WASHINGTON (December 19, 2007) - The Wilderness Society today called the compromise spending package a reason for both disappointment and optimism. The 2008 omnibus appropriations bill includes ill-considered and inappropriate funding for polluting energy sources, yet contains increased funding for national parks, wildlife refuges, land acquisition, and several other public land conservation programs.
Specifically, the bill added $122 million for national parks and boosted funding for national wildlife refuges by $39 million, and land acquisition by $13 million over last year's funding levels. It also stopped a premature commercial oil shale leasing program from moving forward and established a new program to benefit national forests that would help improve water quality and stem erosion caused by deteriorating roads.
The following is a look at how the omnibus bill affects a number of critical public lands programs:
The National Wildlife Refuge System receives funds to improve wildlife habitat and visitor services
The appropriations bill gives refuges $38.8 million over last year's funding level, for a total funding level of $434.1 million in Fiscal Year 2008. Of those funds, over $296 million is directed to refuge operation activities and about $137 million is to address maintenance-related projects. Due to sustained under-funding, the refuge system prepared to reduce its workforce by 20 percent nationwide. Nearly 300 jobs have already been eliminated, and another 300 positions would be lost if no additional funds were provided. This substantial increase in the omnibus package will be directed to stem the proposed staff reductions and will help to improve visitor services.
"A nearly $40 million increase for our nation's wildlife refuges demonstrates this Congress's strong commitment to restoring America's wildlife legacy and our nation's Wildlife Refuge System," said Maribeth Oakes, director of The Wilderness Society's National Wildlife Refuge Program.
Contact: Maribeth Oakes, National Wildlife Refuge Program Director, 202-429-2674
Conservation Funding
The omnibus spending bill includes $154,339,000 for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), $129,729,000 for federal side of the program and $24,610,000 for the state grants program, a $13 million increase over FY07 enacted. The bill also includes $52,200,000 for the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program which is a slight decrease over the FY07 enacted level of $57 million. LWCF has protected land in over 98% of counties in the U.S. The Forest Legacy Program provides matching grants to states to conserve forests and traditional forest uses through purchase of development rights or public acquisition. Together, these programs comprise two of our nation's best tools for land conservation.
"There is clearly enormous need for these programs," said Tom Gilbert, director of The Wilderness Society's Eastern Forest Conservation program. "It is good to see that Congress remains committed to conservation funding, but a much greater investment will be needed to prevent the development of over 40 million acres of private forests by 2030 as projected by the Forest Service."
Contact: Rebecca Knuffke, Budget and Appropriations Associate, 202-429-2643, mobile 202-285-1734
Bureau of Land Management Oil and Gas Program
The bill cuts the Bush Administration's request for over $121 million for the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) oil and gas program to $115 million, with $25 million of it coming from a new $4,000 per application fee on new drilling permit requests. The $4,000 fee proposal revives a provision dropped earlier this year during House and Senate negotiations over the energy bill. Since 2001, the BLM's oil and gas program has inappropriately become the bureau's highest priority program, with the administration's $121 million request more than double that of the FY 2000 oil and gas budget. The BLM expects to process between 8,000 and 12,000 new drilling permits next year, many of then on environmentally sensitive lands in the Rocky Mountain states. This bill begins to restore some balance in BLM spending priorities.
In addition, language in the bill prohibits the BLM from finalizing regulations to start a new commercial oil shale leasing program, or to issue commercial oil shale leases during FY 2008. This program is not ready for responsible implementation and this provision will prevent harmful and inappropriate development. Also, the bill continues the important prohibition on the BLM issuing oil and gas leases in National Monuments.
Contact: Dave Alberswerth, Senior Policy Advisor, 202-429-2695, mobile 202-285-2432
National Landscape Conservation System
The bill includes a $5 million increase for the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), plus a requirement that the BLM provided better information in the future to Congress about how NLCS funds will be spent. In addition, funds were appropriated for acquisition of lands for the following NLCS units: California Desert Wilderness, Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument, El Malpais NCA, Gunnison Gorge NCA, Rogue Wild and Scenic River, Upper Snake River, Santa Rosa San Jacinto National Monument.
"The lands in the BLM's National Landscape Conservation System are under tremendous pressure from vandalism and reckless off-road vehicle use, so the restoration of funding is a crucially important step toward the appropriate protection of these American treasures," said John Garder, a TWS public lands associate. "These urgently needed funds will help BLM provide more adequate visitor education, law enforcement, and other resources to protect and restore our magnificent Western lands."
