Reports

Following the economic downturn of the past year, hunters and anglers are urging Congress to make bold investments to create jobs, rebuild our economy, and improve the health of our communities. There are several ways we believe our land and water can also power our economy: Strengthen America’s coastlines and restore iconic ecosystems. Congress should fund publicly vetted coastal or watershed restoration plans and create a new program to fund coastal restoration and fisheries management initiatives, like those that were supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Prioritize wetlands restoration. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act has proven to be our nation’s most effective program for protecting, restoring, and enhancing wetlands and waterfowl habitat. We strongly encourage Congress to fully fund this program. Invest in our nation’s private lands. Incentives offered through the Conservation Reserve Program, Regional Conservation Partnership Program, Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program optimize farm and forestry operations, improve fish and wildlife habitat, and add value at a time when the agricultural economy needs it most. We urge Congress to double its investment and significantly grow enrollment in Farm Bill conservation programs. Use habitat to improve the resilience of transportation infrastructure. We encourage Congress to pass a highway bill that creates a new competitive grant program aimed at enhancing the resilience of critical transportation systems. This kind of dedicated funding is necessary to prioritize the use and restoration of natural infrastructure—natural systems, like wetlands and dunes, that can mitigate threats to our roadways, like flooding from powerful storm surge. Invest in pre-disaster mitigation. Administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Building Resilient Infrastructure in Communities Program provides communities with matching funds to identify existing infrastructure vulnerabilities and develop innovative, nature-based solutions that lessen the impacts of future disasters to life and property. We encourage Congress to set aside 15 percent of funds for nature-based approaches to reducing disaster risk. Invest in sustainable water systems. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund is a proven tool to help communities overcome challenges to water quality and infrastructure. Since its inception, the Fund has provided communities, many of them disadvantaged, with over $110 billion in financing for estuary protection, wastewater control, and water treatment. Western water delivery systems are aging and struggling to adequately keep pace with the needs of growing communities and economies. The WaterSMART Drought Response and Cooperative Watershed Management programs help develop local watershed management programs to address this challenge. We are asking Congress to fund these critical initiatives. Together this suite of investments can create jobs and preserve our natural resources.