Bill could decimate wildlife programs

No matter where one turns there seems to be no respite from public discussion about government budget shortfalls and their potential impact on programs that people depend on or causes we believe in. So I suppose it was only a matter of time before the potential impacts of proposed federal budget cuts on hunting, angling and conservation programs came to the forefront.

On March 30, representatives from several prominent sportsmen’s groups gathered in Helena, Mont., and expressed via teleconference their concerns about the impacts of proposed cuts in funding to conservation and wildlife management programs as outlined in H.R. 1, the appropriations bill under consideration on Capitol Hill. Among those groups present were the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Mule Deer Foundation, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever.

Dale Hall, president and chief executive officer of Ducks Unlimited, said: “Finding ways to reduce the massive federal deficit simply must be done. But in doing so, let’s make sure to support those federal investments that pay for themselves several times over — and be critical of those that are truly wasteful. Conservation has always, and continues to, pay for itself. Congress and the administration should approach the budget challenge with facts and analyses, not a meat cleaver.”

The list of programs slated for significant cuts or even elimination includes those that protect hunting and fishing access and those that form a portion of the foundation supporting conservation of fish and wildlife habitat. Among the programs of concern are the Land and Water Conservation Fund, State and Tribal Wildlife Grants, North American Wetlands Conservation Fund and Farm Bill conservation programs.

Congress established the Land and Water Conservation Fund in 1965. The act creating the LWCF designated that a portion of the receipts from offshore oil and gas leases be used to support state and local conservation efforts and for the creation and maintenance of parks on the local, state and federal levels and the protection of forests and wildlife areas.

“During a time when Americans are increasingly losing access to traditional places to hunt and fish, the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund plays a critical role in securing lands that allow sportsmen to continue to follow our passions,” said Bill Geer, climate change initiative manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The LWCF helps create more public lands by working with willing sellers of private lands … thereby supporting the conservation of critical fish and wildlife habitat and increasing public access for hunting and fishing.”

It is estimated that cuts mandated through H.R. 1 would eliminate as much as 90 percent of the funds available to the LWCF alone, virtually dismantling the program.

■ CLARK COUNTY WILDLIFE ADVISORY BOARD — The Clark County Advisory Board to Manage Wildlife will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Henderson Multigenerational Center, 250 S. Green Valley Parkway. The meeting will end no later than 8:45.

The agenda is not available as of this writing, but it generally mirrors many of the items listed on the agenda for the next scheduled meeting of the Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners. The board’s next meeting is slated for April 15 and 16 in Reno, and the agenda is available online at ndow.org.

Freelance writer Doug Nielsen is a conservation educator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. His “In the Outdoors” column, published Thursday in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is not affiliated with or endorsed by the NDOW. Any opinions he states in his column are his own. He can be reached at intheoutdoorslv@gmail.com.