Download Editorial Board Memo - National Wildlife Federation

Dear Editor,
Recently, the House Appropriations Committee passed the fiscal year 2012 Interior and Environment
Appropriations bill, bleeding funding from vital public lands, wildlife conservation and public health
programs to subsidize Big Oil. The policy riders and extreme cuts in the budget bill are a radical departure
from America’s national commitment to protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink. There is a
threshold in which some debts can never be repaid, and this appalling piece of legislation charges Americans
an outrageous price in exchange for our future. Our families will bear the costs physically and financially,
while polluters suck up the profits at the expense of our children and grandchildren.
The Interior and Environment budget bill slashes protections and investments in clean water, public health
and wildlife. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) faces 18% in cuts, Department of Interior (DOI)
has a 7% reduction and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s budget is sliced by 21%. These agencies safeguard
our natural resources from pollution and destruction. Now, they could have fewer resources to fulfill that
mission.
Tragically, this misguided bill is full of bad riders and outrageous loopholes that yank protections from
endangered species, undermine the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act and open up our public lands for
destruction. These legislative missteps are based on pandering to polluter interests, not on sound science or
the best needs of communities. By passing the Interior and Environment Appropriations budget bill, Congress
is also undermining its own bi-partisan legacy of protecting Americans and our national treasures.
We urge you to write a column or editorial asking Congress to stop destroying our bedrock
environmental safeguards.
Radical Attacks in the 2012 Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill
Gutting the Clean Water Act
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Undermine EPA’s ability to restore Clean Water Act protections for millions of wetland acres
and stream miles by undercutting a new rulemaking that clarifies which waters are “Waters of the
U.S.” protected by the Clean Water Act.
Weaken Clean Water Act protections against pesticides by removing Clean Water Act tools that
protect rivers and streams from these toxic pollutants. This new loophole will endanger countless
rivers and streams and take away the tools that are currently used to clean up impaired streams.
Allow toxic slime in our waters from manure, fertilizer and sewage through the failure to
establish Florida Numeric Nutrient Criteria
Block restoration funding for Great Lakes states by prohibiting states from receiving EPA Great
Lakes funding if they have adopted ballast water requirements that are more stringent than federal
requirements.
Choking the Clean Air Act
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Stop the federal government’s court-ordered responsibility to control the carbon pollution
from coal-fired power plants and oil refineries that harm the health of people and wildlife.
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Restrict EPA’s authority to implement strong, national safeguards on coal ash disposal. Coal
ash is a dangerous waste generated by burning coal for energy, and it contains many toxic metals and
chemicals like arsenic, lead, hexavalent chromium and selenium.
Block the EPA from finalizing the next round of fuel efficiency standards for light-duty
automobiles (after model year 2017).
Cut off funding for EPA to develop and implement long-overdue limits on mercury and other
air toxics from power plants.
Putting Endangered Species at Great Risk
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Endangered Species Act: The bill would instate a complete moratorium on funding for the Fish and
Wildlife Service to list species under the Endangered Species Act. This legislative measure increases
the risk of extinction for hundreds of imperiled plants and animals.
State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program: This program was funded at $22 million, a 65%
decrease from last year. It is the nation’s core program to prevent wildlife from becoming
endangered in every state.
Climate Change Funding: Funding for climate change activities was $287.5 M in the FY 12 bill,
which is a cut of $83.4 M from FY 11 enacted levels. In the FY 12 bill, climate change activities at the
BLM, NPS, USFWS, and Bureau of Indian Affairs were funded at $64.9 M, EPA climate change
activities were funded at $153.7 M, and activities at the USGS, FS and Smithsonian Institute were
funded at $68.9 M.
Landscape Conservation Cooperatives: The Fish and Wildlife Service’s Landscape Conservation
Cooperatives represent an important means for leveraging federal, state, and private resources to
safeguard wildlife in an era of climate change. In the FY 12 bill, this program was funded at $20
million, which is $11 million below the FY 11 budget and $17.5 million below the president’s budget
request.
Eliminating Protections for Public Lands
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Bureau of Land Management (BLM): The bill includes $1 billion for BLM – a decrease of $63
million below last year’s level.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS): The bill includes $1.1 billion for the USGS, a $30 million cut below
last year’s level. The majority of the reductions are in climate change and satellite imaging programs.
Land and Water Conservation Fund: The bill slashes the Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF) by 80%, which would represent the lowest budget level in the program’s history. LWCF is
the nation’s premier land conservation program that provides funds to acquire land and water for
recreation and habitat conservation purposes as well as preserving historic battlefields and cultural
sites and conserving working farms and ranches.
Operation of the National Park System – The legislation includes $2.24 billion for the operation of
the National Park System which is a cut of almost $7 million from FY11 enacted levels
Contact:
Corry Westbrook, Legislative Director
202-797-6840
[email protected]