Federal Agendab50ym1n8ryw31pmkr4671ui1c64.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/... · wetlands restoration, open space preservation and use of other “nature based solu - tions.” The National

Federal Agenda

THIS FEDERAL AGENDA lays out a set of science-based, bipartisan initiatives, measures, and policy recommendations that can advance these shared national values and commitments. The National Wildlife Federation and our state affiliate partners are committed to working with the administration and members from both parties to find balanced, scientifically-based solutions to our nation’s most pressing wildlife and conservation challenges.

LEGISLATIVE & ADMINISTRATIVE PRIORITIES DURING THE 115TH CONGRESS SPRING 2017 / NWF.ORG

2 / FEDERAL AGENDA NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION / 3

THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION

Legislative PrioritiesPass Recovering America’s Wildlife ActWith wildlife-related recreational activities contributing over $140 billion to our economy and enjoyed by 2 out of every 5 Americans,1 wildlife is an important part of the American experience and heritage. But America is in the midst of a wildlife crisis.

Wildlife populations across the country are declining at an unprecedented rate and scientists estimate that as many as one-third of the species in the United States are at increased risk of extinction. There are nearly 700 wildlife species listed as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act and the number of species petitioned for federal ESA listing has increased by 1100 percent in less than 10 years.2

But state wildlife management agencies do not have sufficient funds to ade-quately — and proactively — conserve wildlife. Excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment primarily fund the management of sport fish and game species. Yet the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program that is focused on other wildlife is not sufficient: current annual funding for each State Wildlife Action Plan (state-specific com-prehensive strategies for conserving at-risk species) is less than five percent of what the states have determined it would cost to protect and recover their species.

To address this problem, the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, sponsored by Representatives Don Young and Debbie Dingell, would dedicate $1.3 billion annually to these state conservation efforts — a scale of funding at which states can realistically tackle America’s wildlife crisis. This state-based, non-regulatory approach is a proactive measure that will prevent Endangered Species Act listings before they happen. This idea was developed by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish and Wildlife Resources, a consortium of 26 business, energy, and conservation leaders including the National Wildlife Federation. This diverse range of stakeholders agreed that with many wildlife conservation agencies operating on such limited resources, dedicated funding will help us protect wildlife before they become endangered.

1 2011 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, can be found at: https://www.census.gov/prod/2012pubs/fhw11-nat.pdf

2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 2016. Listing Program Work Plan: Questions and Answers, can be found at: https://www.fws.gov/endangered/improving_esa/FWS%20Listing%20Program%20Work%20Plan%20FAQs%20FINAL.PDF

THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION was founded in 1936 as an offshoot of the first North America Wildlife Conference, convened at the initiative of Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling and President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Darling was both a Republican and Pulitzer Prize-Winning editorial cartoonist who would later become the chief of the U.S. Biological Survey.

The symbolism of Darling teaming up with a Demo-cratic President like Roosevelt to convene more than 2,000 hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts would set the stage for a truly “big tent,” bipartisan organi-zation. Today, the National Wildlife Federation boasts more than six million members and supporters and 50 independent state and territorial affiliates that set the organization’s conservation policies.

With its headquarters in Reston, VA, the National Advo-cacy Center in Washington, DC, and seven regional offices, the National Wildlife Federation and its affiliates are committed to “uniting all Americans to ensure wild-life thrive in a rapidly changing world.” The overriding focus of the National Wildlife Federation is to reverse the widespread and persistent decline of America’s fish and wildlife and to bring them to healthy and abundant levels over the next generation.

This commitment includes connecting millions more Americans with our outdoor heritage through the National Wildlife Federation’s award- winning publications like Ranger Rick magazine to pro-grams like Eco-Schools USA in addition to events like the Great American Campout.

The National Wildlife Federation believes that America’s experience with cherished landscapes and wildlife has helped define and shape our national character and identity. Protecting these natural resources is a cause that has long united Americans from all walks of life and from all political stripes. As Americans, we share a sacred duty and obligation to protect and build upon our conserva-tion heritage for the sake of native wildlife, ourselves, our neighbors, and most of all for future generations.

