Members of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus have been busy recruiting the support of other lawmakers to secure funding for conservation programs, including State Wildlife Grants, the National Wildlife Refuge System and North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). More than 100 Members of the House of Representatives have already signed onto a Dear Colleague letter to Caucus members Reps. Norman Dicks (D-WA) and Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), subcommittee leaders charged with oversight of appropriations for the State Wildlife Grant Program. The letter calls for funding the program with $85 million in Fiscal Year 2008, up from the President’s request of $69.5 million and the FY 2007 appropriations of $67.5 million.

Members of the Sportsmen’s Caucus who also lead the Congressional Refuge Caucus have requested the support of fellow legislators through another Dear Colleague letter to Reps. Dicks and Tiahrt calling for $451.5 million in federal funds for the National Wildlife Refuge System. The letter notes that the high point in funding for the program was in FY 2004 at $391.5 million, and the requested increase of $15 million per year over that level will help system leaders address concerns with meeting fixed costs and the rise in inflation over the years. Caucus member Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) sent a similar letter to members of the U.S. Senate to seek support for the same funding level of $451.5 million in FY 2008.

In the Senate, Caucus Co-Chair Sen. Michael Crapo (R-ID) and Caucus member Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) are soliciting support for NAWCA through a Dear Colleague letter. Writing to the leaders of Interior Appropriations Subcommittee, they hope to secure as much funding as the President supported in his budget request of $42.6 million for the program that has more than doubled funds through private donations and partnerships. Many of the signatories on all letters are Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus members.