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Tracking Congress: The Impact of 2024 Budget Allocations on Hunters and Anglers
Appropriators in Congress recently began passing fiscal year 2024 funding bills that contain both highlights and disappointments for conservation.
After arduous negotiations, Congress has finally started to pass funding bills for fiscal year 2024. These bills bring about significant changes to the funding levels of programs that hold a special place in the hearts of hunters and anglers. Listed below are some highlights and disappointments from the recently enacted federal spending bills.
Highlights
Robust Funding for Everglades Restoration
Everglades restoration has come a long way since the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan was authorized by Congress in 2000. Harmful discharges from estuaries have been reduced, wetlands have been restored, and greater amounts of water are flowing from north to south. However, there is still work to be done, including the continued construction of the Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir. When completed, the reservoir will hold overflows from Lake Okeechobee and filter the water before sending it south. This $425 million investment will boost Everglades restoration efforts and improve hunting and fishing opportunities.
Increased Funding for WaterSMART
WaterSMART grants provide financial assistance to water managers for initiatives aimed at conserving and optimizing water usage, implementing renewable energy, exploring water marketing tactics, mitigating conflict risks in high-risk water areas, and achieving other sustainability objectives in the western United States. The increased funding for WaterSMART grants will help safeguard habitats that sustain fish and wildlife and are important to hunters and anglers.
Increased Funding for Atlantic and Pacific Salmon for National Marine Fisheries Services
The populations of Atlantic and Pacific Salmon both feature endangered subpopulations. In the Pacific, this funding has led to stabilization and recovery of several subpopulations, such as the chum, Snake River Chinook, Lower Columbia Steelhead, and Lower Columbia River Coho salmon. These increased funds will continue to bolster habitat restoration, improvements to upstream and downstream fish passage, and other conservation efforts aimed at contributing to higher functioning watersheds and better-quality fishing opportunities for future generations.
Good Neighbor Authority Extended to National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Good Neighbor Authority allows federal agencies to authorize states, counties, and tribes to conduct land management and restoration projects on federal lands. GNA is a win-win-win as it enables federal agencies with limited capacity to partner with states, counties, and tribes to achieve large-scale forest, watershed, and rangeland health outcomes. By extending the GNA to the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, hunters and anglers will continue benefiting from the collaboration it fosters to conduct land management and restoration projects on new swaths of federal land.
Disappointments
Funding Cuts at The Bureau of Land Management
Among the Bureau of Land Management programs receiving funding cuts are the Recreation Management program, Resource Management Planning program, Rangeland Management program, Wildlife Habitat Management program, and the Aquatic Habitat Management program. The funding cuts will impact the BLM’s ability to help manage and improve vast amounts of public land for hunting and fishing.
Funding Cuts to the National Wildlife Refuge System
For the past fifteen years, the National Wildlife Refuge System has functioned with a Fiscal Year 2010 budget. Not once in a decade and a half have their funds been adjusted for inflation, and this lack of investment is reflected in the number of full-time staff diminishing even as the system expands. Low staffing levels directly affect the system’s ability to conduct habitat restoration and management, provide visitor services, and support law enforcement. The National Wildlife Refuge System budget saw a 3% budget cut from 2023, which means more staff dedicated to managing these public lands, and the hunting and fishing opportunities they provide, will be lost.
Funding Cuts at The U.S. Geological Service
The U.S. Geological Service saw cuts of up to 5% for its scientific research programs focused on Chronic Wasting Disease, controlling invasive species, and adapting to climate change. Investment in CWD research is essential as the always-fatal disease has now been detected in 32 states. The cost to control and eradicate aquatic invasive species in the U.S. amounts to more than $100 billion each year.
Funding Cuts at The U.S. Forest Service
The Wildlife and Fisheries Habitat Management, and Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness initiatives of the USFS received cuts of up to 20%. These cuts will hamper the ability of USFS to manage habitat on their lands, and research best practices to manage forests and reduce wildfire risk. The Wildlife and Fisheries Habitat Management funding goes towards restoring fish and wildlife habitat, conserving threatened species, and maintaining wildlife habitat connectivity on USFS land. The Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness initiative provides funds for improving access to and recreation on USFS land, including planning resources, trail management, and the off-highway vehicle program.
Hunters and anglers have always been the unsung heroes of conservation in America, quietly paying it forward every time we buy a license, a box of ammo, or a tank of boat fuel. We know you’re not satisfied with simply going hunting or fishing and then going home—so go the extra distance. You can take action on the conservation issues that matter right now. Click here to get started.
