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CAPITOL FLYER
Friday, April 1,
2005
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Capitol
Flyer is intended to keep you abreast of the latest developments
in Washington affecting the National Wildlife Refuge System.
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Table
of Contents:
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Senate
Votes to Drill in Arctic NWR
On
March 16, the Senate voted, for the first time in a decade, to allow
oil and gas development in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (NWR).
Due to a larger Republican majority in the Senate, drilling supporters
defeated an amendment by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) to strike from
the fiscal year (FY) 2006 budget resolution language that assumes
$2.5 billion in revenues that would be realized from Arctic oil
leasing. The amendment failed on a 49-51 vote. Two years ago, drilling
opponents were able to strip out an Arctic leasing measure by a
vote of 52-48.
Congress
must take further action before the Arctic provision becomes law.
The leasing proposal for drilling in the Arctic Refuge would become
law only if it is included in a budget reconciliation bill that
President Bush signs. Currently, the House and Senate are working
on reconciling the differences between their two versions of the
FY06 Budget in a conference committee. Since the House did not include
an Arctic provision in its budget, a final conference report may
or may not include drilling revenues.
With
a potentially crucial vote looming in Congress on the FY06 Budget,
weighing in on Arctic drilling with members of Congress is critical.
The National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) has posted an Action
Alert on the Refuge Action Network (RAN) that allows you to contact
your elected officials in Congress about Arctic drilling. You can
take action by visiting http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com.
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Director
Williams Resigns; Hogan Tapped as Acting Director
Steve
Williams has resigned as Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (FWS) after three years of service. He became President
of the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), a nonprofit organization
dedicated to scientific wildlife management, March 20.
Williams'
past experience includes serving as Secretary of the Kansas Department
of Wildlife and Parks and positions in the Pennsylvania Game Commission
and Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. FWS deputy
director, Matt Hogan, is serving as the agency's interim director
until a full-time director is nominated by President Bush and confirmed
by the Senate. Hogan has served as FWS deputy director for the past
three years, with a focus on Congressional relations and working
with FWS partners.
The
Department of the Interior (DOI) has said there is no timeline for
when the president will name a new director. Federal statute requires
the head of FWS have a degree or background in wildlife biology.
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Transportation
Update
Congress
has once again taken up a transportation reauthorization bill, major
legislation for transportation projects across the country. The
House passed H.R. 3, the "Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy
for Users," authorizing $284 billion for federally supported
transportation programs through FY 2009, including $20 million per
year for refuge roads.
In
the Senate, the Environment and Public Works Committee has completed
work on their version of the legislation, the "Safe, Accountable,
Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act of 2005."
The Senate bill currently includes $26.8 million per year for refuge
roads.
The
Refuge Roads Program funds construction and maintenance of roads
and trails within the National Wildlife Refuge System. Every dollar
for refuge roads from the Department of Transportation is a dollar
that the FWS doesnât have to take away from wildlife management.
According
to the Federal Highway Administration (FHA), the Refuge System currently
has a transportation backlog of needs of $2.1 billion. In fact,
the FHA has classified over 37% of Refuge System roads as being
in "poor to failed" condition.
The
NWRA continues to work with Congress to increase the funding level
for refuge roads. Currently, the funding level is $20 million per
year.
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Navy
Appeals Ruling on OLF Near Pocosin Lakes NWR
As
reported in the March 2005 issue of Capitol Flyer, a Federal
District Court ruled that the U.S. Navy distorted an environmental
impact statement (EIS) to justify the construction of an outlying
landing field (OLF), within five miles of the Pocosin Lakes National
Wildlife Refuge, in Washington County, North Carolina.
On
March 25, lawyers for the Navy appealed the district court ruling
to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond.
The
Navy has remained steadfast in its pursuit of the Washington County
site. However, criticisms of the Navy's environmental assessments,
especially bird/plane collision management, have resulted in mounting
pressure on the Navy to seek an alternative site.
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Conservation
Tax Incentives Under Fire From Joint Congressional Committee
The
Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) of the U.S. Congress recently
recommended dismantling tax deductions for landowners who volunteer
to conserve their land - a program that has been essential to private
and public conservation efforts. Those tax incentives, in place
for more than 25 years, have led to voluntary conservation of more
than 34 million acres of working agricultural lands, working forests,
wildlife habitats, historic landscapes, and parklands.
