Congressional
Budget Cuts Put Recreational Fishing Programs at
Risk
Members
of Congress are determined to reduce the federal debt with
some of our nation’s most essential and effective fisheries
management and conservation programs bearing the brunt of
their budget-cutting efforts.
Our
Members of Congress need to hear from our nation’s 60 million
anglers that fishery conservation and management should not
disproportionately bear the burden of trying to reduce the
federal deficit. KeepAmericaFishing™ is your conduit to
Congress. Let your voice be heard!
The
Situation The U.S. House of Representatives
recently passed the FY 2011 Continuing Resolution
Appropriations Bill, H.R. 1, to address the federal
budget for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year. The bill,
which is currently being considered in the Senate, contains
significant funding cuts for fisheries management and
conservation projects that will impact your ability to go
fishing with your family and friends.
Although
we must address the federal deficit, KeepAmericaFishing
believes the programs that support recreational fishing will
bear an unfair and disproportionate burden of the budget
reductions.
What
makes these budget cuts so unfair is that many of the fishery
and water conservation programs slated for cuts or elimination
in H.R.1 are matched with state and local funding providing a
significant return on federal dollar investment. In addition,
many of these programs are supported by volunteers in
communities across our nation who give their time and
expertise to ensure that our fisheries remain healthy and
abundant. You just may be one of those volunteers!
Below
are just a few of the successful programs slated for budget
cuts under H.R. 1:
- National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Community
Restoration Program – Under H.R.1 this successful
grant program for marine and estuarine habitat restoration
would be eliminated. The funds are matched fivefold by state
and local funds and generate hundreds of volunteer hours to
restore critical fish and other aquatic habitat.
- National
Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP) – Significant
reductions in the funding of NFHAP will undermine habitat
and water conservation through state and local partnerships
as well as the long term investment that the recreational
fishing community has made in the future of
fisheries.
- NOAA’s
National Marine Fisheries Service Data Collection Efforts –
Saltwater anglers have already seen several healthy
fisheries closed as a result of the agency’s inability to
collect timely data; excessive cuts in funding for fisheries
science and data collection will only amplify these
problems.
- North
American Wetlands Conservation Fund – Considered
the gold standard for conservation programs, all funding for
this long-standing wetland conservation program will be cut
by H.R.1, undermining important wetland conservation
projects that protect essential habitat for waterfowl and
sportfish.
Act
Now! Follow this link to send a
message to your Senate and House of Representatives
members to state your opposition to these budget
cuts and ensure that fisheries management and conservation
continues its success in the future. Send your message
today!
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