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CAPITOL FLYER
Tuesday, March
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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IMPORTANT NOTE: This is the last issue of the Capitol
Flyer that will be e-mailed to the NWRA Friends Listserve. Beginning
with the April 2005 issue, Capitol Flyer will be e-mailed through
the Refuge Action Network (RAN). To continue receiving Capitol Flyer,
sign up for the NWRA's RAN at http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com,
or visit the NWRA's Home page
and click on "Take Action." If you already receive Action Alerts
through the Refuge Action Network, you will not need to sign up
again to continue receiving Capitol Flyer.
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Table
of Contents:
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2005 National Friends Conference A Success
Representatives of national wildlife refuge Friends groups
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) employees from all over
the United States spent a weekend in Washington, DC, attending skills-building
workshops, networking and listening to dynamic speakers during the
2005 National Friends Conference, held February 5-7. In all, more
than 250 refuge Friends and FWS staff attended the conference, representing
over 100 refuges in approximately 45 states.
This was the 3rd national conference for Friends of the National
Wildlife Refuge System - "Friends in Action" - hosted by the National
Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) and FWS. As part of the conference,
the NWRA and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation presented the
annual National Wildlife Refuge System awards. This year, Ervin
Davis, a volunteer at the National Bison Range in Montana, received
the Volunteer of the Year award, and the Friends of Black Bayou
received the Friends Group of the Year award for their support of
the Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) in Louisiana.
On Monday following the conference, the NWRA led more than
120 Friends to Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress to
promote a funding increase for the Refuge System that would approach
$16 million for fiscal year 2006 (FY06). Friends sought to expand
Congressional support and draw attention to the Refuge System's
crippling $2-billion funding backlog. Friends also pursued requests
for funding priority project needs at their local refuges.
(return to table of contents)
President's FY06 Budget Sent to Capitol
Hill; Appropriations Process Begins
Budget
On Monday, February 7, President Bush submitted his official
FY06 budget request to Congress. While the administration's budget
request is only a recommendation to Congress, it plays an important
role as the starting point for Congressional appropriators in negotiations
of funding levels for federal programs.
For FY06, the administration's request for Refuge System
Operations and Maintenance (O&M) funding is $393.9 million. This
represents an increase of almost $13 million over FY05. Because
the Refuge System requires an annual budget increase of approximately
$16 million to stay level, a "no-net-loss" budget for the Refuge
System would have to increase by this much to account for factors
such as cost-of-living, energy, and sustaining levels of visitor
services and wildlife management requirements. Therefore, the administration's
budget request would still result in a slight cut in refuge services.
However, given the current climate of record federal deficits and
tight budgets for federal programs, the President's request is a
great step in preventing further growth of the $2 billion O&M backlog
facing the Refuge System.
An examination of the details of the FY06 budget request
finds that the administration has once again requested large funding
increases for its Cooperative Conservation Initiative (CCI). Unfortunately,
these increases come at the expense of other essential program accounts
for refuges, such as Visitor Services. The NWRA believes that, while
cooperative programs like CCI are important, they should not come
at the expense of core refuge programs. For example, the budget
request calls for deep cuts in Visitor Facility Enhancements, which
fund kiosks and other interpretive projects for Refuge System visitors.
Refuge Friends groups work closely with the FWS on many aspects
of Visitor Services, and the account funds some Friends activities.
Appropriations
The President's budget request officially kicks off the FY06
appropriations process in Congress. Over the next couple months,
the House and Senate will hold hearings on the administration's
budget request, craft FY06 appropriations bills and work in front
of and behind the scenes on final funding levels for federal programs.
Funding for the FWS and National Wildlife Refuge System is
considered by the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior.
The Interior Appropriations Subcommittee will hold a hearing on
the FWS budget March 9. However, the deadline for members of Congress
to submit their requests to the House Appropriations Subcommittee
on Interior is March 18. This is a crucial time to have refuge project
requests included in Congressmen's personal appropriations request
letters. In addition, March 18 is also the deadline for submitting
public testimony to the Subcommittee. Friends groups and other members
of the general public can use this opportunity to convey their opinions
on the importance of Refuge System funding to the Interior Subcommittee.
If you would like any further information or have questions
on the FY06 budget or appropriations, please contact Michael Woodbridge,
Assistant Director of Government Affairs, at mwoodbridge@refugenet.org
or (202) 333-9073. You can also go to the Interior Appropriations
Subcommittee's Web site for further
information on project requests and submitting testimony.
(return to table of contents)
Judge Rules Against Navy on OLF
Near Pocosin Lakes NWR In North Carolina, a federal judge
ruled February 18 that the U.S. Navy distorted an environmental
impact statement (EIS), required by the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA), to justify the construction of an outlying landing field
(OLF) in Washington County.
The OLF, a runway designed for "touch-and-go" landings to
simulate an aircraft carrier, was proposed to be built less than
five miles from the Pocosin Lakes NWR. The Refuge, established in
1963, is a wintering habitat for approximately 100,000 birds, including
tundra swans and snow geese. The birds travel among the refuge and
surrounding farms, where they have developed a symbiotic relationship
with area farmers.
According to federal judge Terrence Boyle, the Navy's evaluation
of the risks the project posed to birds and the F/A-18 E/F Super
Hornet jets with which they might collide was purposely designed
to support "a predetermined conclusion." Siding with the environmental
groups and local counties that brought the suit, Judge Boyle wrote
that the Navy "failed to conduct a thorough analysis of the environmental
impacts." The ruling stops all activities related to building the
OLF until a proper environmental analysis is performed.
Late last year, plaintiffs in the case obtained records from
the Navy showing that the officers preparing the EIS expressed reservations
about tailoring their work to fit a decision that had already been
made.
