NEWS
Anti-public lands efforts rise again in Congress
The U.S. House approved a budget bill in February that takes aim at conservation programs long supported by hunters and anglers. The measure, House Resolution 1, trims the $3.7 trillion nation budget by a mere $60 billion. But anti-public lands forces saddled sportsmen with a disproportionate share of the sacrifice - nearly $2 billion in cuts to programs that have helped create and preserve healthy public lands and waters where everyday sportsmen can hunt, fish and pass on their family traditions to the next generation.
HR1 would:
* Zero out funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, which has protected 25 million acres of waterfowl habitat and hunting opportunity nationwide including 7,300 acres in the Rio Grande valley alone.
* Cut $348 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which has helped protect some of New Mexico’s public lands treasures including the Valles Caldera.
* Eliminate State Wildlife Grants that enable agencies like the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish to effectively manage wildlife and save
taxpayer dollars by protecting fish and wildlife before they become endangered species.
* Prohibit federal agencies from considering changes to the Clean Water Act that would protect 20 million acres of waterfowl breeding habitat including New Mexico’s playa lakes.
* Cut Farm Bill conservation programs that help landowners protect the wildlife values on their private land.
More than 30 national hunting and fishing organizations that opposed HR 1 have voiced support for reasonable actions to reduce the federal budget deficit. Sportsmen pump nearly $80 billion into the U.S. economy each year, creating thousands of jobs that generate substantial tax revenue for the federal treasury. Reducing or eliminating valuable conservation programs will undermine the economy yet have virtually no effect on the budget deficit.
So far, the Senate has rejected HR1, but sportsmen are urged to write to the New Mexico delegation in Congress about the bill. Thank them for standing up for the rights of sportsmen and opposing HR1. Tell them that hunters and anglers depend on healthy wildlife habitat and public lands and to please fight efforts in Congress that degrade wildlife habitat and the public lands that sportsmen rely on. Click here for the delegation’s contact information.