The bill wages a full-frontal assault on basic natural resources management measures that will cost us money and jobs Photo by Dusan Smetana.
The TRCP and other sportsman-conservationists strongly criticized a U.S. House of Representatives bill that would dramatically reduce critical natural resource programs and sharply curtail federal agencies’ abilities to responsibly manage public resources and outdoor opportunities.
“This misguided action by the House not only would roll back investments in conservation spending,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh, “it also undermines the foundation of our nation’s conservation policy. The bill wages a full-frontal assault on basic natural resources management measures that will cost us money and jobs, both in the near and long term.”
Funding levels and policy riders proposed by the House in its fiscal year 2013 appropriations bill for Interior, Environment and Related Agencies would severely reduce operating budgets for agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Environmental Protection Agency. Numerous programs critically important to the sportsmen’s community face deep cuts and would be affected by several damaging policy riders in the bill.
“Lowlights” from the House bill include the following cuts (from fiscal year 2012 budget):
The bill also includes several damaging policy riders, including a prohibition against using funds to provide guidance clarifying Clean Water Act jurisdiction over isolated wetlands and small streams.
The committee’s action comes a week after the Outdoor Industry Association released a major economic report documenting the economic contribution of hunting., fishing and other forms of outdoor recreation that depend upon a clean environmental and healthy public lands.
The House Appropriations Committee voted to advance the $28 billion spending bill, which now will be considered by the full House.
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