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CAPITOL FLYER
Friday, September 8, 2006
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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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Congressional Update
September marks the return of Congress from the August recess. After spending a month in their states and districts, members of Congress are back at work on Capitol Hill trying to finish up legislative matters. The Republican leadership’s agenda focuses on terrorism issues, while other legislative issues such as immigration may be brought up. With a plan to recess again on September 29 so members can campaign for the November elections, there are precious few legislative days left.
Appropriations bills are also on the legislative agenda. With the October 1 start of the next fiscal year nearing and the pace of this year’s appropriations bills lagging, lawmakers will have to add a stopgap funding bill to their already crowded September agenda. The likelihood is growing that some kind of omnibus spending measure will be needed as a vehicle for appropriations bills that have not been passed on their own by the end of the session.
The House has already passed their version of the Interior appropriations bill, while similar legislation in the Senate has only been passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee.
As was the case last year, when Congress was unable to pass all of its spending bills before the start of the new fiscal year, lawmakers will need to rely on a continuing resolution in order to keep federal programs funded while Congress breaks for the election. Observers expect Congress will not pass an omnibus appropriations bill until after the November elections and possibly after the Thanksgiving holiday.
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Refuge Caucus Official Launch
A few months ago, the National Wildlife Refuge Association (NWRA) sent an action alert asking Refuge Action Network (RAN) subscribers to contact their members of Congress to urge them to join the Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus. Today, we are excited to tell you that the new Refuge Caucus is up to more than 90 members!
The Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement (CARE), chaired by the NWRA, is hosting a Congressional breakfast event on Capitol Hill to celebrate the official launch of the Caucus. The event will take place on September 14 at 8 a.m. in the Rayburn House Office Building. Attendees will include members of Congress and their staff, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel, members of the CARE group and others. Is your Member of Congress planning to attend the CARE breakfast?
Below is a current list of Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus members:
Kind, Ron (D-WI) co-chair
Saxton, Jim (R-NJ) co-chair
Castle, Mike (R-DE) vice co-chair
Thompson, Mike (D-CA) vice co-chair
Doggett, Lloyd (D-TX)
Fitzpatrick, Michael (R-PA)
Johnson, Nancy (R-CT)
Kildee, Dale (D-MI)
LoBiondo, Frank (R-NJ)
Grijalva, Raul (D-AZ)
Meehan, Marty (D-MA)
Simmons, Rob (R-CT)
Gilchrest, Wayne (R-MD)
Michaud, Michael (D-ME)
Miller, George (D-CA)
Dingell, John (D-MI)
Wexler, Robert (D-FL)
Pallone, Frank (D-NJ)
Case, Ed (D-HI)
Holt, Rush (D-NJ)
Payne, Donald (D-NJ)
Baldwin, Tammy (D-WI)
Kennedy, Mark (R-MN)
Bachus, Spencer (R-AL)
Stark, Pete (D-CA)
Gerlach, Jim (R-PA)
Hastings, Alcee (D-FL)
Brown-Waite, Ginny (R-FL)
Coble, Howard (R-NC)
Drake, Thelma (R-VA)
Kline, John (R-MN)
Marshall, Jim (D-GA)
Smith, Adam (D-WA)
Tanner, John (D-TN)
Weldon, Curt (R-PA)
Moore, Dennis (D-KS)
DeFazio, Pete (D-OR)
Allen, Tom (D-ME)
Jones, Walter (R-NC)
Farr, Sam (D-CA)
Petri, Thomas (R-WI)
Eshoo, Anna (D-CA)
Mollohan, Alan (D-WV)
Jackson Lee, Sheila (D-TX)
McDermott, Jim (D-WA)
Baird, Brian (D-WA)
Pomeroy, Earl (D-ND)
Dicks, Norm (D-WA)
Larson, John (D-CT)
LaHood, Ray (R-IL)
Bishop, Tim (D-NY)
Clay, William Lacy Jr. (D-MO)
Lynch, Steven (D-MA)
Israel, Steve (D-NY)
Pickering, Chip (R-MS)
Ehlers, Vernon (R-MI)
Weiner, Anthony (D-NY)
Oberstar, James (D-MN)
Gordon, Bart (D-TN)
Woolsey, Lynn (D-CA)
Higgins, Brian (D-NY)
Markey, Edward (D-MA)
Maloney, Carolyn (D-NY)
Tierney, John (D-MA)
Serrano, Jose (D-NY)
Moran, James (D-VA)
Ortiz, Solomon (D-TX)
Bass, Charles (R-NH)
Wilson, Joe (R-SC)
Chandler, Ben (D-KY)
Matsui, Doris (D-CA)
Davis, Lincoln (D-TN)
Shays, Christopher (R-CT)
Ramstad, Jim (R-MN)
Cardin, Benjamin (D-MD)
McCollum, Betty (D-MN)
Rothman, Steve (D-NJ)
Cardoza, Dennis (D-CA)
Porter, Jon (R-NV)
Boucher, Rick (D-VA)
Stearns, Cliff (R-FL)
Platts, Todd (R-PA)
Holden, Tim (D-PA)
Snyder, Vic (D-AR)
Shaw, Clay (R-FL)
Hayworth, J.D. (R-AZ)
Hooley, Darlene (D-OR)
Boren, Dan (D-OK)
Kanjorski, Paul (D-PA)
Manzullo, Donald (R-IL)
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Conservation Tax Incentives Legislation Passes
A little over a year ago, the NWRA alerted refuge advocates to the threat of harmful changes to conservation tax incentives proposed by the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation. Today, we are happy to report a tremendous victory for conservation tax incentives.
Congress took a great step forward in protecting U.S. lands by passing legislation creating new tax benefits for family farmers and ranchers. The new law increases the period over which taxpayers can carry forward deductions for conservation easements to 15 years from five years. It also raised the cap on deductions to 50 percent from 30 percent of the donor’s adjusted gross income, and to 100 percent for qualified landowners.
Together, these changes provide farmers and ranchers with incentives to donate their land for conservation purposes, thereby giving up rights to develop the land in the future. The legislation also tightens the rules governing land appraisals to guard against inflated valuations, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is increasing its oversight of land conservation donations to prevent abuse.
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DOI Holds Cooperative Conservation Listening Sessions
The Department of the Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne along with the Secretaries of Commerce and Agriculture, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Chairman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality are hosting Cooperative Conservation listening sessions in certain locations across the country.
These sessions, taking place during August and September, are designed to be opportunities for citizens to talk to agency representatives about federal programs and policies aimed at cooperative conservation and environmental partnerships. We strongly urge refuge supporters to attend and speak out for their refuges. For specific information on dates and locations, go to www.cooperativeconservation.gov .
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Take
Action!
You can make your voice heard by utilizing the Refuge Action Network (RAN), a free, fast and easy way to respond to important national wildlife refuge alerts. Using the RAN system, you can send an e-mail or fax (even if you don't own a fax machine) to your elected officials with a click or two of your mouse.
Please
visit the NWRA Web site or contact Michael Woodbridge,
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 Director of Government Affairs.
For additional information, please contact mwoodbridge@refugenet.org. |