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of native prairies to cropland through a nationwide sodsaver provision; maintain the linkage between conservation compliance provisions and crop insurance premium subsidies; increase acreage in the Conservation Reserve Program and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program; and improve conservation programs to best meet our natural resource needs in order to improve the health of our soil, water, and wildlife on working landscapes and provide opportunities for hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation.

Enhance Hunting and Angling Access Hunters and anglers are among our nation’s leading conservationists, a powerful force in our outdoor recreation economy. Unfortunately, proposals to enhance hunting and angling access and otherwise advance the conservation interests of sportsmen and women have been stymied in Congress for years. This Congress should pass pro-sportsmen access and conservation legislation that includes reauthorizations for important conservation programs like the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Federal Land Transaction and Facilitation Act, and the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The key to passage is ensuring bipartisan support by keeping the bill balanced between conservation and recreational interests.

Reform National Flood Insurance ProgramThe National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) will expire on September 30, 2017 and must be reauthorized. For too long the NFIP has, through below market subsidized insurance, promoted development and re-development in floodplains and environ-mentally sensitive coastal areas.

In 2012 the National Wildlife Federation along with partner groups from across the political spectrum in SmarterSafer.org achieved significant reforms to improve flood-plain mapping, mitigation grant programs and risk based rates for severe repetitive loss properties and 2nd homes. During the 2017 reauthorization process, the National Wildlife Federation will defend and build on those gains, advocating for continu-ing the glide path towards risk-based rates for most properties and strengthening incentives for homeowners and communities to mitigate their risk including through wetlands restoration, open space preservation and use of other “nature based solu-tions.” The National Wildlife Federation also favors enhancing the private market’s ability to offer consumers alternatives. Beyond the NFIP, the National Wildlife Fed-eration believes federal policies related to pre-disaster planning and preparedness — under the Stafford Act — should be strengthened to improve resilience to storms, sea level rise and flooding.

Reclaim Abandoned Coal MinesRestoring degraded wildlife habitat on large landscapes can spur significant rural job growth, while reconnecting key wildlife migratory corridors and cleaning up con-taminated waterways. For example, there is bipartisan support for accelerating the spending of $1 billion from the Abandoned Mine Land fund or similar investments to facilitate economic development opportunities for communities in coal country. These

Fix the Corn Ethanol MandateThe federal mandate to blend corn ethanol and other biofuels into gasoline has had major unintended consequences for land, water, and wildlife. By increas-ing demand for corn and soybeans, the policy encouraged farmers to convert millions of acres of wildlife habitat and other land into crop production in recent years, impacting important wildlife species and increasing farm runoff into streams. With the new Administration promising a host of regulatory changes at the EPA that include the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS), and with Congressional leadership also promising action on the issue in 2017, the National Wildlife Federation is seeking reforms that will make the RFS less damaging to wildlife. Specifically, we support reducing the mandate, particularly for food-based fuels like corn ethanol and soy biodiesel; stronger enforcement of restrictions on land conversion already in the law; better incen-tives to foster cellulosic fuels; and funding to address the damage that has been done to wildlife habitat and water quality as a result of the corn ethanol mandate. These fixes to the corn ethanol mandate can be done in ways that continue to benefit farmers and the agriculture economy while improving wildlife habitat for migratory birds and waterfowl and restoring some of our most cherished and impaired waters.

Protect Forest Service Restoration Budget and Improve ManagementOne hundred ninety-three million acres of national forests and grasslands provide some of America’s best conservation and recreation opportunities for wildlife, hunt-ing, fishing, camping, and much more. National forests are an important source of natural resources for the country. They are distributed throughout the country and are the largest source of public lands east of the Mississippi.

