President Signs into Law $80 Million for State Wildlife Programs 

Washington, DC – President Bush signed an $80 million state wildlife grants program into law yesterday. The funding is part of the fiscal year 2002 Department of Interior and Related Agencies appropriations bill that passed the U.S. Congress the week of October 15, 2001. By providing the states with grants for wildlife conservation, Congress and the President continue the precedent set by the 1937 Pittman-Robertson Act, the 1950 Dingell-Johnson Act, and the fiscal year 2001 Department of Interior and Commerce, Justice, and State (CJS) Departments appropriation acts for cooperation between the federal government and the states for managing and conserving their wildlife species.

The Interior appropriation act complements the 2001 appropriations that established the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program (WCRP) as part of the CJS appropriations. Like the WCRP, this new program will provide funds to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, through a formula based on land area and population. Funding is provided for species with the greatest conservation need, as determined by the states. In addition, $5 million more is available for Indian tribes to conserve wildlife on their land.

“Congress and the President have once again taken an important step to conserve America's wildlife heritage. Indeed, this legislation provides vitally needed matching funds essential to do effective wildlife conservation, education, and recreation to the stewards of our nation's wildlife, our state fish and wildlife agencies,” said Robert McDowell, president of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) and director of New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife.

"Today, more than ever, we appreciate all that is great about our nation, including our commitment to conserving our natural heritage. By funding programs to conserve wildlife today, we ensure that our children and their children will enjoy the best that America has to offer. This funding will help maintain healthy and abundant wildlife populations,” continued McDowell.

Support for state fish and wildlife conservation through the federal Wildlife Restoration and Sportfish Restoration programs (Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breaux Acts) derives from hunter and angler permanently dedicated user fees that generate almost $500 million annually. The conservation and restoration initiatives funded under these user fees focuses on game and sportfish. Consequently, the more than 85% of America's fish and wildlife species that fall outside of those classifications, receive an inadequate amount of funding for conservation or management and may reach critically low numbers, thereby requiring emergency measures and funding under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). Enhanced state wildlife funding, as in the 2002 Interior appropriations, enables the state wildlife agencies to prevent species from becoming endangered at a minimal cost compared with the social and economic disruptions that go along with federal listing under the ESA.

However, unlike the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson/Wallop-Breaux legislation that are annual grant programs, the new grant program only includes funding for fiscal year 2002 and at merely a fraction of the need for funding.

“It takes time and considerable effort to turn around species once they begin to decline” explained McDowell.

“While we have had good success with once troubled species like the wild turkey, it took decades of investment to enable wild turkeys to thrive again across the nation. Today, the estimated price tag to address unmet wildlife conservation needs of all 50 states is annually more than $1 billion.”

Last year’s 2001 WCRP state grants program provided the means for the state fish and wildlife agencies to put in place a number of conservation initiatives that can be continued under the 2002 Interior program. Projects under the wildlife conservation and restoration program include the reintroduction of wildlife species; the restoration of wildlife-associated degraded habitat; the enhancement of recreational opportunities for bird watching, hiking, and canoeing; and the creation of wildlife-related education projects. Specific examples include:

· The restoration of coastal plain savannah habitat in southern New Jersey, by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, where many grassland birds are threatened or endangered.
· The reintroduction of the osprey by the South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks Department. Prior to 1991, ospreys had not nested in South Dakota for over 100 years and are considered to be a threatened species. The goal of the reintroduction initiative is to reach healthy numbers of osprey and ultimately de-list the species.
· The repair and improvement of the Potters Marsh boardwalk by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. In close proximity to Anchorage, more than 45,000 students and visitors use the boardwalk to observe and learn about spawning salmon, migrating and nesting water birds, moose, muskrats, and bald eagles.
· The restoration of 100 degraded stream miles as well as conservation of 150 high quality stream miles by the Ohio Division of Wildlife. These efforts work to benefit Ohio's 81 threatened and endangered stream species and other fish and wildlife that are in and around such streams.
· The enhancement of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources’ Greenbottom Wildlife Management Area for watchable wildlife activities including trails, viewing platforms, kiosks, and interpretive signs. This area, along the Ohio River, is within 15 miles of Huntington, West Virginia’s second largest city.
· The creation of the “Under Illinois Skies” project by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. Inner city Chicago students participate in outdoor education and recreation activities in state parks across Illinois.
· The restoration of endangered pygmy rabbits, sea otters, and trumpeter swans by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
· The design, construction, and furnishing of an interpretive public educational center in Santa Fe by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish.
· The creation of “The Great Wisconsin Natural Heritage Trail” by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. This proposed bird watching and wildlife watching trail will eventually span the State of Wisconsin, partnering with tourism, birding, and wildlife groups for its development. Additionally, as part of WI’s bird conservation efforts, the DNR will restore 2200 acres of wetland and grassland habitat by returning both the hydrology and vegetation to a natural state.

“Such examples are evidence of the important conservation initiatives that could be funded with adequate and reliable support of a federal-state matching program. Congress has an opportunity to vastly improve their aid to the states, with the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA) in the House and Senate, as well as the American Wildlife Enhancement Act of 2001 (S. 990) in the Senate,” stated R. Max Peterson, Executive Vice President of IAFWA.

CARA proposes to reinvest $3.1 billion, a portion of the revenues from federal offshore oil and gas, into a variety of conservation and recreation programs including $350 million for state-based wildlife conservation. The American Wildlife Enhancement Act (S.990) authorizes $350 million for state wildlife conservation and related recreation and education as well as several other wildlife conservation programs.

“We continue to strongly encourage Congress to continue taking the steps to adequately and reliably fund state-based conservation, in order to preserve the future for the millions of Americans that enjoy our great nation's fish and wildlife resources,” concluded Peterson.