How Congress Can Help Hunting and Fishing Adapt to The Impacts of Climate Change
Four bills exemplify how Congress can safeguard natural resources and protect the future of hunting and fishing in 2024.
The impacts of climate change on our hunting and fishing opportunities are undeniable. Across the United States and around the world, altered weather patterns, increased air and water temperatures, intensified natural disasters, and other climate effects are influencing wildlife habitats, migrations, and populations – with long-term consequences for hunters and anglers. Now, more than ever, it’s crucial for the hunting and fishing community to recognize these impacts and to stand up for solutions that help secure the long-term resilience of our lands and waters.
At the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, we’ve assembled a coalition of organizations to amplify the voices of hunters and anglers on climate change. In 2021, TRCP and its partners created the Climate Resilience Working Group to advocate for nature-based solutions that allow ecosystems, communities, and economies to adapt to a changing future. Together, the members of the working group develop and establish a unified policy platform, highlighting federal legislation that can make a meaningful difference for the continued legacy of hunting and fishing in America.
In 2023, the Climate Resilience Working Group updated its policy platform for the 118th Congress, outlining how policymakers could expand and mature the role of nature-based solutions in climate mitigation and adaptation. With just over nine months left before the end of the second session, the working group is making it clear to Senators and Representatives that there is still time to act on this platform and to pass effective resilience legislation. Below are four bills from the platform that exemplify how Congress can safeguard our natural resources and protect the future of hunting and fishing in 2024.
Agriculture Innovation Act
Across the country, agriculture is not only a vital component of American economies and livelihoods, it’s also a major influence on America’s natural environment. For hunters and anglers, working lands can provide beneficial habitats and ecosystem services for wildlife. However, with inadequate management, agriculture can be harmful to these species, contributing to habitat destruction, climate-harming emissions, and air and water pollution.
To ensure the best possible management of our working lands, Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) have introduced S. 98, the Agriculture Innovation Act. This bill helps farmers nationwide to make better on-farm decisions that support wildlife while protecting productivity. If enacted, the Agriculture Innovation Act would require the USDA to collect and analyze data on conservation practices, establish a conservation and farm productivity data center, enable collaboration among USDA agencies, make data secure and available to researchers, and provide technical assistance to producers.
Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act
America’s coastal areas are at risk. Over the next 30 years, sea levels are expected to rise by 10 to 12 inches, and coastal flooding is expected to occur more than 10 times as often as it does today. As these impacts worsen, they threaten roughly 40 percent of the population, as well as some of our nation’s most treasured hunting and fishing spots.
To protect America’s nearly 100,000 miles of shoreline, Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La), and Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas-7), have introduced H.R.913 and S.373, the Reinvesting in Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems (RISEE) Act. The RISEE Act offers ongoing funding for damage mitigation, natural infrastructure, and ecosystem restoration along our coasts and Great Lakes. If enacted, the bill would create a new revenue sharing model for offshore wind development, investing proceeds in state-led adaptation and resilience projects. The bill would also remove state funding caps for both the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act and the Land and Water Conservation Fund, allowing higher proceeds for state-led restoration programs. Both of these reforms give federal and state governments resources to conserve coastal habitats, bolstering fish and wildlife populations and the outdoor recreation economies that rely on them.
Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act
Increased awareness of climate change has helped the public recognize some of its most noticeable effects, including temperature increases, sea level rise, drought, flooding, and extreme weather. But there’s another, lesser-known climate effect that is threatening America’s coastal communities. Earth’s oceans now absorb roughly thirty percent of carbon dioxide from the air, causing seawater to be more acidic. This phenomenon, known as ocean acidification, wreaks havoc on marine ecosystems, threatening shellfish and coral-based fish habitats that provide a foundation for the seafood industry and for recreational anglers alike. As greenhouse gas emissions rise, acidity and the connected habitat destruction will increase.
To help coastal habitats and communities, Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Representatives Chellie Pingree (D-Maine-1) and Michael Waltz (R-Fla.), introduced H.R. 676 and S. 1808, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act. The bill spurs planning and action to combat acidification, bringing new resources, stakeholders, and ideas to the table. If enacted, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act would require the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Ocean Acidification Advisory Board to collaborate with state, local and tribal entities to conduct and improve community, research, and climate action plans, related to acidification. The bill would also encourage information sharing between communities to expand the use of best practices and would increase cooperation with affected Tribal communities. As a result, the legislation would foster innovative and widespread strategies for protecting wildlife and their habitats from harmful climate impacts.
