Congressional Panel Renegs on Conservation Promise

Conservation Trust Fund Takes Half Billion Dollar Hit in Appropriation

(06/18/2003) - WASHINGTON – Defenders of Wildlife today condemned moves by a House Appropriations subcommittee to slash between $450 and $500 million from the FY 2004 $1.56 billion level for the historic Conservation Trust Fund (CTF).  The Trust Fund was enacted in 2000 in a bipartisan agreement to address enormous unmet needs across the country to protect wildlands, open space, and vanishing wildlife and to help states and local communities in their conservation efforts.  The dedicated fund set aside $12 billion over a six-year period for conservation, but, in only the third year of the fund, Congress is poised to abandon that commitment.

During subcommittee consideration, cuts in the fund came under sharp criticism by Representative David Obey (D-Wisc.), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee and one of the original leaders in the bipartisan agreement that established the CTF. 

"When Congress enacted the Conservation Trust Fund in 2000, it was truly the most important conservation funding initiative in our lifetimes and a concrete commitment to protect our vanishing natural heritage for our children and grandchildren before it is too late," said Rodger Schlickeisen, President of Defenders of Wildlife.  "Now Congress seems to have forgotten the promise it made – and they're hoping we will forget it as well."

Schlickeisen noted the bill also slashes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), the centerpiece of the Conservation Trust Fund. LWCF provides money to federal, state and local governments to purchase land, water and wetlands from willing sellers at market rates for the benefit of all Americans.  Federal land acquisition for national wildlife refuges, parks, forests and other national lands is cut by $213 million below FY03 even thought there are billions of dollars in outstanding acquisition needs.  Since its enactment in 1964, LWCF has helped preserve some of the best of America, from Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts to California's Redwood National Park.  Full funding of this key program was one of the few environmental campaign promises made by the Bush/Cheney campaign in 2000. 

"Everybody says nice things about the LWCF, but when the heavy lifting of funding the program comes around, the White House and Congressional leadership are simply AWOL," said Rodger Schlickeisen, president of Defenders of Wildlife.  "Whether it's the president's budget or the congressional leaders' feeble support, the high-flown rhetoric about conservation funding proves to be just so much hot air every year when it comes to funding this vital program."

Schlickeisen noted that the $197 million budget proposed today for LWCF is more than $210 million below the FY 2003 budget of $410 million, and $700 million below the authorized, "fully funded" budget of $900 million. While the president's budget included significant cuts for the program, even while attempting to hide them by juggling other budgets, today's Appropriations Committee action is a full $150 million below even the White House request.

The bill also continues the false and perpetual Endangered Species Act budget crisis engineered by the Bush Administration.  The Administration has continually failed to ask for the funds needed to protect more than 250 species awaiting protection under the Act and to address the backlog of needed critical habitat designations for imperiled species.   While the bill does provide a $3 million increase over the enacted level, the $12 million total for these activities does not come close to addressing the $153 million backlog.

Among the few bright spots Schlickeisen pointed to in the budget, State and Tribal Wildlife Grants were increased by $10 million over the FY03 enacted level, but this is still $10 million below the FY02 level of $85 million and far below the need identified by states.   This program gives states critically needed funds to protect declining species before protection under federal laws becomes necessary.

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Defenders of Wildlife is one of the nation's most progressive advocates for wildlife and habitat, and was named as one of America's Top 100 Charities by Worth magazine. With more than 430,000 members and supporters, Defenders is an effective voice for wildlife and habitat. To learn more about Defenders of Wildlife, please visit www.defenders.org.

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Contact(s):

Brad DeVries, (202) 772-0237