Currently,
landowners who care about conservation and are willing to protect
important resources on their property can donate a conservation
easement, which protects these resources, often in perpetuity, but
allows families to continue to live on and farm the land, and pass
the property on to their heirs. Now, they receive a tax deduction
for the value of the development rights they give up. However, the
JCT proposes forbidding any deduction for donating an easement if
the landowner continues to live on the land and, in all other cases,
allowing the donor to deduct only 33% of the value of their donation.
This would effectively eliminate the tax incentives for donations
of conservation easements.
Landowners
can also choose to donate their land, or sell it for less than its
value. Those who do so qualify for a tax deduction. However, the
JCT proposal would slash this incentive, by limiting deductions
to the price the landowner originally paid for the property. This
would make it extremely difficult for farmers, ranchers, and other
residents who have owned their lands for decades to be able to afford
to donate.
With
development and sprawl threatening the ability of the National Wildlife
Refuge System to carry out its mission of protecting wildlife and
their habitat, private landowners have a critical role to play in
conservation. Incentives to private landowners are one of the best
ways to conserve America's wildlife beyond refuge borders. Conservation
tax incentives encourage voluntary charitable gifts, respect private
property rights, and keep land on the tax rolls.
The
Joint Committee on Taxation is a body looked to by the Congress
for expert advice on tax matters. The Committee's recommendations
stem from cases of abuse of deductions for historic facade and conservation
easements, and the difficulty of policing easement appraisals by
the Internal Revenue Service. Unfortunately, the proposals of the
JCT punish all land donors, fail to identify abusers, and wreak
havoc with private, voluntary conservation, at a time when it is
needed more than ever.
The
National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) has posted an Action
Alert on the Refuge Action Network that allows you to contact your
elected officials in Congress about conservation tax incentives.
You can take action by visiting http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com.
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to table of contents)
National
Bison Range Agreement Goes Into Effect
The
annual funding agreement (AFA) between the FWS and Confederated
Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT), which transfers approximately
half of the refuge staff positions and budget at the National Bison
Range in Montana to the tribes, went into effect March 15. Although
Congress had 90 days to review the agreement, no official action
was taken.
The
agreement will last for eighteen months, at which time the CSKT
and FWS can negotiate for another 12-month agreement.
On
March 16, the day following implementation of the annual funding
agreement, Senator Conrad Burns (R-MT), Chairman of the Interior
Appropriations Subcommittee, promised to hold hearings prior to
the signing of another agreement at the Bison Range. No date has
been set for the hearings; however, the agreement runs through September
30, 2006.
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Yukon
Flats NWR Land Exchange Comment Period Extended
As
reported in the March 2005 issue of Capitol Flyer, the FWS
is considering a proposed land exchange at the Yukon Flats NWR in
Alaska. The proposed exchange would take place between the FWS and
Doyon, Limited, an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporation
that owns 1.25 million acres within the exterior boundary of Yukon
Flats NWR.
The
comment period for the proposed land exchange was originally set
to end on April 1; however, the FWS has extended the comment deadline
by 120 days to July 30.
The
agreement provides Doyon title to some refuge lands that may hold
developable oil and gas resources. In exchange, the FWS would receive
habitat currently owned by Doyon within the refuge boundary. More
information on the proposed land exchange can be found at http://alaska.fws.gov/index.htm.
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Deputy
Secretary of the Interior Nomination Held Up
As
reported in the March 2005 issue of Capitol Flyer, President Bush
nominated Lynn Scarlett to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Interior.
Currently, she is the Assistant Secretary of Policy, Management,
and Budget at the Department.
Scarlett's
nomination is contingent upon confirmation by the Senate. Recently,
however, Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) placed a procedural hold on
Scarlett's nomination until he receives assurances the Interior
Department will not renege on its pledge to limit outer continental
shelf (OCS) petroleum leases near Tampa.
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Take
Action, with the NWRA!
If
you received this issue of Capitol Flyer directly from the NWRA,
your e-mail address is registered with the Refuge Action Network.
But have you taken action on refuge issues? To do so, you will be
required to enter your home address (this information is used to
determine your members of Congress). Help make a difference on refuge
issues by utilizing the NWRA's RAN e-advocacy tool at http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com.
It's fast, easy and effective!
Please
visit the NWRA Web site or contact Michael Woodbridge, Assistant
Director of Government Affairs, at 202.333.9073 or mwoodbridge@refugenet.org
for more information.
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Capitol
Flyer, a monthly e-newsletter from the NWRA, is prepared by Michael
Woodbridge, NWRA's Assistant Director of Government Affairs.
For additional information, please contact mwoodbridge@refugenet.org.
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