More frequent wildfires and the costs of combatting them are gobbling up over half of the Forest Service budget. This has crippled the agency’s ability to fulfill its management responsibilities, including wildlife habitat restoration, forest manage-ment, recreation and research. There is broad and increasing bipartisan interest in a so-called fire funding fix that would protect the core Forest Service budget from being raided to pay for wildfire costs. The National Wildlife Federation also supports targeted forest policy improvements to give the Forest Service the tools to better manage national forests and produce more conservation, restoration, and recreation outcomes. These tools could include giving collaboratively developed forest manage-ment projects a better chance to be considered; giving forest plans a better chance to be implemented; or incentivizing forest management at the landscape level.

Reauthorize a Pro-Conservation Farm BillThe Farm Bill, which needs to be reauthorized in 2018, is by far the largest source of conservation funding, with over $55 billion invested in conservation programs that are critical to soil health, water quantity and quality, and wildlife habitat. The next Farm Bill should increase funding for conservation programs; disincentivize the conversion

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in species conservation. These include clarifying the delisting process for species that reach recovery goals, strengthening species recovery plans, scientifically prioritizing endangered species resources, and ensuring adequate funding.

Reduce U.S. Carbon Pollution and Advance AdaptationThe growing climate crisis is an overriding danger to people and wildlife that threat-ens decades of on-the-ground conservation progress and puts America’s families and economy at severe risk. Unless swift action is taken, we will see massive rates of extinction this century. Even though renewable energy use is expanding at unprec-edented rates, without additional action and depending on emissions rates, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere could double or nearly triple from today’s level by 2100 (NRC 2011), with serious consequences for wildlife. Survival requires steady and resolute efforts to reduce our carbon pollution; transitioning the country more quickly to cleaner, more secure sources of energy; engaging additional sectors in pollution reduction and carbon sequestration solutions; and protecting wildlife and human populations from unavoidable impacts.

The National Wildlife Federation believes it’s critical to maintain and accelerate domestic progress on climate change. This includes continuing to reduce carbon pol-lution from power plants and vehicles, maintaining U.S. leadership and participation in the Paris Agreement, and curtailing methane emissions from the oil and gas sector. The National Wildlife Federation also supports building on the progress of recent years to improve air quality protections for wildlife and public health such as the Mercury Air Toxics (MAT) Rule, updated ozone standards, Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, and Regional Haze Rule.

Build Bipartisan Support for Climate SolutionsUltimately, the National Wildlife Federation believes long-term sustainable climate solutions can only be achieved with broad-based bipartisan support. The National Wildlife Federation aims to grow this support in the near-term by supporting new, positive federal legislation and congressional champions and maintaining a drumbeat of public attention on policy solutions that help depoliticize climate change. This includes supporting the congressional Climate Solutions Caucus and the environ-mental stewardship resolution introduced by Representatives Stefanik (R-NY), Curbelo (R-FL), Costello (R-PA), and other House Republicans.

The National Wildlife Federation is also working to build support for longer-term free market, bipartisan solutions that will achieve the pace and scale of pollution reduc-tions needed to safeguard wildlife from runaway climate change.

Carbon pricing: Experts agree that assigning a price or fee to carbon pollution is the most efficient way to reduce pollution levels by incentivizing market forces and encouraging job creating investments in cleaner energy sources. It can also play a role in generating revenue that can offset reductions in other revenue sources. One

investments can put miners back to work and turn environmentally hazardous areas into open spaces, recreation and sporting areas while restoring wildlife.

The RECLAIM Act (Revitalizing the Economy of Coal Communities by Leveraging Local Activities and Investing More Act) can benefit both wildlife and impacted communities by calling for the increased investment of $1 billion in surplus of already collected funds in the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Fund. Passing RECLAIM can transform abandoned mine sites to future destinations where an outdoor economy can bring new life to these important and neglected communities.

