife needs in each state.  Projects range from habitat restoration to invasive species management and have created new conservation partnerships between the states and private conservation groups. As the largest single source of funds for state wildlife diversity programs, State Wildlife Grants have enabled states to address many wildlife management issues for the first time.

The cut in the Appropriations Committee is especially problematic as each state has just completed a proactive plan for wildlife conservation—the State Wildlife Action Plans—which are a component of the State Wildlife Grants Program specifically required by Congress. These plans were years in the making and are supported by more than 3,500 conservation organizations. With the completion of the wildlife action plans, many members of Congress recognize the need is even greater this year, and the request for $85 million for State Wildlife Grants has received more support than ever before.

All across the country, state fish and wildlife agencies are letting the media, and their Representatives know the importance of the program. States such as Wyoming, Utah, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Delware, Texas, New Mexico, Iowa, North Dakota, Florida, California, and the Wisconsin chapter of the National Wildlife Federation have been working with the media, and most have caught their attention. They can be found online at the teaming. com website. In some cases, state fish and wildlife agencies stand to lose up to $500,000 dollars from their Wildlife Diversity budgets-- accounting for most of their budget to take care of hundreds of species.

Now that the House has made their cut, it's up to the Senate Interior Appropriations Committee. The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies has a the-part campaign to help the Senate learn about the great importance of this program. You can read about this plan, by clicking here.

“Even in a tight budget environment, State Wildlife Grants continue to enjoy bipartisan support in the Senate,” said Senator John Warner (R-VA).  “I am glad that so many of my colleagues recognize that we can save taxpayer dollars by conserving wildlife before it becomes rare and more costly to protect.  I hope that the Senate will restore funding for this critical program.”

Earlier this month, Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho along with Senator Ben Nelson (D-Nebraska) co-authored a letter to fellow Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus members urging them to support increased funding for State Wildlife Grants. More than 170 Representatives and more than half of the Senate (56 Senators) crossed ideological, regional, and partisan lines to sign a letter urging an increase in funding for State Wildlife Grants. The letter, addressed to the Chairman and Ranking Member of both the House and Senate Interior Appropriations Committees, supports a funding level of $85 million for program in Fiscal Year 2007.  A complete list of signing members can be found by click here .

The State Wildlife Grants program is supported by Teaming with Wildlife, a national coalition of more than 3,500 groups representing wildlife biologists, state wildlife agencies, conservationists, hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, nature-based businesses, and many others who support the goal of restoring and conserving our nation's wildlife. Recently, Teaming with Wildlife announced a new campaign to boost state and federal funding for wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation and conservation education in every state. Increased funding of the State Wildlife Grants Program is an important component of this campaign, which supports the full implementation of the state wildlife action plans.

Teaming with Wildlife is spearheaded by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, which represents North America 's fish and wildlife agencies. Teaming with Wildlife is guided by a steering committee of 13 organizations. They are: The Nature Conservancy, American Fisheries Society, American Zoo and Aquarium Association, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, National Wild Turkey Federation, National Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Wildlife Conservation Society, The Wildlife Society, and, the Wildlife Management Institute. Additional information on the State Wildlife Grants program and the Teaming with Wildlife campaign is available at www.teaming.com .