Save Our Wildlife Programs

Many of our State wildlife programs are affected by the federal budget.

Our urban wildlife biologist, Lois Balin, emailed the following information that informs about the current federal budget process. Along with the information, Lois, includes a note from Mark Humpert, the Director of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies with suggestions as to how we each can help:

Dear supporters of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) Urban Wildlife Program, Texas Master Naturalist Program, Wildlife Diversity Branch, and State Parks:

The federal government passed a temporary continuing resolution last week which means that there are now a couple of weeks to educate constituents should they choose to contact members of the U.S. House and Senate. The Senate Finance Committee met last week and heard testimony regarding Texas Parks and Wildlife's top priority budget requests. TPWD Executive Director Carter Smith made several requests of the committee that would provide additional flexibility to the agency in managing the proposed reductions.

The next step in the process is for the Senate Finance Committee to break into smaller work groups to discuss the requests and amend the bill. That will be taking place over the next week or so. Once the mark-up is completed, the bill will go to the full Senate for a vote. The same process is occurring on the House side as well; and, once the two bills are approved, a conference committee will be appointed to work out any differences. Only after an agreed upon budget bill is approved by both the House and Senate and signed into law will TPWD know exactly what the numbers will be for the budget that will take effect September 1^st.

Your voice is needed. Here is an excerpt that Mark Humpert of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) sent out to Teaming With Wildlife Coalition members on how you can help:

Good Morning:

You may have seen in the news that the Senate passed and the President signed a short-term continuous resolution this week. This will prevent the federal government from shutting down over the weekend but does not change much regarding defunding of the State & Tribal Wildlife Grants program for FY11. No funding for the State & Wildlife Grants Program has been or will be made available to states and their partners for this fiscal year until Congress passes a budget, and then only if funding is restored. Vice President Biden has been pulled in to help lead negotiations between Senate and House majority and minority leadership. Press accounts are saying this morning that the two parties are not very close to an agreement. One account said that the Democrats have found about $50B in cuts from the President's FY11 request but that the Republicans want a minimum of $100B in cuts. It's urgent that members of Congress hear from us while negotiations are happening .

THREE WAYS YOU CAN HELP.

1. Send letters from you agency/organization to the US Senate asking them to restore funding for the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. Use the attached template.

1. Add you organizations' name to the national sign-on letter supporting restoration of funding. So far 169 organizations have signed on. View the letter to sign on.

2. Call (and ask your friends and family members to call) your members of the US Senate and the House to register your concerns about the proposed elimination of funding.