We Need Your Help

In June the House of Representatives passed an FY10 Interior Appropriations bill that included a $40 million increase for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants and a reduction in the nonfederal match requirement from 50% to 25%. Last week the Senate passed a bill that included a $5 million increase and no change in the match requirement. The two bills are now headed to a conference committee. State Wildlife Grants are the principal source of funding dedicated to implement State Wildlife Action Plans in every state and territory. Currently states receive an average of just over $1 million annually per state and territory to implement conservation actions to conserve and monitor more than 10,000 species known to be at risk. This level of funding is inadequate for these congressionally-mandated plans.

We need your help to inform members of the Senate the importance of the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. Please take a few minutes to call or email members of the Senate in your state and ask them to support State Wildlife Action Plan Implementation. You can reach your member of the Senate by calling (202) 224-3121 and asking to speak to your representative. A list of US Senators and information on emailing your Senator is available at www.senate.gov.

Suggested Talking Points

1. The Obama administration recommended and the House of Representatives approved $115 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program in the FY10 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act (HR2996). The House also decreased the nonfederal match requirement from 50% to 25% for implementation projects as a no cost way to aid states during the economic downturn.

2. The Senate approved $80 million for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants in the FY10 Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. The Senate did not change the nonfederal match requirement.

3. Please help to increase funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants program to a level that more closely matches the House amount and reduce the nonfederal match requirement to 25% for implementation of congressionally-required State Wildlife Action Plans.

4. Full implementation of State Wildlife Action Plans are our best hope to recovering listed species and preventing more than 10,000 at-risk species from being listed in the future.

Senator Tim Johnson Receives TWW Award

Senator Tim Johnson Receives the Teaming With Wildlife Award
The Teaming With Wildlife Coalition presented Senator Tim Johnson (SD) with the in August for his support of state-based wildlife funding. Senator Johnson reintroduced the Teaming With Wildlife Act (S688) in March and has secured the following six con-sponsors: Senators Stabenow (MI), Thune (SD), Tester (MT), Merkley (OR), Klobuchar (MN) and Udall (NM). The Teaming With Wildlife Act would provide state fish and wildlife agencies with $350 million annually over five years to implement State Wildlife Action Plans.

Senator Johnson Awarded for His Leadership in Helping to Prevent Wildlife from Becoming Endangered

August 4, 2009

WASHINGTON, DC — Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) today was honored by the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies for championing federal funding for state-based wildlife conservation as part of the Teaming With Wildlife Act, which he introduced in March 2009.

The award recognizes the Senator’s leadership in supporting legislation to establish a first-of-its-kind funding program to help state fish and wildlife agencies further move their State Wildlife Action Plans into on-the-ground action to prevent at risk wildlife from becoming endangered nationwide.

"I am honored to receive this award from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies,” Johnson said. “South Dakota has a deep history of appreciation for the outdoors and that’s why I introduced important legislation that will help preserve our wildlife.”

As introduced by Senator Johnson, the Teaming With Wildlife Act would provide $350 million annually over five years through a portion of the royalties collected from Outer Continental Shelf drilling and mineral development on federal land to help state agencies carry out their State Wildlife Action Plans, the primary, comprehensive conservation tool adopted in every state and territory to keep fish and wildlife healthy and off the list of threatened and endangered species.

“We are grateful to Senator Johnson for recognizing that taking action to conserve wildlife before it becomes endangered is environmentally sound and fiscally responsible to taxpayers, said Matt Hogan, Executive Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. “Once a species declines to the point of potential extinction, recovery efforts become risky and expensive. The Teaming With Wildlife Act is a major milestone in the effort to secure dedicated funding essential for state agencies’ fish and wildlife conservation efforts.”

In addition to state fish and wildlife agencies, the Teaming With Wildlife Act has the active support of the 6,100-member Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, which is the largest and most diverse wildlife conservation alliance ever assembled in the U.S. representing millions of birdwatchers, hikers, anglers, hunters, outdoor enthusiasts and conservation professionals.

To lean more about Teaming With Wildlife and State Wildlife Action Plans, visit www.teaming.com and www.wildlifeactionplans.org.

Senate Appropriations Committee Approves Smaller Increase for State Wildlife Grants for FY10

The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a $5 million dollar increase for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program in FY10. The full House previously approved a $40 million dollar increase and a reduction in state match requirement from 50:50 to 75:25.

Since it’s unlikely an increase would be agreed to on the Senate floor, we will be working with members of a conference committee to secure funding in final legislation that reflects the president’s and House of Representatives request and for a reduction in state match.

Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee Mark-up Today

The Senate Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies will mark-up it's bill today. This bill will include proposed funding for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants for FY10. For those states with members of the subcommitttee (list below), please send a quick email/phone message and ask your member to support $115M for state wildlife grants (increase of $40M to help combat climate change) and to reduce the match requirement for implementation projects to 75:25 (reduction in match is needed because the economic crisis has signigicantly reduced the ability of many states to provide matching funds). Thanks.


Democratic Subcommittee Members:
Senator Dianne Feinstein (Chairman) (CA)
Senator Robert C. Byrd (WV)
Senator Patrick Leahy (VT)
Senator Byron Dorgan (ND)
Senator Barbara Mikulski (MD)
Senator Herb Kohl (WI)
Senator Tim Johnson (SD)
Senator Jack Reed (RI)
Senator Ben Nelson (NE)
Senator Jon Tester (MT)


Republican Subcommittee Members:
Senator Lamar Alexander (Ranking) (TN)
Senator Thad Cochran (MS)
Senator Robert Bennett (UT)
Senator Judd Gregg (NH)
Senator Lisa Murkowski (AK)
Senator Susan Collins (ME)
Senator George Voinovich (OH)

Supporter Spotlight!

Teaming with Wildlife would like to Shine the Supporter Spotlight on Wild Virginia a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to preserving wild forest ecosystems in Virginia's National Forests.

Wild Virginia
P.O. Box 1065
Charlottesville, VA 22902
(434) 971-1553
http://www.wildvirginia.org/

New Supporters for the Teaming with Wildlife Coalition!

The following groups joined the Teaming with Wildlife Coalition on 6/18/09.

National Parks Conservation Association-California, CA
The Nature Conservancy-California, CA
EcoLogic Landscape Design, Inc., FL
Pandion Systems, Inc., FL
SaltwaterNOW, FL
Wildwood Preservation Society, FL
Wild Virginia, VA