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Urge your Representative to support increased funding for the Refuge System for FY09
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directions at the bottom.
Caucus letter to Interior & Environment appropriations subcommittee FY09
Members of the House National Wildlife Refuge Caucus, Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI), Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Michael Castle (R-DE) are sending a letter to the House Interior and Environment appropriations subcommittee urging them to increase funding for the NWRS to $451.5 million for FY08.
Signers as of March 5, 2008 (in addition to Kind, Saxton, Thompson and Castle)
1. Allen (D-ME)
2. Baldwin (D-WI)
3. Boswell (D-IA)
4. Boucher (D-VA)
5. Braley (D-IA)
6. Brown (R-SC)
7. Capps (D-CA)
8. Delahunt (D-MA)
9. DeFazio (D-OR)
10. Ellison (D-MN)
11. English (R-PA)
12. Filner (D-CA)
13. Gilchrest (R-MD)
14. Grijalva (D-AZ)
15. Gonzalez (D-TX)
16. Hirono (D-HI)
17. Holt (D-NJ)
18. Hooley (D-OR)
19. Kucinich (D-OH)
20. McDermott (D-WA)
21. Dennis Moore (D-KS)
22. Nadler (D-NY)
23. Wu (D- OR)
Severe funding and staffing shortfalls have led to the decline of refuge habitats and wildlife populations and have put popular wildlife-dependent recreation programs at risk. Aging facilities and equipment, invasive species, human encroachment, pollution, inadequate water supplies and other problems plague the Refuge System, making it nearly impossible for refuges to meet their conservation mission. Management programs that help recover endangered species, restore damaged habitats, address threats to water quality and other problems are left unaccomplished on an alarming number of refuges. Funding for the Refuge System translates to just over $4.00 per acre!
To keep up with inflation, refuge stewardship funding must increase to $514 million in FY09. Without this increase, the FWS cannot provide cost-of-living increases for FWS personnel, cover rising rent and utilities and other uncontrollable obligations, while also sustaining current wildlife stewardship and visitor services programs.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
Your U.S. Representative
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Please support increased funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System
Dear Representative,
I respectfully ask that you support increased stewardship funding for the National Wildlife Refuge System for FY 2009 and I thank you for providing a much-needed increase to the Refuge System budget for this fiscal year. While vitally important to our nations wildlife, refuges provide unparalleled opportunities to hunt, fish, watch wildlife and educate children about the environment. Without increased funding for refuges, wildlife conservation and public recreation opportunities will be jeopardized.
Members of the House National Wildlife Refuge Caucus, Representatives Ron Kind (D-WI), Jim Saxton (R-NJ), Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Michael Castle (R-DE) are sending a letter to the House Interior and Environment appropriations subcommittee urging them to increase funding for the NWRS to $514 million for FY09.
A comprehensive analysis by the Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE) determined that the Refuge System needs $765 million in annual operations and maintenance funding by 2013 to properly administer its nearly 100 million acres, educational nature programs, habitat restoration projects, and much more. To reach this reasonable goal, the System needs $514 million in FY 09 for the Operations and Maintenance of America's National Wildlife Refuge System.
As a constituent and citizen concerned about the wildlife in our state, I hope you will join Representatives Kind, Saxton, Thompson and Castle in urging members of the Interior and Environment appropriations subcommittee to increase funding of the Refuge System.
To sign the letter, please contact David DeGennaro (Kind) at 5-5506 (david.DeGennaro@mail.house.gov) or Andy Oliver (Saxton) at 5-4765 (Andy.Oliver@mail.house.gov).
Thank you,
Your name and address here
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This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.
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