HELP
ENSURE ALL WATERS ARE COVERED BY THE CLEAN WATER ACT!
The Environmental Protection Agency is accepting comments
from the public on which waters should be covered under
the Clean Water Act! But only until April 16, 2003! Click
here for more and to send your comment in today!
HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES ARCTIC DRILLING PROVISION FULL HOUSE SET TO VOTE WEEK OF APRIL 7th Just two weeks after the U.S. Senate voted to strip provisions to open the Arctic National Wildlife REfuge to oil and gas drilling from their budget bill, the U.S. House Resources Committee voted to INCLUDE Arctic drilling provisions in passage of their energy bill. That bill now moves to the full House for a final vote. Click here for more information and to find out what you can do today!
AUDUBON
URGES BLM TO ESTABLISH NEW APPROACH THE PETROLEUM RESERVE
April 2, 2003 --
Over a thousand Auduboners submitted comments in reponse to
the federal Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) proposal
to open another 8.8 million acres of the National Petroleum
Reserve –Alaska (the “Reserve”) to oil exploration
and development.
Unlike our fight to protect the Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge from oil and gas drilling, the decision
to drill or not drill is not a practical option on this Reserve
– it's open for business. Audubon does not oppose additional
oil leasing in the reserve's 8.8-million-acre Northwest Planning
Area, so long as the area's special places and values are
protected and all oil and gas activities are carried out with
high environmental standards. Lands within the area have some
high oil and gas potential, but also have tremendous wildlife
and wilderness values – specifically for threatened
species, such as the spectacled and Steller's eider, and migratory
birds that travel to many destinations, such as red-throated
loons, northern pintails, long-tailed ducks, pectoral sandpipers,
and peregrine falcons.
Thus, key parts of the reserve should
be protected from oil and gas exploration and development
that would harm their habitats and further jeopardize these
species! Based on an 18-month study led by senior scientist,
Dr. John Schoen, Audubon has identified some of the special
areas requiring protection and presented them to BLM in what
is called the "Wildlife Habitat
Alternative." Over a thousand Auduboners encouraged
BLM to adopt Audubon’s Wildlife Habitat Alternative…and
we’ll know within the next few months whether they do
so or not!
Check back with us over the next few months
for more information on BLM’s decision. In the meantime,
here’s a look at the Wildlife
Habitat Alternative.
BACKGROUND
AUDUBON RECOMMENDS
“WILDLIFE HABITAT ALTERNATIVE” FOR NORTHWEST PLAN
IN NPR-A
The western Arctic is a vast region with
abundant fish and wildlife and high ecosystem, subsistence,
and wilderness values. This area is dominated by the 23.5-million-acre
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (the "reserve").
Known areas of biological importance within the broader western
Arctic have been identified and mapped (Fig.
1) as part of a larger resource synthesis (Audubon Alaska
2002). The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is inviting
public comments on a draft environmental impact statement
for oil and gas leasing within the reserve's 8.8-million-acre
Northwest Planning Area. Recommendations for protecting key
biological hot spots within the Northwest Planning Area are
summarized below and in (Fig. 2).
These recommendations represent a "Wildlife Habitat Alternative"
as proposed by Audubon.
Northwest Planning Area
The Northwest Planning Area encompasses
important fish and wildlife habitat, subsistence, and wilderness
values. This area also includes three communities and significant
portions of Native lands. Audubon's recommendations apply
only to federal lands and primarily address fish and wildlife
values. Wilderness and subsistence values are not fully addressed
in the Wildlife Habitat Alternative. There are portions of
two special areas already designated by BLM within the Northwest
Planning Area. The small western portions of the Teshekpuk
Lake Special Area (TLSA) occur along the northeastern boundary
of the planning area and the central portion of the Colville
River Special Area (CRSA) occurs along the very southeastern
extent of the planning area. Audubon's western Arctic synthesis
suggests that four additional sites within the Northwest Planning
Area also merit special management.
