PrintSupport from CSF and the the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus has been essential to the success of the State Wildlife Grants Program, which has provided over $500 million since 2001 to fund proactive efforts to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered in every state. With State Wildlife Grants funding, state fish and wildlife agencies are making great strides in implementing their state wildlife action plans.
Teaming With Wildlife - $500 Million Since 2001 for State Wildlife Grants
Teaming with Wildlife is a coalition of more than 5,000 organizations supporting increased public funding for wildlife conservation and related education and recreation.
Support from the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus has been essential to the success of the State Wildlife Grants Program, which has provided over $500 million since 2001 to fund proactive efforts to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered in every state. With State Wildlife Grants funding, state fish and wildlife agencies are making great strides in implementing their state wildlife action plans.
Teaming with Wildlife is a coalition of more than 5,000 organizations supporting increased public funding for wildlife conservation and related education and recreation. CSF and AFWA sponsored a breakfast briefing for Teaming With Wildlife in late February 2008. Read the CSF Press Release
Climate Change Legislation
In recent years there has been increasing pressure for state agencies to take on a greater role in conserving all wildlife species, particularly those that are imperiled or at risk of becoming so. Since most states provide little or no general fund support for wildlife, there is a growing need for increased state government financial support for these programs.
As a member of the National Steering Committee of Teaming with Wildlife Coalition, CSF supported state fish and wildlife adaptation funding in the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2008 (S. 3036).
In May, conservation groups, representing millions of sportsmen sent a letter to the Senate expressing the support of the funding under the Act. AWCP Letter...
In early June 2008 the U.S. Senate considered S. 3036. There were not enough votes to advance the debate.
Congress has consistently deferred to state authority in the regulation of fish and resident wildlife, preempting sole state authority and establishing concurrent state-federal jurisdiction only when necessary to satisfy the purpose of the Endangered Species Act or other federal legislation.
Congressional efforts to secure assured funding dedicated to state-based fish and wildlife conservation, education and recreation programs made progress but failed to pass. While these efforts raised the profile of the demonstrated financial need and resulted in annual appropriations through State Wildlife Grants, only assured funding can provide the certainty, consistency and longevity to carry out successful programs to allow state fish and wildlife agencies to conserve imperiled wildlife and to keep common species common.
Climate change legislation and/or other energy related legislation may serve as a vehicle to secure this dedicated federal funding for state fish and wildlife agencies. To that end, group letters were sent to the House Natural Resource Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resource Committee requesting support for the authorization of new resources to address the impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife, including dedicated funds for state fish and wildlife agencies and federal land and natural resources agencies. Specifically, to address the upcoming challenge of assisting fish and wildlife to respond to climate change, at least $1.2 billion per year should be made available to be spent through these programs: the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration account under the Pittman-Robertson Fund; Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act and, Dingell-Johnson/Wallop Breaux Sportfish Restoration Fund.
