Matters we need to back

[Birdman]

Americans Outdoors Act Introduced - Senators Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Lamar Alexander (R-TN) last week introduced legislation with major implications for the future of hunting and fishing. The Americans Outdoors Act is what the TRCP’s policy initiative on establishing permanent and consistent state fish and wildlife funding was primarily set up to support. The Senators’ bill resembles the Get Outdoors Act, introduced in April by Representatives Don Young (R-AK) and George Miller (D-CA) which TRCP is also supporting. The bills provide funding that will help ensure that the fish and wildlife management, habitat conservation, and recreational infrastructure necessary for all Americans to enjoy our great outdoors, is provided on a consistent and dependable annual basis. The Senate bill has a better chance of moving in the near term. Grassroots help will be needed soon. Click Here for more information on the Americans Outdoors Act. Establishing permanent state fish and wildlife funding is one of the Partnership's primary policy initiatives. For a full list of our active initiatives and to learn how they are chosen, click here.

[Birdman]

Check this out.

With Congress making its annual budget decisions, we need more help from you to ensure important conservation programs get the money they need. This request for your help is focused on two relatively small, but very important sources of funding for state wildlife conservation agencies.


The Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) makes appropriated federal dollars available to states and tribes to support state and tribe-identified conservation priorities for at-risk species on private lands. The President's budget requested $50 million for LIP for the 2005 fiscal year, but the House appropriations committee has only approved $15 million.


The Private Stewardship Grants Program (PSGP) provides financial support directly to private landowners or those working with identified private landowners on conservation projects benefiting at-risk species. President Bush asked for $10 million for PSGP in the 2005 fiscal year. The House Appropriations Committee has only earmarked $5 million for this program.


As you can see, the House has underfunded these important programs. With the Senate funding progress very uncertain, it appears that final funding decisions on these programs will be made in negotiations over an Omnibus spending bill between appropriators from the House and Senate. In these negotiations, LIP and PSGP funding can be restored. We need to make sure our members of Congress are letting their colleagues who are taking part in those negotiations know what Americans who love the outdoors want: full funding of the President's budget request for the LIP and PSGP programs. Check out the sample letter below and click to take action.





Send a letter to the following decision maker(s):
Your Senators


Below is the sample letter:

Subject: 2005 Funding for the Landowner Incentive Program and the Private Stewardship Grants Program

Dear [decision maker name automatically inserted here],

I am writing to ask you to help make sure two relatively small, but very important conservation programs get the funding they need and deserve. As someone who loves the outdoors and has benefited from the work of state fish and wildlife agencies, I want to make sure these programs and our state agency get at least the minimum of what is needed for effective management.

The Landowner Incentive Program (LIP) makes appropriated federal dollars available to the states to support state-identified conservation priorities for at-risk species on private lands. The President's budget requested $50 million for LIP, but the House appropriations committee has only approved $15 million.

The smaller Private Stewardship Grants Program (PSGP) provides financial support directly to private landowners or those working with identified private landowners on conservation projects benefiting at-risk species. President Bush asked for $10 million for PSGP but the House has only earmarked $5 million for this program.

As final budget negotiations begin, please urge your colleagues to provide LIP and PSGP with $50 million and $10 million in funding, respectively. These two innovative programs are relatively small but they've already shown themselves to be proven conservation winners. Please help get LIP and PSGP the support needed for our fish and wildlife managers to actually use them.

Sincerely,

Ronnie Wells