| Millions needed to keep refuges in the black -- report |
|
|
|
|
The National Wildlife Refuge System stands to lose 20 percent of its
workforce and leave more than half of its refuges operating at a loss
in the next five years unless Congress increases its budget, according
to a report released yesterday by refuge advocates.
The report from the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) said more funding is needed to keep the refuges from a state of "crisis." The report was backed by 21 different environmental and hunting groups, including the National Rifle Association. The report compiled data from refuge workforce management plans that each Fish and Wildlife Service region developed to detail how it would deal with budgets that could not keep pace with rising costs in the refuge system. The projected budget shortfalls could cause refuges to cut 565 "essential" staffing positions, create a $2.5 billion maintenance backlog and leave 57 percent of refuge operations at a fiscal loss by 2013, according to the report. Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), one of the leaders of the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus, said he would be shopping the report around Capitol Hill in an effort to secure more funding for refuges. Kind is putting together a "Dear Colleague" letter to ask members to consider its findings, organizing a briefing for caucus members and asking the Natural Resources Committee to hold a hearing on the refuge system's budget woes. Since 2001, annual funding for refuges has increased by about $83 million, but the cost of operating and maintaining facilities have outpaced those increases. FWS says most of that money has gone to control invasive species, improve border security, pay higher energy bills and meet maintenance needs. The Bush administration's fiscal 2008 budget request includes $394 million for refuge operations and maintenance, $12 million more than in 2006. CARE is asking for just over $450 million for next year and $765 million by 2013. Funding increases are a tough sell in the current fiscal climate. The leaders of the House and Senate Interior Appropriations subcommittees have said they would like to boost funding for refuges but will have to weigh them against the many other programs also making funding requests. But Kind is bullish on his prospects. The budget resolution provided $2.6 billion more for the environment function than the president's request, and he thinks the refuge caucus and the scope of refuges across the United States should help catch the attention of Congress. "Refuges virtually touch every congressional district in the nation, so everyone has a purpose for doing a better job of protecting them," Kind said. Click here to read the report.
Set as favorite
Bookmark
Email This
Comments (0)
 Write comment
|
|
| Last Updated ( Wednesday, 31 October 2007 ) |
Subscribe to this comment's feed