(return to table of contents)
Efforts Underway to Include Arctic
NWR Drilling In Budget
When President Bush submitted his budget to Congress in February,
he included a section that assumes the Arctic NWR will be opened
to drilling. The Arctic budget language also assumes billions of
dollars in revenues will be made available to the federal government
as a result of lease sales for drilling.
Now, Congress is beginning work on its own budget process.
In the Senate, the budget resolution only needs 51 votes to pass
and cannot be filibustered. In the past, efforts to open up the
Arctic NWR have been voted down; however, there are enough new senators
this year to put the outcome in doubt. Drilling advocates believe
they now have the 51 votes they need to open the refuge to drilling;
however, they still lack the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.
As a result, drilling proponents plan to slip Arctic drilling language
into the FY06 budget resolution. Most recently, Senator Judd Gregg
(R-NH), chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, publicly announced
his expectation that the drilling provision would be included in
the upcoming resolution.
The NWRA encourages you to take action to stop Arctic drilling
by contacting your elected officials about this issue using the
NWRA's Refuge Action Network (RAN). To access RAN, go to http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com,
or visit the NWRA's Home page
and click on "Take Action."
(return to table of contents)
National Bison Range Agreement Almost
Final
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, is set to go into effect March 15.
By law, Congress has 90 days from the date the agreement
was submitted by the Secretary of the Interior to evaluate the AFA
and respond. If Congress fails to act, the agreement will go into
effect immediately following the review period.
Responding to constituent letters on the issue, Senator Michael
Crapo (R-ID) recently sent a letter to the FWS asking them to address
concerns that have been raised by national wildlife refuge organizations.
The NWRA believes the agreement will result in added costs to the
refuge, make effective management by the FWS difficult and expose
refuge volunteers to lawsuits.
The Association is urging Congress to hold hearings on the
National Bison Range AFA. You are encouraged to take action by contacting
your elected officials about this issue using the NWRA's Refuge
Action Network (RAN). To access RAN, go to http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com
and click on the National Bison Range headline under "latest news."
(return to table of contents)
Bill To Open Closed Refuges to Ham
Radio Operators Loses Some Support
In January, a bill was introduced by House Resources Committee
Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) and Ranking Member Nick Rahall (D-WV)
that would allow access to refuges closed to public use. The bill,
H.R. 298, specifically calls for access to Farallon, Navassa and
Desecheo NWRs.
Ham radio operators are pushing the legislation to gain access
to certain refugesÑisland refuges in particularÑwhere they will
set up temporary broadcasting stations to communicate with radio
operators in other states and countries. Some of these refuges are
currently closed to the public and have denied access to radio operators.
The current restrictions on human visitation to these closed
refuges were put in place because of concerns about wildlife and
human safety. At Desecheo, there are unexploded ordnances left over
from its past days as a bombing range. At Navassa, access to the
refuge requires a dangerous climb up rocky cliffs. In addition,
Navassa's fragile ecosystem, which includes several endemic species
about which little is known, could be damaged by visitors.
Recently, Rep. Rahall withdrew his support for allowing access
to the Farallones after Rep. Tom Lantos (D-CA), who represents the
refuge, opposed the effort. However, both Rahall and Pombo remain
sponsors of the original legislation.
(return to table of contents)
Public Meetings Held on Land Exchange
for Yukon Flats NWR in AK
Over the past month, the FWS has held a series of public
meetings around Alaska to review a proposed land exchange at the
Yukon Flats NWR. 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 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.
According to the agreement, Doyon would acquire approximately
110,000 acres (with surface and subsurface rights) of public lands,
and oil and gas rights only for 97,000 acres of adjacent lands.
In exchange, the U.S. would receive approximately 150,000 acres
of surface and subsurface estate, and Doyon would agree to reallocate
56,517 acres of remaining 12(b) entitlements outside of the Refuge.
12(b) entitlements are lands designated by Native regional corporations
under ANCSA.
If oil and/or gas is produced, Doyon would sell an additional
120,000 acres of wildlife habitat within the refuge to the U.S.
In addition, Doyon would pay the U.S. a production payment of 1.25%
of the well-head value of any resources produced. Those funds would
only be used for acquiring additional lands within the Yukon Flats
NWR, lands in other Alaska refuges, and for constructing needed
refuge facilities.
In an October 2004 letter to FWS Director Steven Williams,
the NWRA expressed concerns with Refuge System land acquisition
and divestment activities by the FWS. The Refuge Association urged
the FWS to develop a transparent, standard procedure with specific
evaluation criteria, before proposing any substantive divestment,
transfer or exchanges of refuge lands. These concerns extend to
the Doyon agreement where the process has failed to meet these fundamental
standards.
(return to table of contents)
Lynn Scarlett Nominated Deputy Secretary
of the Interior
President Bush has 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.
In her current role, Lynn Scarlett handles all phases of
management, budget and other administrative activities and serves
as the principal policy advisor to Secretary of the Interior Gale
Norton. Scarlett has been with the Department of the Interior since
July 2001.
As Deputy Secretary, Scarlett will take over the number two
position at Interior, formerly held by Steven Griles until his resignation
on January 31. Assistant Secretary Scarlett has helped to increase
Refuge System budgets over the past four years and support refuge
Friends groups; she recently attended the 2005 National Friends
Conference, where she presented the National Wildlife Refuge System
award for the Refuge Friends Group of the Year.
(return to table of contents)
Take
Action, with the NWRA!
The
National Wildlife Refuge Association has a new "Take Action"
page on www.refugenet.org.
Help make a difference on refuge issues by signing up for the NWRA's
new e-advocacy tool at http://refugenet.e-actionmax.com.
The
new system makes it easier than ever to help protect and enhance
the National Wildlife Refuge System. 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.
(return to table of contents)
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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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