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CAPITOL FLYER
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
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Capitol
Flyer is intended to keep you abreast of the latest developments
in Washington affecting the National Wildlife Refuge System.
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Table of Contents:
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NWRA Director of Grassroots Outreach Starts
Mark Hufford, NWRA's new Director of Grassroots Outreach, began work on July 9th. Hufford comes to the NWRA from western North Carolina where he served as Senior Political Director of the NC Democratic Party. Previously, he was the Executive Director and founder of the Carolina Kids' Conservancy, a group dedicated to instilling an environmental ethic in more than 40,000 children through involvement with wildlife habitat conservation projects. "Mark has a demonstrated track record of motivating people of all ages in his previous work as a political organizer and environmental educator," said NWRA President Evan Hirsche. "We look forward to having his help in advancing NWRA's refuge policy initiatives, and further strengthening the network of local refuge Friends organizations."
Mark can be reached at 202-333-9075 x.24 or via e-mail at mhufford@refugnet.org.
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NWRA & Friends of Alaska NWRs release report: "Road To Nowhere"
As reported in the July issue of Capitol Flyer, legislation has been introduced in both the House and Senate that would authorize a land exchange, paving the way for the construction of a multi-million dollar gravel road through the heart of the Izembek NWR in Alaska. The road would connect two small villages and would significantly harm global populations of migratory bird species and other wildlife at taxpayer expense.
To educate lawmakers and the public about this dangerous proposal, NWRA and the Friends of the Alaska NWRs created the report, "Road To Nowhere", available for download at: http://www.refugenet.org/new-publications/Izembek.html
The report was distributed to all U.S. Senators and Representatives and generated a July 22nd half page story in the Washington Post.
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Appropriations Update - No Passage for Interior Funding Bill
Congress adjourned for the August recess without finalizing work on the FY 2008 Interior Appropriations bill. As reported in the July Capitol Flyer, the House passed their version of the bill on June 27th (H.R. 2643) with the largest proposed Refuge System budget in history - $451 million. The Senate bill (S. 1696), which has yet to come up for a floor vote, does call for an increase in funding, though comes up short of the House level at $414 million.
Congress does not reconvene until September when Hill insiders speculate there may not be enough time to pass the Interior and other appropriations bills before the October 1st start of the new fiscal year. Congress would then pass a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the government operating and then roll several appropriations bills, including Interior, into an Omnibus.
Your help is needed to ensure the House number prevails; please contact your U.S. Senators during the August recess and urge them to pass the House number for refuges - $451 million for FY08. To send an instant message to your U.S. Senators, please visit the NWRA homepage (refugenet.org) and click on "Action Alert".
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REPAIR Act Moves In House
In the last issue of Capitol Flyer, we reported on a House subcommittee hearing held in June regarding the Refuge Ecology Protection, Assistance & Immediate Response Act, or REPAIR Act, H.R. 767. This landmark legislation is supported by leaders of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus and seeks to eradicate invasive species on or near national wildlife refuges. Further, it would set in law a program successfully promoted by the NWRA with Congress over the past 4 years that provides grants to facilitate the involvement of volunteers and outside organizations such as Friends groups in battling invasive species. To date, Congress has allocated $3 million for volunteer invasives programs and an addition $1 million is included in FY08 House Interior Appropriations bill.
On July 26th, the Fisheries and Wildlife Subcommittee of the House Natural Resources Committee approved the bill, paving the way for a full committee and House floor vote and introduction in the Senate after the August recess. NWRA will work to ensure this bill moves forward in both chambers.
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Wind Farm Approved Adjacent to Horicon NWR, WI
On July 25th, an appellate court upheld a decision allowing 133 wind turbines to be built within 2 miles of the Horicon NWR in Wisconsin, the largest cattail swamp in the U.S. and a wetland of global importance. NWRA and local advocates trying to protect the birds and wildlife that depend upon the refuge and adjacent state wildlife area objected to the nearly 400 foot turbines which most birds will have to navigate under, over or around to reach food in nearby fields.
Species at greatest risk are large birds such as white pelicans, Canada geese, sandhill cranes, red heads [ducks] and even a new experimental population of whooping cranes. Many species winter on the East coast, and will have to transverse the turbines during each migration. But that's not all; these and other species roost at night in the wetlands and fly to nearby agricultural lands during the day to feed. The turbines will be located on the east side of the refuge - within 2 miles from the refuge boundary. And while studies conducted on behalf of the wind company, Invenergy Wind LLC, concluded that bird populations will not be adversely affected, post construction monitoring will be intense.
NWRA is supportive of resources such as wind power that will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and help us address global climate change. However, the citing of such projects must be subject to greater scrutiny, with decisions relying on sound science. In fact, a 2006 report by the General Accounting Office concluded that entities like Wisconsin's Governor-appointed Public Service Commission that are charged with making decisions on wind power generally do not have the requisite knowledge or expertise to make informed decisions. NWRA will work to ensure the post construction monitoring is intense and rigorous. Construction has already begun with the first turbines expected to come online before year's end.
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Climate Change Bill Passes House - Helps Refuges
Congress is currently working on legislation to address the threat of climate change to wildlife. A House bill, the Energy Independence Act (H.R. 3221) includes a provision - The Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act - that will help federal land managers address such challenges.
Specifically, the Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act directs the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with other federal agencies, states, and the public, to establish a national strategy for assisting wildlife populations impacted by global warming, including consideration and integration of adaptation strategies in the planning and management of federal lands. Under this legislation, federal funds are allocated to state and federal wildlife conservation programs that support adaptation actions to increase the resiliency of fish and wildlife impacted by global warming.
The NWRA and more than 30 refuge Friends groups nationwide signed onto a letter to members of the House urging them to support this critical legislation, which passed the House passed prior to adjourning for the August recess.
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Farm Bill Passes House With Strong Conservation Title
On July 27th, the House passed their version of the Farm Bill, a massive piece of legislation considered by Congress every 5 years, which includes commodity programs as well as conservation programs.
The House version includes increases to important existing programs such as the Wetlands Reserve Program, Conservation Reserve Program and Grasslands Reserve Program. These programs allow willing farmers to place their lands in conservation easements, some of which are located on important wildlife habitats near or adjacent to national wildlife refuges. A strong conservation title allows farmers to be compensated for taking these lands out of production and increases the overall conservation footprint nationwide.
The Senate is expected to take up their version of the Farm Bill when they return in September. NWRA will work with our partners in the conservation community to ensure the Conservation Title is as strong as possible.
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Take
Action!
You can make your voice heard by utilizing the Refuge Action Network (RAN), a free, fast and easy way to respond to important national wildlife refuge alerts. Using the RAN system, you can send an e-mail or fax (even if you don't own a fax machine) to your elected officials with a click or two of your mouse. Just visit refugenet.e-actionmax.com to get started.
Please
visit the NWRA Web site, at www.refugenet.org, and click on "Take Action"
for more information.
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Capitol
Flyer, a monthly e-newsletter from the NWRA, is prepared by Desiree Sorenson-Groves, NWRA's Vice-President of Government Affairs. For additional information, please contact dgroves@refugenet.org. |