Make the Outdoor Economy a Major Part of Any Infrastructure PackageAmerica’s outdoor economy is one of the fastest growing parts of our nation’s economy, generating more than $887 billion in annual economic benefit, support-ing 7.6 million jobs and contributing $124.5 billion in federal, state, and local taxes. As the Administration and Congress consider crafting an infrastructure bill, the National Wildlife Federation urges looking beyond roads and bridges to how investments in the outdoor economy can simultaneously help deliver on the President’s campaign promises to create jobs, revitalize rural America, and honor the conservation legacy of Theodore Roosevelt. Investments in public lands, wildlife conservation and water resources will create more jobs and produce a greater return on investment ($2-2.62 return per $1 invested) than alternatives because most of the spending goes directly into labor. Whether reclaiming abandoned mines, restoring forest habitat, fixing clean water infrastructure, or investing in proactive state wildlife conser-vation measures, the National Wildlife Federation urges Congress and the Administration to dedicate five percent of a potential $1 trillion infrastruc-ture package ($5 billion/year) toward natural infrastructure and conservation investments that will grow America’s outdoor economy.

Uphold a Strong Endangered Species ActThe Endangered Species Act (ESA) is our nation’s most vital safety net for wildlife with a 99 percent success rate of avoiding extinctions. Unfortunately, much more needs to be done to ensure the proactive conservation and recovery of America’s fish and wildlife and end the crisis of declining wildlife populations described above. Despite the ESA’s great successes — such as bald eagles, alligators, grizzlies, wolves, mule deer and pronghorn, too many species continue to decline. Freshwater fish and mussels, common birds, amphibians and reptiles, large and small mammals, and a variety of pollinators are suffering dramatic population losses. The Endangered Species Act is essential in the effort to reverse the decline of U.S. fish and wildlife and must be upheld. At the same time, the National Wildlife Federation recognizes there are bipar-tisan, common sense opportunities to strengthen and modernize the ESA and better engage non-federal partners including state wildlife agencies and private landowners


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Reaffirm Public Lands Ownership and Access The National Wildlife Federation’s highest priority for public lands is to block all large-scale public land transfers or sales to the states or private interests. Our public lands provide crucial habitat for wildlife and a space for people to connect to nature. Despite widespread support to keep public lands in public hands, more than 10 bills have already been introduced in the 115th Congress to sell, transfer, or otherwise dispose of these cherished landscapes. The National Wildlife Federation supports the President and Secretary of Interior’s position that public lands should remain in public hands, accessible to millions of Americans for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation. We support the resolution introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Alan Lowenthal (D-CA) and Dave Reichert (R-WA) expressing that America’s public lands are national treasures that belong to all Americans, regardless of location, and reinforcing the need to keep them in the public domain.

Defend the Antiquities ActThe National Wildlife Federation opposes both executive and legislative efforts to rollback or diminish designated National Monuments and to weaken the Antiquities Act. Used equally by sixteen presidents on both sides of aisle, from President Theo-dore Roosevelt to President Barack Obama, the Antiquities Act gives the president the power to create national monuments from current public land to protect significant natural, cultural, or scientific features. The Antiquities Act is the original authority for creating nearly a quarter of the National Park system. Many of our iconic national parks would not exist without President Roosevelt, including the Badlands and the Statue of Liberty, as well as Acadia, Zion, and Olympic National Parks, and the Grand Canyon. National monuments protect wildlife habitat, ensure public access, and help nearby communities diversify economically, while increasing quality of life and rec-reational opportunities. A 2014 study by Headwaters Economics found that all of the local economies adjacent to the studied national monuments experienced growth following a designation.

Reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation FundAmerica’s most successful land conservation tool, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), is again up for reauthorization in September 2018. Seeing LWCF reau-thorized and fully funded is a major priority for the National Wildlife Federation, both as a means to protect vital wildlife habitat and also to provide for increased hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation access. LWCF funds have been used to protect our national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, wilderness, monuments, and civil war bat-tlefields, as well as to create and develop state and local parks in all 50 states. LWCF has permanently protected more than 500 million acres of land across the country. The parks, trails, forests, rivers, wildlife refuges, and working lands sustained by LWCF funding support an outdoor recreation and tourism sector that contributes a total of $1.06 trillion annually to the American economy, supporting roughly 9.4 million jobs.

such price, a carbon tax, enjoys increasing support from business leaders, conser-vative think tanks and luminaries like James A. Baker, Henry Paulson and George P. Shultz.

