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Friends of the Savannah
Coastal Wildlife Refuges
July 24, 2013
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Friends:
The midst of the summer doldrums may not seem to be the best time to visit one of our refuges, but their serenity and beauty draw us to them no matter the time of year. It's just that in the summer we must share our visits with the mosquitoes and fire ants. Even so, what better way to enjoy the outdoors than visit one of your National Wildlife Refuges? Better yet, consider becoming a volunteer on your favorite refuge! Interested? Contact us at webmaster@coastalrefuges.org.
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Proposed Interior Dept Budget a Disaster for the Refuge System
An Editorial By: Rick Shields, FSCWR President
 On Monday, July 22, 2013, the National Wildlife Refuge Associationsent out an emergency Action Alert regarding the proposed Fiscal Year 2014 budget for the US Fish & Wildlife Service. Today, the bill was passed out of the Appropriations Subcommittee to face a final vote by the entire House Appropriations Committee on Thursday the 25th. If approved, drastic cuts to the refuge system will ensue. Portions of the Alert are posted below.
"We have just learned the content of the appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2014 (FY14) being proposed by House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies and it is one of the worst proposals we have ever seen. If enacted, the proposed funding and riders would: - Cut the overall funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by 27% (and if the 27% cut be evenly distributed to all Service programs, the Refuge System will fall from $502.8 million in FY10 to $331.2 million in FY14, a 34% cut in four years!)
- Eliminate all funding for conservation easements and land acquisition under the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), a program established in 1995 that uses a small portion of royalties from off-shore drilling to support conservation of other resources.
- Eliminate all funding for the State Wildlife Grants Program, which helps states keep species from becoming endangered.
- Eliminate all funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), which funds wetland restoration on refuges.
- Eliminate all funding for Landscape Conservation Cooperatives that are forums for federal, state, tribes, organizations, and other groups to work together to support conservation.
- Eliminate funds for establishment of refuges and boundary expansion.
This bill, if enacted, will be a severe blow to the National Wildlife Refuge System and conservation of wildlife nationwide." But isn't the US in a debt crisis, don't all areas of government need to cut back?
To put the number in perspective...the reduction proposed for the FY 2014 Refuge System budget amounts to about a $172 million dollars per year sut copared to the FY 2010 budget. Sound like a lot? It is a lot when it represents a 34% cut in your operating budget! But when you look at the bigger picture, that $173 million looks pretty paltry.
Consider that $172 million dollars represents:
- 0.0000465% of all Federal spending in 2012
- What the US is spending in Afghanistan every15 HOURS!
The passage of the Appropriations bill with these Draconian cuts would be a serious blow to the viability of the Refuge system we all hold dear. Please take a moment to contact the following US Representatives who serve on the Committee to urge them to vote NO on this attempt to cripple the refuge system. Jack Kingston (R)(GA) (Here is a copy of the email I sent Kingston) Sanford D Bishop (D)(GA)Tom Graves (R)(GA)For those of you not living in Georgia, check the list of committee members to see if your Representative is listed, and contact him or her. Most US Reps will only accept e-mails form their constituents, but you can call any of them. Their offices can be reached through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 or by calling the numbers listed on the web sites. I hope all of you will take the time to oppose this budget. This is how our representative system works. |
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And Another Crisis Looms...
An Editorial By: Rick Shields, FSCWR President
Here is another Action Alert from the National Wildlife Refuge Association about another legislative threat to the Refuge System. This bill is scheduled to be voted on Tomorrow, July 24th. "Since 1903, national wildlife refuges have been created by both the Executive branch and by Congress, but a bill by Representative John Fleming of Louisiana would change all that. H.R. 638 would make it impossible for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) (part of the Executive branch) to establish new refuges administratively even though they must go through a rigorous public process to do so. Instead, only Congress would be able to create new refuges - and we know just how easy things move through Congress these days! If the Executive Branch didn't have the authority to create refuges - we wouldn't have a National Wildlife Refuge System. Period. The Executive branch - including EVERY President since Theodore Roosevelt - has established 90% of all refuges. The creation of refuges has been bipartisan with nearly the same number created by Republican and Democratic Administrations." Once again, you are being asked to contact your local US Representative to urge them to vote NO on this wrong-headed bill. For contact info, please refer to the story above. Here is a copy of the email I sent to Jack Kingston about HR 638. Please customize the letter as you see fit (at least in the section in red) and send it ASAP. Sorry for the short notice.
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Photo Blind Completed at Savannah NWR 
Savannah NWR now has a new photo blind recently completed on the Cistern Trail off the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive. The blind allows nature observers and photographers a secluded spot to observe the abundant wildlife on the refuge.
The Friends group helped out financially and with volunteer labor (headed by George Cathcart). Additional assistance was provided by Irv Sevelowitz (another volunteer), Eagle Scout candidate Bobby Jowers and Scout Troop 691, Carolinas' nature Photographers Association, the 2013 Youth Conservatio Corp crew, and FWS staff. Be sure to check it out next time you are on the Drive.
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FWS loses a Friend  Harry Lane passed away July 9, 2013. Harry was the third "official" volunteer with the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex when the volunteer program was formally instituted in 1982, but he had been contributing enormous amounts of time, energy and money to the complex since 1977. Pat Metz, retired refuge Ranger and Friends Life Member has written a brief bio of Harry with some archival photos. To read about this dedicated volunteer, click HERE.
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Conserving the Future Vision Plan
The Hunting, Fishing, and Outdoor Recreation implementation team has finalized their draft strategy for Recommendation 17: The Service will work closely with state fish and wildlife agencies to conduct a review of its current hunting and fishing opportunities, especially opportunities currently offered for youth and people with disabilities. Based on this review, the Service and states will work cooperatively to prepare a strategy for increasing quality hunting and fishing opportunities on national wildlife refuges. The draft is available for a 45-day public comment period on
What is the Vision Plan?
"This 21st-century strategic vision for the Refuge System acknowledges the broad social, political, and economic changes that have made habitat conservation more challenging since the agency last set comprehensive goals in 1999. In the intervening 12 years, the new vision states the nation's population has grown "larger and more diverse ... and the landscape for conservation has changed-there is less undeveloped land, more invasive species, and we are experiencing the impacts of a changing climate."
Check it out and join the discussion!
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Photographers Get Ready!
Calling all photographers!, the Friends Photography Club is getting organized and planning our second annual photo contest. Friends Board members Tracy Toogood and Sharon Lindsay are working on submission rules and judging criteria, so watch your inbox for further info.
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Fishing Day at Harris Neck Reels Them In!
Harris Neck National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) was an exciting place to be Saturday, June 8, as nearly 200 visitors showed up to participate in the refuge's First Annual Kids Fishing Day and to celebrate the unveiling of new interpretive exhibits at the refuge Visitor Center. To read the story and see the photos of the event, click HERE.(Text and photos courtesy of Monica Harris.)
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Articles of Interest
Birder's Eye View - Looking for Lunch - Savannah Morning News (SMN) - 7/12/2013
Turtle Comeback: Leapin' Loggerheads - SMN - 7/6/2013
Sea Turtle Nesting Ramping Up in Georgia - SMN - 7/4/2013
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Quick Links...
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E-mail: webmaster@coastalrefuges.org
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