Teshekpuk Lake
Special Area: Two small portions of the TLSA extend
across the Ikpikpuk River into the Northwest Planning Area
and encompass 116,000 acres. Both portions have high fish
and wildlife habitat values, particularly for high-density
waterbird nesting, including rare yellow-billed loons (Gavia
adamsii). The area also has value as insect-relief habitat
for caribou (Rangifer terandus) from the Teshekpuk Caribou
Herd. Conservation stipulations should be developed and applied
in this portion of the TLSA to protect waterbird and caribou
populations.
Colville River Special Area:
The central portion (441,148 acres) of the CRSA occurs within
the Northwest Planning Area. The Colville River is one of
the most important raptor nesting areas in Alaska and in the
world (Fig. 1). The Colville
and its tributaries also provide diverse and abundant habitats
for songbirds, ungulates, and large carnivores, including
wolves (Canis lupus) and grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). In
addition to possessing wildlife and subsistence values, the
Colville River watershed includes several proposed national
natural landmarks and important archeological sites. The entire
special area within the Northwest Planning Area should be
protected as a no-lease zone (Fig.
2). This portion of the Colville River should be given
permanent protection.
Dease Inlet-Meade
River: Adjacent to and west of the TLSA, the Dease
Inlet-Meade River area encompasses 1,808,197 acres. This area
provides important wetland habitat for waterfowl, loons, and
shorebirds (Fig. 1). Species
nesting here in high densities include yellow-billed and red-throated
loons (Gavia stellata), brant (branta bernicla), greater white-fronted
geese (Anser albifrons), king eider (Somateria spectabilis),
and the threatened spectacled eider (Somateria fischeri).
Dease Inlet includes an important haul out for spotted seals
(Phoca largha) and both sides of the outer inlet are used
by polar bears (Ursus maritimus) for onshore denning. The
outer coast, including Elson Lagoon, includes a seabird colony.
Caribou use the area east of Dease Inlet as insect-relief
habitat. The area also includes numerous deep-water lakes.
The productive wetlands complex of Dease Inlet-Meade River
should be designated by BLM as a new special area (Fig.
2).
The northeastern portion of the proposed
Dease Inlet-Meade River Special Area should be given additional
protection in a no-lease zone to conserve its high-density
waterbird nesting habitat, caribou insect-relief habitat,
and polar bear denning habitat (Fig.
2). The marine waters of both Dease Inlet and Elson Lagoon
should be designated as no-surface activity zones within the
special area to protect these important and sensitive habitats.
Elsewhere in the special area, we recommend special stipulations
to protect habitats for threatened spectacled eiders and yellow-billed
loons.
About 65% of the area identified by BLM
as having high oil and gas potential would be available for
leasing under Audubon's Wildlife Habitat Alternative for the
Dease Inlet-Meade River Special Area. In comparison, under
BLM's Alternative C, less than 2% of high oil and gas resource
potential was considered available for leasing (BLM 2003).
Peard Bay:
Located east of Wainwright and west of Atqasuk, Peard Bay
and adjacent wetlands to the south encompass 950, 549 acres.
The area is characterized by lowland wet and moist tundra
vegetation. Peard Bay provides high-density shorebird and
waterfowl habitat and includes abundant high-density nesting
areas for the threatened spectacled eider (Fig.
1). Peard Bay also is a known denning area for polar bears.
This area's high wildlife values justify its designation as
a special area. Audubon recommends a no-lease zone and permanent
protection for Peard Bay (Fig. 2),
which has low potential for oil development.
Kasegaluk Lagoon:
The northern portion of Kasegaluk Lagoon, which is just east
of the reserve's western boundary, encompasses an area of
266,575 acres. This area provides important marine mammal
habitat, particularly for beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas)
summer concentrations and spotted seal haul outs (Fig.
1). The area is also used by grizzly and polar bears that
seasonally feed on marine mammals. Kasegaluk Lagoon has the
richest avian diversity of any coastal lagoon system in Arctic
Alaska, providing important habitat for waterfowl and shorebirds.
The lagoon is particularly important to Pacific black brant
for molting and fall staging. Kasegaluk Lagoon is also an
important subsistence area for the communities of Point Lay
and Wainright. Audubon recommends special area designation
for the northern portion of Kasegaluk Lagoon. Because of the
lagoon's unique habitat values for birds and marine mammals,
the entire special area should be zoned as a no-lease area
within the Northwest Planning Area (Fig.
