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News Release - 05/03/07

Nation's Leaders Act to Prevent More Endangered Species Listings

60 Senators and 162 Representatives Sign Letters Supporting Increase in State Wildlife Grants Funding

Washington (May 3, 2007) — In a strong show of support for America's wildlife, 162 Representatives and a record 60 Senators, more than half the Senate, crossed ideological, regional, and partisan lines to sign a letter urging an increase in funding for the federal State Wildlife Grants, the nation's core program for preventing wildlife from becoming endangered in every state. 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 the State Wildlife Grants Program in Fiscal Year 2008. 

Both the Senate and House letters were led by a bipartisan group from across the nation, including Senator John Warner (R-VA), Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA), Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI) and Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC). A complete list of signing members can be found at www.teaming.com .  

“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, in fact over half the Senate, recognize that we can save taxpayer dollars by conserving wildlife before it becomes rare and more costly to protect.  I hope that the Congress will provide increased funding for this critical program.”

The President's Fiscal Year 2008 budget proposes a small increase in State Wildlife Grants to $69.5 million from last year's funding level of $67.5 million. The program's Congressional champions believe this program needs much greater funding to fund implementation of the State Wildlife Action Plans. These plans—a component of the State Wildlife Grants Program specifically required by Congress—outline proactive actions to conserve wildlife and their habitat before they become more rare and more costly to protect. With the completion of the wildlife action plans by every state, many members of Congress recognize the need is even greater this year, resulting in widespread support for $85 million for State Wildlife Grants.

“State Wildlife Grants provide important funds that will help implement the state wildlife action plans,” said Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA). “222 members of Congress agree: we need to act now to ensure that the state wildlife action plans succeed by investing in State Wildlife Grants. Clean air, clean water, and healthy wildlife are all things our children and grandchildren will thank us for.”

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 preventing wildlife from becoming endangered for the first time.

The State Wildlife Grants program enjoys strong support from the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, a bipartisan group that supports hunting, fishing and conservation and is the largest caucus on Capitol Hil1. Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana) with Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) co-authored a letter to fellow Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus members urging them to support increased funding for State Wildlife Grants.

“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 Ron Regan, Chief of Wildlife for the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and chairman of the national Teaming with Wildlife Steering Committee. “We are extremely grateful to our Representatives and Senators who have joined together in this strong show of support for wildlife conservation and hope it leads to a strong number for the program.”

The State Wildlife Grants program is supported by Teaming with Wildlife, a national coalition of more than 5,000 groups including state fish & wildlife agencies, wildlife biologists, hunters & anglers, birdwatchers, hikers, nature-based businesses and other conservationists who support the goal of restoring and conserving our nation's wildlife. Teaming with Wildlife has launched a renewed 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 a coalition of more than 5,000 conservation minded organizations and businesses and guided by a steering committee of 13 organizations. They are: The Nature

Conservancy, American Fisheries Society, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Association of Zoos and Aquariums, 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 . For more information on the wildlife action plans, go to www.wildlifeactionplans.org .

Senate (by state)

  1. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
  2. Senator Blanche Lincoln (D-AR)
  3. Senator Mark Pryor (D-AR)
  4. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA)
  5. Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO)
  6. Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT)
  7. Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT)
  8. Senator Joseph Biden (D-CT)
  9. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL)
  10. Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-GA)
  11. Senator Jonny Isakson (R-GA)
  12. Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
  13. Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID)
  14. Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
  15. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL)
  16. Senator Evan Bayh (D-IN)
  17. Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN)
  18. Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA)
  19. Senator Pat Roberts (R-KS)
  20. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA)
  21. Senator David Vitter (R-LA)
  22. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME)
  23. Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)
  24. Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD)
  25. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD)
  26. Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
  27. Senator John Kerry (D-MA)
  28. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI)
  29. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
  30. Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN)
  31. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
  32. Senator Christopher Bond (R-MO)
  33. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO)
  34. Senator Max Baucus (D-MT)
  35. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT)
  36. Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE)
  37. Senator John Sununu (R-NH)
  38. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ)
  39. Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-NM)
  40. Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY)
  41. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY)
  42. Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND)
  43. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH)
  44. Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH)
  45. Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR)
  46. Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR)
  47. Senator Arlen Specter (R-PA)
  48. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI)
  49. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)
  50. Senator John Thune (R-SD)
  51. Senator Bob Corker (R-TN)
  52. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT)
  53. Senator Bernard Sanders (I-VT)
  54. Senator John Warner (R-VA)
  55. Senator James Webb (D-VA)
  56. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)
  57. Senator John Rockefeller (D-WV)
  58. Senator Russ Feingold (D-WI)
  59. Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY)
  60. Senator Craig Thomas (R-WY)

House (by state)