Contact: John Garder, Public Lands Associate, 202-429-2641, mobile 202-329-7028
Climate change research given a boost in appropriations bill
The FY 2008 appropriation bill directs $7.5 million to U.S. Geological Survey for climate change research including up to $2.5 million to establish a National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center. The center will support improved science capacity for federal agencies to respond to global warming.
"Climate change poses an unprecedented threat to the ecological integrity of our nation's wildlife and wildlands," said Leslie Jones, General Counsel at The Wilderness Society. "Providing funds to help our land managers respond to global warming recognizes the critical importance of protecting America's wildlife and the wildlands on which they depend."
Contact: Leslie Jones, General Counsel, 202-429-2628
Forest Service
New direction for roads. The Forest Service's roads program is receiving an overall increase, but the focus has changed in favor of maintenance and urgent decommissioning of National Forest System roads. A new program, the Legacy Road and Trail Remediation program, funded at $39.4 million, addresses national forest roads that are causing water quality problems. The Forest Service is also directed to plan timber sales in areas where roads exist, instead of constructing new roads.
Forests adapting to climate change. Congress has allocated $2.5 million to Forest Inventory and Analysis for the USFS to expand its climate science research to adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change. The bill reinstates the Resource Planning Act program, which will provide the USFS the opportunity to give Congress and the public a better appreciation of the budgetary needs and improve our understanding of the effects of climate change.
Bringing Americans back into the woods. The omnibus directs the Forest Service 1) to ensure vigorous public participation in decision-making processes before proposing recreation site closures, 2) allocate funds to areas most visited and that would most aide local economies, and 3) implement projects that help connect children and their families with nature.
"With a White House that is focused on resource extraction, it's hopeful to have a House and Senate bill that begins to understand the need to support the Forest Service's efforts to properly manage our National Forests," said National Forest Program Associate Cecilia Clavet.
Contact: Cecilia Clavet, National Forest Program Associate, 202-429-2663, mobile 202-429-2663
Fire management moving in the right direction, but more progress needed
The omnibus appropriations bill increases the Forest Service's fire funding by $120 million over last year. The bill also contains $300 million in emergency fire funding. The omnibus appropriations bill is an important step in the right direction for federal fire management because, for the first time, Congress recognized the importance of natural fire in our forest ecosystems by supporting a critical restoration tool -- wildland fire use (managing naturally-ignited fires for ecological benefits). In addition, Forest Service community fire assistance programs were increased slightly in this bill. State Fire Assistance and Volunteer Fire Assistance were increased $1.6 million over last year. The bill also retained two important community assistance programs targeted for elimination - BLM's Rural Fire Assistance program and the Forest Service's Economic Action Program. While these steps forward are important, community fire assistance remains severely underfunded. A renewed investment in these programs is needed if we are to reduce skyrocketing suppression costs and help communities prepare for the inevitable wildland fire.
"Congressional support of wildland fire use is key to better fire management on the ground," said Jaelith Hall-Rivera, The Wilderness Society's Wildfire Policy Analyst. "Particularly critical is recognition from Congress that the Forest Service needs additional staff to expand its wildland fire management program -- and that barriers to its use need to be reduced."
Contact: Jaelith Hall-Rivera, Wildfire Policy Analyst, 202-429-2676, mobile 202-295-7027
National Park Service
The Park Service got a major boost in funding including an increase of $122 million above FY 07, which will help the Service increase the numbers of park rangers who protect natural resources and conduct law enforcement. Repeated scientific studies have demonstrated that snowcoaches are dramatically better than snowmobiles for Yellowstone's air quality, tranquility and winter-stressed wildlife. The bill takes a step in the right direction by removing outdated language left over from the previous Congress that allowed 720 snowmobiles per day in Yellowstone.
"Congress has taken a great step forward on protecting National Parks," said Kristen Brengel, Campaign Director. "From the additional funding for park rangers to supporting the protection of Yellowstone, we are pleased and hopeful that America's National Park System is on a better track."
Protecting western public lands from damaging highway claims
In the last four years, the Bush Administration has developed two policies to give away roads and trails across public lands to states, counties, and special interests. In 2003 and 2006, the administration decided to put forward policies to administratively validate claims under R.S. 2477- the loophole in a repealed 1866 mining law that allowed for highway construction over public lands. By allowing states and counties to assert these claims, the Administration could disqualify areas for Wilderness designation. First and foremost, the report accompanying the bill raises concerns with both policies. Furthermore, it contains steps in order to conduct oversight for both policies.
Contact: Kristen Brengel, Campaign Director, 202-429-2694