Promoting Renewables: Well-sited, wildlife-friendly renewable energy enhances U.S. energy security, reduces pollution and invigorates rural economies. As Congress considers tax, infrastructure, and energy legislation, the National Wildlife Federation will be advocating for provisions that continue to incentivize and promote what is the fastest growing U.S. energy sector.

Sequestering Carbon: The National Wildlife Federation will be advocating for policies in the Farm Bill and other vehicles that advance wetlands restoration, reforestation and state of the art agriculture practices that capture carbon while improving wildlife habitat and increasing economic opportunities for private landowners.

Increasing Community and Wildlife Resilience: The National Wildlife Federation supports efforts such as the Department of Interior’s Landscape Conservation Cooperatives and implementation of the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation Strategy that will help guide conservation strategies in the face of more severe weather and climate impacts including droughts, floods, sea level rise, wild-fires, shifts in seasonal migration patterns, and spread of invasive species.

Invest in Environmental EducationThe National Wildlife Federation believes environmental education is critical for preparing and inspiring the next generation of conservationists and environmental leaders. To this end, the National Wildlife Federation supports robust funding for existing environmental education and literacy programs at the Environmental Protec-tion Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and other federal agencies — along with funding for the environmental education programs in Title IV of the recently-passed Every Student Succeeds Act. In order to foster innovation and keep America globally competitive in the 21st century clean energy economy, the National Wildlife Federation believes America must strengthen environmental and green STEM (science, technology, engi-neering and math) education through our nation’s K-16 school system. As part of this, the National Wildlife Federation supports the Climate Change Education Act, which would create a NOAA grant program to help Americans understand the connection between climate change and our economy, and help foster the next generation of climate problem solvers.

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The National Wildlife Federation supports permanently reauthorizing and fully fund-ing LWCF at $900 million, with no unrelated fiscal diversions. The National Wildlife Federation also favors ensuring that at least 1.5 percent (or $10 million) of the annual LWCF appropriation goes toward projects that secure “access to existing Federal public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreational purposes.”

Address Federal Land Maintenance BacklogDeferred maintenance on public lands is undermining the management of America’s public lands and needs to be addressed by Congress through adequate appropria-tions and dedicated funding solutions.

§§ The National Forest System is hindered by Congress’ failure to provide a funding fix for ballooning wildfire costs.

§§ The National Wildlife Refuge System is hobbled because Congress has been reducing the system’s Operations and Maintenance (O&M) budget for years. Staffing levels are the lowest they have been in a generation, with staff cuts of 15 percent over the last six years. Controlled burns cannot safely be completed, leading to destruc tive wildfires. Habitat restoration has been deferred, roads have deteriorated, visitor centers have been partially closed, and the visitor experience is declining. The National Wildlife Federation and the diverse Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement are asking Congress to increase the O&M budget to meet the Refuge needs — $586 million for Fiscal Year 2018 increasing to $900 million by Fiscal Year 2021. This will support a Refuge System where wildlife popula tions are thriving and as many refuges as practicable are open to the public for hunting, fishing, photography, and wildlife observation.

§§ The deferred and overdue maintenance backlog for the National Park Service is roughly $12 billion dollars, and park attendance shows no sign of slowing. During 2016, the agency’s centennial year, America’s 417 sites in the National Park Service experienced record attendance of 331 million visitors. Yet appro-priations for adequate land management have been lacking for a long time, and under the President’s budget request for FY2018, funding for the Depart-ment of the Interior would be cut by $1.2 billion dollars.

Advance Sage-grouse ConservationThe Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service’s plans to conserve the Greater Sage-grouse and its habitat in ten Western states represent America’s larg-est and most comprehensive-ever conservation effort. Released in 2015, the plans were developed over more than three years in an unprecedented collaborative effort between federal and state agencies, private landowners and nonprofit groups. On-the-ground work to rebuild the declining population of the spiky-tailed, chicken-sized bird had been under way for years. That work, combined with the federal plans, led the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to decide the Greater Sage-grouse did not need to be added to the endangered species list. The National Wildlife Federation strongly supports the implementation of these collaborative plans which can not only help

recover Sage-grouse but benefit the other 200 species that depend upon a healthy sagebrush steppe.