2). Kasegaluk Lagoon should be given permanent protection.
South Ikpikpuk
River: The southern Ikpikpuk River and adjacent wetlands,
encompassing 53,000 acres, have high values for fish and wildlife
(Fig. 1). The area southeast
of the headwaters of Ikpikpuk River has high densities of
nesting peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus). This interior
coastal plain, which borders the Northeast Planning Area,
should be designated as a special area to protect anadromous
fish habitat and nesting peregrine falcons. In fact, the entire
Ikpikpuk River system should be combined into this special
area. Audubon recommends a no-lease zone for this special
area (Fig. 2). The Ikpikpuk
River, flowing north to the TLSA, should be protected with
a 2-mi no-surface activity zone along the west side of the
river. If necessary, a designated crossing area could be identified
along that river corridor.
Additional Waterbird
Stipulations: Two high-density waterbird nesting areas
occur south of the recommended Dease Inlet-Meade River Special
Area (Fig. 1). One area,
south of Atqasuk, is an important spectacled eider nesting
area. The other area, west of Ikpikpuk River, is an important
yellow-billed loon nesting area. Both of these areas are identified
in Figure 2 and should receive special stipulations to prevent
impacts to waterbird nesting habitat. We recommend that specific
stipulations for waterbird nesting areas be developed in consultation
with appropriate experts at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Summary
Audubon strongly recommends designating
four new special areas within the Northwest Planning Area
of the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. We believe the above
recommendations, combined with best management practices throughout
the area, will help minimize future impacts from industrial
development on valuable fish and wildlife resources. In addition,
the areas recommended for no-leasing zones will conserve sensitive
habitats and populations as well as provide scientific benchmarks
for long-term ecological research and monitoring. Audubon's
wildlife habitat alternative provides significantly more industry
access to areas of high oil and gas resource potential than
BLM's Alternative C.
ADMINISTRATION RELEASES FY 2004 BUDGET:
FEW BRIGHT SPOTS FOR WILDLIFE
OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET
On February 3rd, the Bush Administration released
its budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2004, initiating the process
in which the U.S. Congress determines how to fund the federal
government from October 1, 2003, through September 30, 2004.
Submitted every year at this time, this enormous bill lays
out the President's funding allotments for every federal government
agency and the programs and services coordinated by those
agencies, such as taxes, social security, and the U.S. Mail.
It also includes funding requests for the Environmental Protection
Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and the U.S. Department of the Interior – the government agency
responsible for the bulk of our national conservation programs,
specifically our National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges,
and Endangered Species programs. The Administration's proposal
now moves to Congress, where the U.S. House and Senate will
review the President's funding requests, and make their own
– and then final – determinations for the country.
“Our challenge is to work to increase the funding levels
for birds and wildlife with the Congress,” said Bob Perciasepe,
Audubon's Senior Vice President for Policy. “We are going
to make sure the environment is heard in the scrum between
tax cuts, homeland security, education, and other domestic
priorities.”
So what does the President's proposal hold for conservation
this year? Overall, the needs of birds, wildlife and environmental
protection continue to outstrip the funding levels advocated
by the Administration. In this budget proposal, there are
a few rays of conservation sunshine, and there are significant
holes and omissions, and a few bad ideas.
RAYS OF SUNSHINE
Increased funding for wildlife refuges. The President's
budget includes an increase of $26 million for essential staffing,
mission critical projects, and priority maintenance activities
in the National Wildlife Refuge System. This year, as the
Refuge System celebrates its 100th birthday, it
is critical to make significant investments to pay down the
System's $2 billion funding backlog. Along with our conservation
partners, Audubon has requested a $100 million increase for
wildlife refuges, and will look to the Congress to ensure
that our nation meets its obligation to these special places.
Full funding for Upper Mississippi River Environmental
Management Program (EMP). The FY 2004 budget more than
doubles funding for the EMP, the environmental restoration
plan for the Upper Mississippi River, to its fully authorized
level of $33.3 million. It also establishes the EMP as one
of the administration's highest priorities now under construction.