National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security Act
When you hear the term “national security” people rarely think of conserving habitat, but they should. Across the federal government, several agencies are pursuing efforts to bolster adaptation and resilience in response to increased disasters and climate change hazards. In order to meet the scale of this challenge, federal agencies will have to work together, as well as with states, local governments, private businesses, and nonprofit partners. We know well that conserving habitats is supporting the adaptation and resilience of the communities and wildlife that depend on them. But it is going to require increased collaboration and proactive planning and coordination.
To bring America’s adaptation and resilience efforts together, Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), and Representatives Scott Peters (D-Calif.) and Maria Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.), introduced H.R. 6311 and S. 3261, the National Coordination on Adaptation and Resilience for Security Act (NCARS). If enacted, the bill would create a “National Adaptation and Resilience Strategy” and implementation plan with federal, state, local, private sector, and nonprofit partners; install a Chief Resilience Officer in the White House to lead the implementation of resilience planning; establish interagency working groups to align joint efforts; and form an information hub to improve access to vital resilience resources. NCARS would both streamline and expand America’s adaptation and resilience efforts, utilizing the power of numbers and eliminating duplication and under-communication. Doing so would ensure a whole-of-government approach toward activities like habitat conservation, expanding innovation and implementation across agency boundaries, and improving the viability of hunting and fishing across the United States.
Click here to learn more about TRCP’s climate work.
Change is possible—we see it every day. Hunters and anglers have pushed for and secured meaningful solutions to habitat challenges of every size and scope, from the days of the Lacey Act to the widely celebrated legislative victories and conservation investments of recent years. You can make a difference for habitat and our climate by standing with us when it comes to nature-based solutions. Take action here to make lawmakers aware of the climate benefits of restoring fish and wildlife habitat.
The Rise of Women Hunting in Colorado
A demographic breakdown
TRCP’s mission is to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish, and when I notice more people who look like me in the woods in camo in the fall or in waders throughout the year, it makes me really happy. Hunting is one of the most unique and grounding experiences I’ve ever had, and the people I’ve learned and hunted with similarly find it to be fun, rewarding, and empowering—all things I hope all Americans get the chance to experience if they so choose.
In 2023, a record-breaking 84,384 women and girls applied for Colorado big game hunting tags, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the 2024 data shows. Compare that to the 2016 primary draw, when 48,541 women and girls applied for Colorado deer, elk, pronghorn, moose, bighorn sheep, desert bighorn sheep, mountain goat, and bear tags. So since 2016, 35,843 more women from Colorado and out-of-state put their application strategies and luck to the test. Colorado’s big game license application numbers overall continue to break records, and women are keeping pace. The percentage of Colorado big game license applicants who self-reported as female has risen from 10.7% in 2016 to 11.2% in 2023.
While women still only make up about 11% of all Colorado big game license applicants, 84,000 women trying to harvest wild game in Colorado represents an enormous amount of preparation, skill development, curiosity, personal growth, and hopefully when it’s all said and done, good food in the freezer. We’re all out here to pursue fish and wildlife, learn, avoid emails, and enjoy quality time with people we like (or by ourselves!), and I’m here to celebrate it.
According to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s most recent National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, 14.4 million people 16 years or older in the U.S. hunted in 2022, and 22 percent (3.1 million) were female, 1 percent (0.2 million) were another gender, and 77 percent (11 million) were male. Those numbers represent those who hunted (vs. simply applied to hunt) big game, small game, migratory birds, and other animals.
We are very fortunate to live in a state that’s over 40% public land where there’s a lot of theoretical access, but as you know it takes more than just public access to produce hunting success. We depend on access to quality habitat and healthy wildlife populations, and we rely on wildlife and land managers of many jurisdictions having the staff, funding, and ability to conserve, restore, and responsibly manage important wildlife habitat.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife and other partners have been working hard to research the seasonal and local migrations of Colorado’s big game animals, through studies that track collared animals, use photos from game cameras, and incorporate animal location survey data. We’ve learned how critical it is to conserve and connect key habitats such as migration corridors to ensure long-term viability of the populations we all care so much about. This is not possible without smart, high-level planning and policy decisions; habitat restoration work; wildlife crossing infrastructure that prevents wildlife-vehicle collisions; and key land acquisitions and easements—all of which requires financial resources.