Protect Special Places and SpeciesThe National Wildlife Federation will continue to seek protections for America’s special places and wildlife including:

§§ Keeping the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness watershed in northern Min-nesota free of sulfide ore mines to prevent acidic pollution from ruining one of America’s premier fishing and canoeing destinations.

§§ Safeguarding the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge coastal plain from oil drilling

§§ Establishing a bison herd while increasing elk populations from 3,000 to 10,000 in the 1.1 million acre Charles M. Russel National Wildlife Refuge complex in the plains of eastern Montana

§§ Protecting key parts of Scotchman Peaks in north Idaho as wilderness for the ben-efit of outdoorsmen and women, grizzly bears, lynx, mountain goats, and bull trout.

§§ Restoring grizzly bears to North Cascades National Park in Northern Washington.

§§ Strengthening connections for bighorn sheep, grizzly bears, and other wildlife across “the High Divide” — the primarily public lands between Yellowstone and central Idaho.

Defend and Protect America’s Wetlands, Lakes, and StreamsThe National Wildlife Federation will aggressively defend and protect our nation’s landmark clean water laws, rules, and authorities for wildlife and people. The Clean Water Rule which clarifies the definition of “Waters of the United States” in a manner consistent with both the law and science is a vital step toward achieving the Clean Water Act’s goal of restoring the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. Healthy streams and wetlands are vital to healthy communities and habitat and support local hunting, fishing and birdwatching. The American Sportfish-ing Association reports that anglers alone have a $115 billion impact on the nation’s economy, supporting more than 800,000 jobs. Together, hunting and angling gener-ated more than $201 billion in total economic activity in 2011, supporting more than 1.5 million jobs.

Invest in America’s Drinking Water SourcesMany of the small streams and wetlands that contribute to the drinking water of 1 in 3 Americans also serve as important fish and wildlife habitat. The National Wildlife Fed-eration supports robust funding levels for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds. These national programs help provide financial aid to water systems

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to improve drinking water infrastructure and fund water quality infrastructure projects like wastewater and stormwater treatment, agricultural non-point pollution reduction, and water reuse projects. Any potential federal infrastructure package should include funding for these vital programs and prioritize support for communities most in need.

Restore America’s Great WatersThe National Wildlife Federation believes Congress should maintain robust funding levels for critical restoration and pollution reduction programs that support clean drinkable, fishable and swimmable waters across the country, including in the Ever-glades, the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, and the Delaware River Basin. The National Wildlife Federation also supports reauthorizing place-based restoration programs for the Great Lakes, the Chesapeake Bay and Long Island Sound and seeks additional federal assistance to restore the San Francisco Bay, the Delaware River Basin and the Gulf of Maine.

Projects necessary to continue the vital progress made in restoring America’s Ever-glades, including the recently authorized Central Everglades Plan, should receive regular appropriations so that implementation can continue. Similarly, annual appro-priations for the Louisiana Coastal Area Ecosystem Restoration Program is important to stem the land loss crisis in the delta. Additionally, during tight budget times, our communities need reliable resources to address increasing water quality challenges on a local and watershed-wide scale. As such, the National Wildlife Federation sup-ports robust appropriations for State and Tribal Assistance Grants, including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Section 106 State and Tribal Assistance Grants, and Sec-tion 319 nonpoint pollution control grants.

Restore the Gulf CoastWith the finalization of the BP settlement, the Gulf region is undertaking the largest ecosystem restoration effort in our nation’s history. The National Wildlife Federa-tion and our partners successfully advocated for passage of legislation dedicating 80 percent of Clean Water Act fines resulting from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill to restoration of the Gulf region It is now incumbent on federal agencies that serve on the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council) and the Natural Resource Damage Trustee Council, as well as the Gulf States, to ensure that this money is invested strategically, in the best projects for the health of the Gulf. Protecting and enforcing the commitments made in the 2016 update to the RESTORE Council’s Com-prehensive Plan is one important component.

