There will be a press conference tomorrow (Wednesday) at 1 p.m. on the west
steps of the Capitol.

The press release will be concerning Land and Water Conservation Funding.
A national coalition of groups working on the Resources2000 bill will be
realeasing a report on Sept. 8 outlining tenants that should be included in
the final legislation to fund the LWCF.

Anyone who wishes to attend is encourgaed to do so.  For information,
contact Jane Clark at [log in to unmask]
=====================================================

GIVING BACK TO NATURE -- FUNDING FOR WILDLIFE AND WILD PLACES

Congress is considering bills to fund wildlife and open spaces - to
permanently provide significant revenues for state and federal conservation
programs.  The proposals that Congress is considering would devote a larger
portion of the proceeds from oil and gas drilling leases - to the
conservation of wildlife and wild places.  These bills would fund state
fish and wildlife efforts and coastal and marine conservation programs.

Here is what these bills can do:

PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT NEW FUNDING FOR THE STATE-BASED CONSERVATION OF
WILDLIFE SPECIES:

Approximately 90 percent of all animal, bird and fish species in this
country are considered "nongame", meaning that they are not hunted or
fished.  However, only about 10 percent of all wildlife funding is
currently devoted to these species.  The conservation funding proposals
being considered in Congress have the potential to correct this imbalance.


FULLY AND PERMANENTLY FUND THE LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND (LWCF):

LWCF would no longer be subject to an annual appropriation process.
Instead, the $900 million would automatically be dedicated for parks and
outdoor recreational opportunities.  The monies would be divided equally
between the states and federal governments.

FUND COASTAL AND MARINE CONSERVATION PROGRAMS:

Coastal states have significant funding needs to mitigate the impacts of
offshore drilling.  The pending proposals before Congress provide this
assistance to 35 coastal states and territories, including the Great Lakes
states.

PRINCIPLES

While these bills are moving in the right direction, they need to be
strengthened to ensure that they best protect wildlife and habitat.  Any
bill that passes should:

Support state wildlife management programs that will PRIORITIZE NONGAME
WILDLIFE.
Provide full funding for the federal and state portions of the Land and
Water Conservation Fund WITHOUT ADDING ANY NEW RESTRICTIONS on how the
funds can be used; and
Provide coastal assistance for environmental restoration WITHOUT CREATING
NEW INCENTIVES FOR OFF SHORE DRILLING

A broad coalition has formed to support these principles and to work with
Congress to achieve long-term funding at the state and federal levels for
wildlife and wild places.

The coalition for this report includes U.S.PIRG, Sierra Club, Defenders of
Wildlife, Center for Marine Conservation, World Wildlife Fund,
Environmental Defense Fund, Natural Resources Defense Council, and
Wilderness Society.  Other organizations working on this issue include
National Audubon Society and National Wildlife Federation, which has
produced an excellent 15-minute video on conservation funding and how you
can help work for passage for this important legislation. If you would like
a free copy of the video to show at your next chapter or group meeting,
please contact Valerie Cook at 202-861-2242 or [log in to unmask]

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