Big Price to Pay for Ryan’s Budget

Washington, D.C. (March 12, 2013)—House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan released his 2014 budget plan today. The plan includes harmful measures that would:
• Incentivize the sale of America’s public lands
• Curb protection of additional lands at a time when we are losing open space
• Further slash already reduced natural resource management agency budgets at a time when they need to strategically respond to climate change and other large scale environmental threats; and
• Open more public lands to oil and gas drilling leading to more damage to wildlife and habitat and more climate change causing pollution

Quote from Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife:

“The ‘governing philosophy” Chairman Ryan spells out in his budget is more suited to the 19th century than today. Ryan’s budget looks for a hasty solution to our budget and energy issues by liquidating our national assets and destroying our nation’s treasured public lands and natural heritage. We can’t drill our way out of our nation’s budget problems, nor should we try, when this approach will only exacerbate the costly and dangerous impacts of climate change.”

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @DefendersNews.