When you purchase your hunting and fishing licenses, habitat stamp, duck stamps, and pay excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear, you’re helping ensure that Colorado Parks and Wildlife can continue to employ qualified and dedicated staff; complete habitat restoration and conservation projects; uphold wildlife laws; educate and empower people through programs supporting responsible hunting, fishing, shooting, and recreating; and collect data that informs critical research for responsibly managing wildlife populations. All of this is happening year-round, right here in-state.
Furthermore, the purchase of licenses, passes, fees, and permits comprise 66% of Colorado’s wildlife revenue, which makes the important work listed above possible and provides us with access to places like State Wildlife Areas and to State Trust Land Hunting and Fishing Access Program areas specifically for hunting and fishing. Additionally, the Habitat Stamps that hunters and anglers purchase each year have collectively generated $189 MILLION dollars to pay for public access easements, riverbank access, strategic land acquisitions, and conservation easements between 2006 and 2022, and additional Wildlife Habitat Program investments are made every year. These investments are made to simultaneously meet the needs of fish and wildlife populations, and the people who love to pursue and learn about them.
We’re lucky in Colorado that so many of us are willing to contribute every year to supporting science-based wildlife management that enhances our lives and our opportunities to hunt, fish, and enjoy the wild places we have left with the people we love.
A version of this blog was published as an op-ed in the Grand Junction Sentinel.
BLM Announces Greater Sage Grouse Draft Plan Amendments to Guide Management of 67 million Acres in the West
TRCP encourages the agency to plan for durable conservation strategies
Today, the Bureau of Land Management announced the release of its draft Greater Sage Grouse Environmental Impact Statement and associated Resource Management Plan Amendments that—when completed—will guide management decisions across approximately 67 million acres of sage grouse habitat on public lands overseen by the BLM.
Driven by legal challenges, these draft amendments are intended to update plans previously finalized by the BLM in 2015 and 2020, and they will direct management across 10 Western states that cover the current range of the greater sage grouse.
“The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, along with hunters and anglers across the West, understand the importance of well-managed BLM lands for the longevity of greater sage grouse and other sagebrush obligate species,” said Madeleine West, TRCP’s director of the center for public lands. “And while there’s a clear need to complete these latest plan amendments, the focus of federal and state agencies, along with external partners, must quickly shift to implementing conservation strategies on the ground.”
These plan amendments offer the opportunity for the BLM to incorporate new science to inform land management decisions. A 2022 U.S. Geological Survey report revealed that half of the original sagebrush ecosystem has been lost at a rate of approximately 1.3 million acres each year over the last two decades.
The sagebrush ecosystem is the largest terrestrial biome in the Lower 48 at over 165 million acres spanning 13 Western states. It is home to the iconic greater sage grouse as well as numerous other fish and game species. Greater sage grouse conservation efforts have driven unprecedented collaboration between state and federal managers, private landowners, and NGOs for multiple decades. This continued collaboration is critical to reverse the trend of significant habitat loss, which impacts individual species like the greater sage grouse, as well as communities across the West.
Today’s announcement kicks off a 90-day formal comment period where the public can submit scoping comments that will be used to inform revision of the draft plan amendments, which are expected to be finalized by the end of 2024.
“TRCP will be digging into the details of the draft plan amendments to provide constructive comments that ensure successful and durable conservation measures can be implemented on BLM-managed lands that support the greater sage grouse, the myriad other species that benefit from healthy sagebrush habitat, as well as the diverse communities that rely on these public lands,” added West.
Read more about TRCP’s work on greater sage grouse conservation HERE.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
CHEERS TO CONSERVATION
Theodore Roosevelt’s experiences hunting and fishing certainly fueled his passion for conservation, but it seems that a passion for coffee may have powered his mornings. In fact, Roosevelt’s son once said that his father’s coffee cup was “more in the nature of a bathtub.” TRCP has partnered with Afuera Coffee Co. to bring together his two loves: a strong morning brew and a dedication to conservation. With your purchase, you’ll not only enjoy waking up to the rich aroma of this bolder roast—you’ll be supporting the important work of preserving hunting and fishing opportunities for all.
$4 from each bag is donated to the TRCP, to help continue their efforts of safeguarding critical habitats, productive hunting grounds, and favorite fishing holes for future generations.
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