  1. Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ)
  2. Rep. Rick Renzi (R-AZ)
  3. Rep. John Boozman (R-AR)
  4. Rep. Mike Ross (D-AR)
  5. Rep. Vic Snyder (D-AR)
  6. Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA)
  7. Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA)
  8. Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-CA)
  9. Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA)
  10. Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA)
  11. Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA)
  12. Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA)
  13. Rep. George Miller (D-CA)
  14. Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-CA)
  15. Rep. Fortney Pete Stark (D-CA)
  16. Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA)
  17. Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)
  18. Rep. Lynn Woolsey (D-CA)
  19. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)
  20. Rep. John T. Salazar (D-CO)
  21. Rep. Mark Udall (D-CO)
  22. Rep. Joe Courtney (D-CT)
  23. Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)
  24. Rep. John Larson (D-CT)
  25. Rep. Christopher Murphy (D-CT)
  26. Rep. Christopher Shays (R-CT)
  27. Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton(D-DC)
  28. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-FL)
  29. Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL)
  30. Rep. Ron Klein (D-FL)
  31. Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-FL)
  32. Rep. Adam Putnam (R-FL)
  33. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL)
  34. Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL)
  35. Rep. John Barrow (D-GA)
  36. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-GA)
  37. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA)
  38. Rep. John Lewis (D-GA)
  39. Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA)
  40. Rep. David Scott (D-GA)
  41. Rep. Madeleine Bordallo (D-GU)
  42. Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-HI)
  43. Rep. Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI)
  44. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL)
  45. Rep. Dan Burton (R-IN)
  46. Rep. Julia Carson (D-IN)
  47. Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-IN)
  48. Rep. Brad Ellsworth (D-IN)
  49. Rep. Baron Hill (D-IN)
  50. Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN)
  51. Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-IA)
  52. Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA)
  53. Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA)
  54. Rep. Nancy Boyda (D-KS)
  55. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-KY)
  56. Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA)
  57. Rep. Richard Baker (R-LA)
  58. Rep. Thomas Allen (D-ME)
  59. Rep. Mike Michaud (D-ME)
  60. Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD)
  61. Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-MD)
  62. Rep. Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD)
  63. Rep. John P. Sarbanes (D-MD)
  64. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
  65. Rep. Albert Wynn (D-MD)
  66. Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA)
  67. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
  68. Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
  69. Rep. Ed Markey (D-MA)
  70. Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA)
  71. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA)
  72. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI)
  73. Rep. John Dingell (D-MI)
  74. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI)
  75. Rep. Sander Levin (D-MI)
  76. Rep. John Kline (R-MN)
  77. Rep. James L. Oberstar (D-MN)
  78. Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN)
  79. Rep. Wm. Lacy Clay (D-MO)
  80. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
  81. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson (R-MO)
  82. Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO)
  83. Rep. Kenny Hulshof (R-MO)
  84. Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO)
  85. Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE)
  86. Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE)
  87. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV)
  88. Rep. Dean Heller (R-NV)
  89. Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV)
  90. Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH)
  91. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH)
  92. Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ)
  93. Rep. Rush Holt (R-NJ)
  94. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-NJ)
  95. Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
  96. Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ)
  97. Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ)
  98. Rep. Jim Saxton (R-NJ)
  99. Rep. Albio Sires (D-NJ)
  100. Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ)
  101. Rep. Stevan Pearce (R-NM)
  102. Rep. Heather Wilson (R-NM)
  103. Rep. Gary Ackerman (D-NY)
  104. Rep. Tim Bishop (D-NY)
  105. Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY)
  106. Rep. Vito Fossella (R-NY)
  107. Rep. Brian Higgins (D-NY)
  108. Rep. Peter King (R-NY)
  109. Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)
  110. Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)
  111. Rep. Michael McNulty (D-NY)
  112. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
  113. Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY)
  114. Rep. Ed Towns (D-NY)
  115. Rep. Jim Walsh (R-NY)
  116. Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-NY)
  117. Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC)
  118. Rep. Bob Etheridge (D-NC)
  119. Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC)
  120. Rep. Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
  121. Rep. Brad Miller (D-NC)
  122. Rep. David Price (D-NC)
  123. Rep. Heath Shuler (D-NC)
  124. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH)
  125. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH)
  126. Rep. Charlie Wilson (D-OH)
  127. Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK)
  128. Rep. Frank Lucas (R-OK)
  129. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
  130. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR)
  131. Rep. Darlene Hooley (D-OR)
  132. Rep. Dave Wu (D-OR)
  133. Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA)
  134. Rep. Phil English (R-PA)
  135. Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA)
  136. Rep. Todd Platts (R-PA)
  137. Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA)
  138. Rep. Jim Langevin (D-RI)
  139. Rep. Henry Brown (R-SC)
  140. Rep. Stephanie Herseth (D-SD)
  141. Rep. David Davis (R-TN)
  142. Rep. Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
  143. Rep. Bart Gordon (D-TN)
  144. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)
  145. Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX)
  146. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX)
  147. Rep. Gene Green (D-TX)
  148. Rep. Ralph Hall (R-TX)
  149. Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-TX)
  150. Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT)
  151. Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT)
  152. Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA)
  153. Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA)
  154. Rep. Jim Moran (D-VA)
  155. Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
  156. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV)
  157. Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
  158. Rep. Steve Kagen (D-WI)
  159. Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI)
  160. Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI)
  161. Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI)
  162. Rep. Barbara Cubin (R-WY)


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The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies —the organization that represents all of North America's fish and wildlife agencies—promotes sound management and conservation, and speaks with a unified voice on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.org .