Protect Floodplains, Coastal Habitat, and Communities at RiskThe National Wildlife Federation also supports reforms to federal policies designed to protect people and property by protecting and restoring wildlife-rich floodplains and coastal areas. These floodplains, when left in their natural state, protect coasts and cities from storm surges, protect river communities from flooding, and reduce the flow of pollution to waterways. To protect them, the National Wildlife Federation urges reforms to Army Corps of Engineers projects and how they are chosen and carried out. The National Wildlife Federation advocates for many different policies in order to ensure that Corps projects serve the national interest, represent a sound use of taxpayer dollars, and protect the environment. These policies would encourage the Corps to use nonstructural and restoration measures where they can provide an appropriate level of protection and benefits, to operate their projects under modern operating plans, and to improve mitigation for Corps projects. The critical role of resource agencies and the environmental reviews they conduct should not be dimin-ished — because they are essential for improving or stopping wasteful and potentially dangerous Corps projects.

Ensure Adequate Funding for Conservation and Environmental ProgramsAmerica’s wildlife are facing an unprecedented crisis — battered by challenges of hab-itat degradation and impaired water quality, exacerbated by disease, drought, invasive species, and climate impacts, all at a scale inconceivable thirty years ago. Maintaining healthy wildlife populations, recovering endangered species, and restoring impaired ecosystems all require significant funding. Annual appropriations from the federal budget provide the core funding for all the federal agencies responsible for managing natural resources — from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. These appropriations are also a major source of grant programs in support of wildlife management and endangered species protection.

Unfortunately, nearly a decade of budget austerity has done little to ease this wildlife crisis. Congress has continued to fund the Natural Resources and Environment portion of the budget to only slightly more than one percent of the total federal budget — and this already-small percentage is steadily declining.

The National Wildlife Federation advocates for robust funding for wildlife and natural resources in order to elevate and sustain the national conversation about the kind of conservation legacy we want to leave.

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Key Staff ContactsPROGRAM LEADERSHIPCollin O’MaraPRESIDENT AND CEO

Barbara BrambleVICE PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE CONSERVATION & CORPORATE [email protected]

Andy BuchsbaumVICE PRESIDENT, CONSERVATION [email protected]

Kevin CoyleVICE PRESIDENT, EDUCATION & [email protected]

Adam KoltonVICE PRESIDENT, NATIONAL [email protected]

Jim LyonVICE PRESIDENT, CONSERVATION [email protected]

LEGISLATIVE AND POLICYChris AdamoSENIOR FELLOW FOR CONSERVATION [email protected]

Taran CataniaLEGISLATIVE [email protected]

Joshua SaksLEGISLATIVE [email protected]

CLIMATE AND ENERGYShannon Heyck-WilliamsSENIOR MANAGER, CLIMATE & [email protected]

Jim MurphySENIOR [email protected]

AGRICULTURE, PRIVATE FORESTRY, AND BIONERGYDavid DeGennaroAGRICULTURE POLICY [email protected]

Aviva GlaserSENIOR SPECIALIST, AGRICULTURE [email protected]

Julie SibbingASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, LAND [email protected]

WATER RESOURCESJan Goldman-CarterDIRECTOR, WATER [email protected]

Jessie RitterSENIOR POLICY SPECIALIST,GULF [email protected]

Melissa SametSENIOR COUNSEL, WATER [email protected]

Glenn WatkinsCOORDINATOR, WATER [email protected]

PUBLIC LANDS AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATIONSara CawleyPUBLIC LANDS [email protected]

Brandi ColanderASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, WATER & [email protected]

Naomi EdelsonSENIOR DIRECTOR, WILDLIFE [email protected]

Mike LeahySENIOR MANAGER, PUBLIC LAND CONSERVATION & SPORTSMEN [email protected]

Bruce SteinASSOCIATE VICE PRESIDENT, CLIMATE ADAPTATION & CONSERVATION [email protected]

Documents

Federal Agendab50ym1n8ryw31pmkr4671ui1c64.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/... · wetlands restoration, open space preservation and use of other “nature based solu - tions.” The National