For more than a decade the EMP program has been struggling
financially to meet a proven need for habitat restoration
and long-term monitoring on the river. With full funding this
program can begin to make a real difference in reversing 150
years of habitat degradation.
Zero funding for Yazoo Pumps, Devils Lake and New Madrid
projects. The President's FY 2004 request contains zero
funding for three environmentally destructive and fiscally
irresponsible projects – the Yazoo Pumps in Mississippi, the
Devils Lake Outlet in North Dakota, and the New Madrid Floodway
in Missouri.
Slight increase for North American Wetlands Conservation
Fund. Funding was increased by $6 million over last year
to $49.6 million, which will be combined with funding from
permanent appropriations, to total $75.5 million available
for the program in FY 2004. The North American Wetlands Conservation
Fund is an important matching grants program that supports
wetlands and migratory bird conservation efforts.
Tax incentives for private landowners. A 50% capital
gains exclusion is available for private property owners who
voluntarily sell land or water for conservation purposes.
Increase for Department of Agriculture's conservation
funding. Funding for conservation programs would be $3.9
billion, an increase of $582 million over FY 2003, including
increases in the Grassland Reserve Program, Farmland Protection
Program, and the Conservation Reserve Program (NOTE: the budget
does not propose funding these or other conservation programs
at the congressionally authorized levels in the 2002 Farm
Bill).
New money for International Family Planning. $15 billion
in new funding is set aside for HIV/AIDS reduction and treatment
in the developing world over the course of the next three
years, One-third of that amount would go toward prevention,
including condom distribution – a key component of international
family planning services.
HOLES AND OMISSIONS
Inappropriate use of Land and Water Conservation Fund.
The President's budget violates the integrity of this
fund by including funding for 15 extraneous, non-LWCF programs.
The budget purports to fully fund LWCF at $900 million, but
in reality funds it at a much lower level due to the inclusion
of programs that are not related to land acquisition. The
primary LWCF program for federal land acquisition is slashed
by over 50%, from $429 million in FY 2002 to $187 million
in FY 2004.
Huge cuts in land acquisition accounts. Funding for
land acquisition is dramatically reduced for each of the land
management agencies – the Forest Service (USFS), Fish and
Wildlife Service (FWS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and
National Park Service (NPS).
• USFS acquisitions are slashed by 66%, from the $131 million
request in FY 2003 down to only $44 million in 2004
• FWS acquisitions declined by $41 million, from $71 million
to $30 million.
• BLM acquisitions are cut in half – funded at $24 million,
as compared to $50 million last year
• NPS acquisitions are funded at $238 million, down $36
million from last year's $274 million request
State Wildlife Grants reduced $25 million. The State/Tribal
Wildlife Grants are reduced to $60 million from the enacted
level of $85 million in FY 2002. These grants enable state
and tribes to develop wildlife conservation programs to prevent
species from becoming endangered and listed under the Endangered
Species Act. Consistent funding for State Wildlife Grants
is needed in order for states to conduct multi-year conservation
activities. In FY 2004, Audubon recommends funding the program
at $100 million.
Everglades
Zero funding for land acquisition assistance to the State
of Florida.The Administration has zeroed out funding
for this critical program that provides assistance to the
State in purchasing lands needed for Everglades restoration.
The program was funded at $20 million in the President's request
last year and needs to be significantly increased, not zeroed
out. Now is not the time to cut land acquisition assistance,
when over 200,000 acres needed for the Comprehensive Everglades
Restoration Plan (CERP) remain to be acquired at an estimated
cost of approximately $2 billion; real estate prices are escalating
dramatically in South Florida as developers speculate within
the CERP footprint; and the State is out of money for its
land acquisition program, leaving crucial lands at risk.
