Contacts
Joshua Winchell 703 358-2279
The President's $2.2 billion FY 2009 budget request
provides significant increases for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service for bird conservation and habitat work on private
lands across the nation, while sustaining increases in the
National Wildlife Refuge System budget and supporting other
key Service priorities. The budget request includes $1.3
billion in discretionary funds and $946.9 million in permanent
appropriations largely provided to States for fish and
wildlife restoration and conservation.
"This
budget request recognizes and supports the vital role that the
Fish and Wildlife Service plays in bird conservation in this
hemisphere, while providing increased funding for other
conservation programs that enable us to work in partnership
with landowners, local governments and others. Perhaps
most important, the request provides crucial funding to offset
our increased fixed costs, ensuring that we can support the
work of our employees who manage and protect the nation?s fish
and wildlife heritage,? said Service Director H. Dale
Hall.
The $1.3 billion FY 2009 discretionary budget request
represents a reduction of $64.6 million compared to the 2008
enacted level, with most reductions resulting from lowered
proposed spending in construction and land acquisition. The
request includes $16.4 million to cover increases in fixed
expenses, including pay and rental space costs. This increase
will cover nearly 83 percent of the projected increase in the
Service?s fixed costs; the remainder will be absorbed through
cost savings.
The 2008 enacted budget included $434.1 million for
refuges, a $35.9 million increase over the 2007 level, a
record-high funding level. The 2009 budget sustains
this level, which will significantly increase habitat
conservation and other activities to help restore the health
of wildlife found on refuges, including birds. This
funding level is $133 million more than the refuge budget was
in 2001, a 44% increase. At this funding level in 2009,
the refuge system will improve more than 200,000 acres for the
benefit of migratory birds.
The budget request supports the Service?s role as a leader
and partner in fish and wildlife conservation, delivering
professional resource stewardship grounded in science and a
commitment to public service. The request also emphasizes the
Service priorities, including managing the National Wildlife
Refuge System ? the world?s premiere network of lands and
waters dedicated to wildlife conservation, conservation and
management of migratory birds, and ensuring the future of
conservation by connecting people with nature. The
budget request will help the Service manage outdoor resources
that touch the human spirit, contribute to human health and
well-being and promote a healthy economy.
Highlights of the President?s 2009 budget request
include:
- Birds Forever ? In support of the
President?s October 20, 2007, announcement to do more for
migratory bird conservation, the Department?s Birds Forever
initiative includes an increase of $8.0 million to support
targeted planning and broad-scale activities to address
threats to bird species under the Birds Forever initiative.
This increase includes funding for monitoring and
assessment of birds, implementing and developing focal
species plans, and funding for Migratory Bird Joint
Ventures. In 2009, the Service will apply the concepts
of adaptive management and strategic habitat conservation,
and build on the Service?s ongoing work to improve an
additional 200,000 acres of national wildlife refuge system
lands; create additional urban bird treaties; expand
migratory bird conservation though the Migratory Bird Joint
Ventures; work with Mexico to enhance bird habitats in their
country; improve the status of five bird species over the
next five years; and compile a 2009 State of the Birds
report.
The budget request also includes a proposal for the first
price increase since 1991 of the Federal Migratory Bird
Hunting and Conservation Stamp, also known as the Duck Stamp,
to $25 ? a $10 increase. If approved by Congress, the
added funding will allow for acquisition of an estimated 6,800
additional acres of migratory bird habitat and secure
easements for 10,000 additional acres of wetlands per year
across the nation.
- Ocean and Coastal Frontiers ? The
budget includes a $400,000 increase in the refuge program to
participate in the Palmyra Atoll Research Consortium for
coral reef protection and research efforts to guide future
management of the Palmyra Atoll National Wildlife Refuge,
and $500,000 for the launch of a marine debris campaign at
Midway Island National Wildlife Refuge for a total increase
of $900,000. Marine debris threatens many of the 267 species
of birds and wildlife that scientists estimate are impacted
world-wide by this problem, including coral reefs and
albatross that ingest the debris and feed it to their
young. To address this problem, FWS will partner with
the Fish and Wildlife Foundation to assess the sources of
the marine debris, clean up the trash, and educate the
public. Guided by the President?s Oceans Action Plan
and Executive Order 13366, the Ocean and Coastal Frontiers
Initiative acknowledges the importance of coastal and marine
environments not only for fish and wildlife, but also for
the economic health of the nation. The Ocean and Coastal
Frontiers Initiative recognizes the significant role and
expertise the Service provides for conservation and
management of coastal and marine habitats, working
cooperatively with States and other natural resource
managers, as well as the development and application of
sound science.
- Safe Borderlands ? The budget includes
an increase of $1.0 million for law enforcement efforts on
five national wildlife refuges along the southwest border as
part of the Department of Interior?s Safe Borderlands
Initiative. Once experiencing only infrequent visitation,
these refuges, and other public lands along the border, have
been impacted by illegal activity. This Department-wide Safe
Borderlands Initiative is necessary to help safeguard the
refuge resources, visiting public, and refuge staff.
- Healthy Lands Initiative ? An increase
of $492,000 in funding for this initiative ? bringing the
total funding request to $2.0 million ? will lead to
significant conservation achievements in the Green River
Basin, Wyoming. This increase, provided to the Partners for
Fish and Wildlife Program to assist private landowners
seeking to restore habitat on their lands, will meet a
critical need. The Service will support restoration of 970
acres of upland and 6 miles of riparian habitats within the
basin.
- Cooperative Conservation ? The 2009
budget request for Service cooperative conservation programs
includes $195.9 million for Service grant programs, an
increase of $1.9 million. Of this, the Cooperative
Endangered Species Conservation Fund includes a net request
of $75.5 million, an increase of $1.7 million compared to
the enacted 2008 level. State and Tribal Wildlife Grants are
funded at $73.8 million, equal to the 2008 enacted level.
The request also includes$86.2 million for technical
assistance programs, including $13.2 million for the Coastal
program, $48.0 million for the Partners for Fish and
Wildlife Program, $4.9 million for the Fish Passage Program
and $5.2 million for the National Fish Habitat Action Plan.
The request for the Endangered Species Program is $146.8
million. This reflects a decrease of $3.7 million from
the 2008 enacted level to eliminate unrequested funding
increases and cost savings through reduced administrative
costs. The Fisheries and Aquatic Resource Conservation request
is $116.6 million, a decrease of $9.9 million from the 2008
enacted level, which also reflects the elimination of
unrequested earmarks and costs savings, and decreases for fish
passage improvements of $5.9 million.
The Service?s land acquisition account has been decreasing
over the years to reflect our efforts to focus on our current
management responsibilities. The request for land
acquisition is $10.2 million, a $24.4 million reduction
compared to the 2008 enacted level which includes reducing
administrative and related costs to a level more in line with
the current size of the program.
The construction request totals $12.2 million, a decrease
of $21.0 million compared to the 2008 enacted level. The
National Wildlife Refuge Fund budget is $10.8 million, $3.2
million below the 2008 enacted level, and the budget proposes
a total of $4.3 million for the Multinational Species
Conservation Fund, a reduction of $3.6 million compared to the
2008 enacted level.
The FY 2009 President's Budget Request will be made
available online at http://budget.fws.gov/
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service is working with others to conserve, protect and
enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the
continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a
leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation,
known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and
natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to
public service. For more information on our work and the
people who make it happen, visit http://www.fws.gov/.
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