ACTION ALERT:
CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS
MORE THAN A DECADE OF SUCCESSFUL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IS IN JEOPARDY
July 26 Update:
The Department of Interior and EPA appropriations bill was taken up yesterday and debated on the floor of the House of Representatives. Congressman Moran (D-VA) and Serrano (D-NY) both raised the reduction of funding in the State Wildlife Grants program and their opposition to the bill. Many other Members of Congress also spoke on the floor about the bill overall and how bad it is for the many conservation programs it drastically cuts. Some said it is the worst bill in 40 years. This morning the House took up debating and voting on other legislation (some of it also bad for conservation) and will take up the Interior bill again this evening focusing on the Fish and Wildlife Service portion of the bill. THIS IS THE CRUCIAL TIME FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO GO TO THE FLOOR AND SPEAK UP FOR STATE WILDLIFE GRANTS AND OTHER IMPORTANT WILDLIFE-RELATED CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.
Please contact your Member of Congress TODAY and ask them to speak up for wildlife and the millions of Americans that enjoy them recreationally funneling millions of dollars into our economy.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD through our nation's democratic process. Other voices are making theirs heard and they are saying CUT everything without discretion. Please help by forwarding this to the rest of your organization.
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July 19, 2011
As early as next week, the US House of Representatives will debate a spending bill that jeopardizes all of our hard work through the Teaming with Wildlife coalition to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. This year's Department of the Interior and EPA appropriations bill, as currently written, will gut funding for many conservation programs, including slashing funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program 75% from FY10.
Cuts to spending in a selection of other conservation programs (North American Wetlands Conservation Act, Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, Multinational Species Conservation Fund, Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund) can be found at the table here .
We need you to:
Call Your Member of Congress TODAY and ask them to oppose the Interior and EPA appropriations bill because it hurts wildlife by cutting funding to programs like the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program.
Find your member at www.house.gov .
The State & Tribal Wildlife Grants Program is the nation's CORE program for preventing wildlife from becoming endangered in every state. The program supports jobs and the $730 billion outdoor recreation economy, leverages millions in state and private funds and is supported by millions of birders, hikers, anglers and hunters who make up the 6,300 member Teaming With Wildlife Coalition.
In Missouri, State Wildlife Grants make the Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Grants (MoBCI) and MDC Wildlife Diversity Fund possible. These programs will likely not be funded if State Wildlife Grants are reduced by 75%!
A lot is at stake if we lose the State & Tribal Wildlife Grants Program:
- More wildlife would become endangered
- Habitat would be lost or degraded
- More regulations would be put into place
- State Wildlife Action Plans would not be funded
- Costs for species recovery would skyrocket
- State Wildlife Diversity jobs would be eliminated
For information go to www.teaming.com
