Connecticut River Tracts Likely to Be Protected, But National Oulook Grim
The Connecticut River, shared by four of the six New England states, is home to the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, which was established by Congress 15 years ago to protect the water and adjoining lands. “This 410-mile-long corridor sustains bald eagles, great blue herons, piping plovers, purple martins, cerulean warblers, and many other species,” says Mary Krueger, our representative in Massachusetts. “However, the threat of development along the river grows constantly.”
The Land and Water Conservation Fund, America’s premier source of conservation funding, could help protect this rich ribbon of biodiversity. LWCF was created in 1964 so that some of the proceeds from environmentally degrading activities could be invested in land protection. Each year this fund is authorized to receive $900 million in royalties from offshore oil and gas drilling, with Congress deciding how much will be appropriated and which projects will be funded.
In May 2006, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that contains $3 million for acquisition of strategically important parcels in all four states bordering the Connecticut River. The Senate is now considering the subject and is likely to vote before the August recess.
“The Conte Refuge is shaping up as one of this year’s success stories,” says Sarah Neimeyer, who heads our budget and appropriations team. She works closely with a variety of allies, such as Trout Unlimited and the Trust for Public Land. “Unfortunately, scores of other worthy projects are stalled because federal funding to acquire and protect land has been significantly cut. These are investments that would pay dividends forever, so such cuts are very shortsighted.”
In fact, the bill passed by the House provides only $26.8 million for federal land conservation, while “zeroing out” the 50-50 matching LWCF grants that states depend on for local parks and recreation projects. The remaining $864 million (or 96 percent of a potential $900 million) would be diverted to other federal programs. “This is a fraction of what the president proposed in his $83 million budget request,” added Neimeyer. “It’s now up to the Senate to do what it often has in the past and restore substantial funding for federal and state-side conservation.”
Another essential tool for land conservation, the Forest Legacy program, also fared poorly in the House, receiving only $9.3 million for four projects, which is less than a quarter of the $61.5 million that President Bush requested for 31 projects around the nation. Its funds are used mainly to help states protect private forestlands from development, primarily through purchase of conservation easements.
“Unless the Senate significantly increases funding, no money will be available in the coming year to fend off development threats at places like Big Sur, Green Mountain National Forest, E.B Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge, and the Cascade Mountains of Washington,” notes The Wilderness Society’s Tom Gilbert. “We encourage citizens to contact their senators and representatives to urge full funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund and $80 million for Forest Legacy.”
