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CAPITOL FLYER
Thursday, May 3, 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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Desiree Sorenson-Groves Promoted to NWRA VP of Government Affairs
Evan Hirsche, President of the NWRA, announced in April the promotion of Desiree Sorenson-Groves from Director of Grassroots Outreach to Vice-President of Government Affairs. "Since joining NWRA nearly two years ago, Desiree has proven herself to be both a top-flight organizer and savvy lobbyist," said Hirsche. "These skills combined with unparalleled passion and energy make Desiree a natural to lead our refuge advocacy work in Washington."
In her new capacity, Sorenson-Groves will manage NWRA's full complement of refuge policy issues, while supervising a successor to her prior grassroots position.
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Interior Appropriations - NWRA & Friends Testify (FY08)
On April 19th, five members of Friends Groups and the NWRA testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies concerning budget cuts faced by the Refuge System, and priority needs for refuges.
Members of the subcommittee listened intently as Marie Springer, President of the Friends of Wallkill River NWR (NJ); Molly Brown, President of the Friends of Back Bay NWR (VA), David Raskin, President of the Friends of Alaska NWRs (AK); John McCabe, Board member from the J.N. "Ding" Darling Wildlife Society (FL); and Walt Stieglitz, Board member of the Pelican Island Preservation Society (FL), presented compelling stories about individual refuge needs and those of the entire Refuge System.
The opportunity to speak to the subcommittee at "Public Witness Day" was issued on a first come, first serve basis. Many Friends groups that had requested the opportunity were turned away due to the limited available slots. However, these groups and several more submitted written testimony in lieu of appearing in person. We thank all these Friends for their outstanding commitment and passion on behalf of their individual refuges and the System as a whole and we thank the members of the Subcommittee for providing them the opportunity.
Along side the Friends, Vice-President of Government Affairs, Desiree Sorenson-Groves testified on behalf of the NWRA. In addition to the Association's request of $451.5 million for the National Wildlife Refuge System's Operations and Maintenance account, the NWRA requested the following:
An allocation of $1 million to implement Refuge Landscape Conservation Initiatives, strategic partnerships among the FWS, NWRA, refuge Friends and other national, regional and local interests that work with states, counties and municipalities to identify, prioritize and implement land and water conservation opportunities beyond refuge boundaries;
An allocation of $1 million to continue to support volunteer projects on and in connection with refuges, including the Cooperative Volunteer Invasives Monitoring Program (VIMP) and competitive grants, which utilize Friends and volunteers to identify and eradicate invasive species;
The withholding of funding for implementation of a new National Bison Range Annual Funding Agreement, pending the conclusion of an investigation by the Department of the Interior Inspector General into FWS employee grievances and completion of a FWS Refuge Tribal AFA policy;
An allocation of $100 million in the FWS land acquisition budget through the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to acquire vital habitat from numerous willing sellers across the country;
An increase in the FWS construction budget to prevent further degradation of Refuge System infrastructure;
An allocation of $3.23 million for Midway Atoll NWR, to initiate the public visitation program, provide needed equipment for safety and cooperative work, and to stop the deterioration of facilities that will be integral to visitor use;
An allocation of $85 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program and;
An allocation of $9 million for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) in the FWS' Resource Management General Administration appropriation.
The NWRA also submitted written testimony to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies on April 27th. There is expected to be a quick mark up and vote in the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, perhaps by mid-May, with later action on the Senate side. After a vote in subcommittees, the bills move to the full Appropriations Committees, then to the floors of both chambers.
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CARE releases new report
The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement, or CARE, chaired by the NWRA, released a new report April 25th, Restoring America's Legacy 2007. In it, CARE highlights the current state of the Refuge System crisis. With declining budgets over the past four years, refuges are operating at half the budget they actually need, with one third of all refuges nationwide operating with no staff at all. The report calls upon Congress to fund the NWRS at $451.5 million in FY 2008 and to gradually increase the amount to $765 annually by FY 2013, thereby allowing the FWS to manage the Refuge System at full capacity and ability.
To view the report, or find out more about how the budget crisis affects refuges in your state, visit http://www.fundrefuges.org/care/carehome.html.
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North Carolina Senators Burr and Dole Oppose Navy Jet Landing Field
As reported in the March and April 2007 issues of Capitol Flyer, the U.S. Navy is again advancing a proposal to build a jet landing field next to the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in North Carolina. A similar plan was proposed two years ago, but that plan was stopped in federal court due to violations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
At the end of March, the NWRA and other leading sporting groups and conservation organizations held a press conference urging the Navy to consider sites that are not as close to the Pocosin Lakes NWR. Following the press conference, North Carolina Senators Richard Burr(R) and Elizabeth Dole(R) joined other bi-partisan members of the North Carolina congressional delegation in voicing their opposition for the Navy's suggested location for the airfield.
In another bi-partisan action, on April 30th, seven North Carolina Representatives sent a letter to House Appropriators asking that as part of the FY 2008 Military Construction Appropriations bill, the Secretary of the Navy be directed to examine alternatives sites.
The following day, May 1st, the North Carolina Council of State, comprised of Governor Mike Easley, Lieutenant Governor Beverly Perdue and eight other statewide elected officials, agreed to draft a resolution opposing the landing field, again showing the opposition of state leaders to the Navy's plans.
Pocosin Lakes attracts tens of thousands of migratory waterfowl each winter, posing a severe risk of collisions between birds and aircraft for much of the year. Building an airfield adjacent to a refuge with large populations of birds creates a high risk of bird collisions.
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Bison Range Update
On April 11th, as part of the Region 6 workforce plan, the USFWS announced they would reduce staff and redistribute much of the bison herd at the National Bison Range (NBR) in Montana. The bison transfer is part of a strategy to create viable herds of the most genetically "pure" bison at several refuges nationwide.
As reported in the January 2007 issue of the Capitol Flyer, the USFWS terminated an Annual Funding Agreement (AFA) with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) in December over concerns about poor resource management and alleged harassment of FWS employees by tribal members. The employee grievance is currently under investigation by the Department of Interior Inspector General, and the termination of the AFA made it possible to implement the workforce plan on the refuge.
On December 29, 2006, the Department of the Interior (DOI) issued a press release announcing the Department's intentions to renew negotiations with the CSKT for a new AFA. The National Wildlife Refuge Association has urged Congress to withhold funding to institute a new AFA until the USFWS creates a national AFA policy and the investigation by the Inspector General is completed.
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House Wildlife Refuge Caucus Update
The House Wildlife Refuge Caucus has grown to 135 members, representing 41 states and 208 National Wildlife Refuges! For an updated list, visit: http://www.refugenet.org/Newissues/refugecaucus.html
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Junior Duck Stamp Winner Announced
April 27th, the USFWS announced the winner of the 2007-2008 Federal Junior Duck Stamp Design Contest. A panel of judges, which included NWRA President, Evan Hirsche, chose Paul Willey, 18, of Conway, Arkansas, for his entry, "An Elegant Pair." Willey's depiction of a pair of wigeons was judged the top entry among the Best-of-State entries from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and American Samoa. The First Day of Sale Ceremony for the 2007-2008 Federal and Junior Duck Stamps will be held on Thursday, June 22, 2007, at Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, Missouri. For more information on the Federal Duck Stamp Program, visit http://www.fws.gov/duckstamps.
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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. |