No construction funding for pilot projects. Congress
authorized Everglades restoration with the understanding that
there were some unanswered questions regarding the technological
and scientific challenges facing certain aspects of Everglades
restoration, and that the plan would have to evolve and adapt
over time to answer those questions. Pilot projects were designed
to provide the technical detail needed to resolve some of
the uncertainties surrounding the Aquifer Storage and Recovery,
Seepage Management, and Lake Belt storage components of the
CERP. Construction funding of $2.5 million is needed to begin
these pilot projects that have been delayed for several years
already due to a lack of funding.
Insufficient science funding. The proposed increase
of $500,000 for U.S. Geological Survey science programs is
insufficient to address the finding that funding is currently
inadequate to meet the scientific information needs for Everglades
restoration, as outlined in the December 2002 report of the
National Research Council of the National Academies of Science.
Not enough funding for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration
Plan. CERP funding for the Corps is increased by $2 million
over last year to $39 million, but it is significantly below
the $66 million that the Army Corps of Engineers originally
projected would be needed to implement the CERP in FY 2004,
and it does not include funding for the construction of pilot
projects. Department of the Interior CERP funding remained
essentially flat with a minimal increase of $6,000, which
is actually a slight cut when inflation and other uncontrollable
costs are factored in.
Cut-backs in key Environmental Protection Agency programs
Funding for EPA is cut by half a billion dollars to $7.6 billion
in FY 2004, down from $8.1 billion in FY 2002.
Water Quality
Water quality programs are dealt a severe blow, as their budgets
are hacked down to a paltry $1.798 billion in FY 2004, $844
million less than what was provided in FY 2002.
The biggest loser in the President's EPA budget is the Clean
Water Act State Revolving Fund, a program that loans money
to states to pay for sewage plants. The President's budget
reduces funding levels by $500 million, down from $1.35 billion
in FY 2002 to just $850 million in FY 2004.
In addition, the budget reduces funding for other water pollution
projects that address particular needs in specific places
such as water treatment, sewage control, and non-point pollution
control, from $458 million to $98 million.
Enforcement
EPA is maintaining its current strategy of reducing the amount
of enforcement personnel by cutting about 100 positions, or
6% of the total number.
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act funding falls
flat. This act was passed to reverse the decline of Neotropical
migratory birds that breed in the U.S. by protecting their
habitats in Latin America and the Caribbean. For a large number
of these species, that region contains almost the entire world
population of its birds in the non-breeding season. About
500 of the existing 800 bird species found within the U.S.
migrate across our borders annually.
The Administration has proposed funding the act at $3 million,
the same amount that Congress appropriated in the project's
very first year in FY 2002. This amount is well below the
full authorization of $5 million and would only meet a very
small fraction of the conservation needs for Neotropical migratory
species. The tremendous need for this program was demonstrated
by the 290 grant proposals, from 33 countries and 31 states,
for a total of more than $120 million in proposed conservation
work that was submitted to the Fish and Wildlife Service in
the program's first year.
More money need for research on West Nile Virus. Despite
the phenomenally rapid spread of West Nile Virus to 44 states
and more than 175 species of birds, the Administration has
kept funding for West Nile Virus research at only $500,000
in U.S. Geological Survey. More funding is needed for additional
research as well as monitoring activities.
BAD IDEAS
Assumed revenues from oil drilling in the pristine Arctic
National Wildlife Refuge. The President's budget assumes
more than $2 billion in revenues will be gained from selling
oil leases in the pristine, wildlife-rich Arctic Refuge despite
the extremely controversial nature of the issue in Congress.
Using the arcane federal budget process to authorize the failed
and widely discredited proposal to drill in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge would be a perversion of the democratic process
and nothing more than a backdoor ploy to subvert the broad
support for protecting the Arctic Refuge that the American
people have consistently expressed.
Information on specific budget proposals put forth by the
President can be obtained by contacting Audubon's Public Policy
Office.
OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE
Our challenge now is to work to see that conservation and
programs that protect our environment – specifically programs
that protect the quality of our air and water -- are not decreased
in order to beef up other federal programs. And we'll need
your help to do so! After all, your elected officials will
be making the final decisions on these important proposals,
and they need to hear from their constituents – that's you!
And be sure to sign-up for the Audubon Advisory to stay on
top of these issues as they move through the legislative process:
http://www.capitolconnect.com/audubon/
