The millions of dollars Midwest anglers and boaters spend for fishing equipment and boating fuel now will provide better protection for natural resources, create more recreation opportunities, and continue to improve boating safety, thanks to a major transportation act signed into law on May 9 by President Clinton. Thousands of miles of crumbling roads within the National Wildlife Refuge System also will be repaired under the new law's provisions.
"Through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA 21), President Clinton and Congress have created an even greater legacy of care for the Nations aquatic natural resources and the people who enjoy them," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) Director Jamie Rappaport Clark. "In addition, the act now places the National Wildlife Refuge System on a par with other major land-managing agencies by providing significant support for refuge road repair."
Regional Service Director Bill Hartwig, who oversees operations in eight states throughout the Midwest and Great Lakes in Region 3, welcomed the new legislation and the additional funding it will provide for regional projects. "This is very good news," Hartwig said. "In addition to the Great Lakes, our region contains some of the finest rivers and national wildlife refuges in the entire country. This funding will allow everyone greater access to these national treasures."
While many refuge maintenance projects have already been identified by Service field staff, Hartwig anticipates Service officials will also work closely with state and Federal partners throughout the region to identify and prioritize other natural resource maintenance and improvement projects. Projects will begin as soon as funding becomes available.
Sport fishing, boating, and refuge system benefits from the new law include:
Repairing Refuge Roads: The act's Federal Lands Highways Program includes $20 million in new funding for wildlife refuge roads each year from 1999 to 2003. According to Federal Highway Administration (FHA) studies, refuge roads are used more intensively by the public than all national forest roads and Department of Defense roads combined. Currently, the refuge system suffers from a $158 million road maintenance backlog for its 4,250 miles of public roads and 424 bridges. Based on an FHA analysis, 70 percent of refuge roads are in poor condition, 25 percent are in fair condition, and only 5 percent are considered in good condition. In addition, 90 percent of refuge bridges need safety and maintenance repairs.
Additional Assets for Aquatic Resource Conservation: The act will generate a projected increase of $135 million in transfers of revenues to the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which fuels the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program. Of the total increase, approximately $28 million will be made available to states in Region 3. The fund now receives 11.5 cents of every 18.3 cents in Federal tax collected on every gallon of gasoline used by boaters. This figure will rise to 13 cents on October 1, 2001, and to 13.5 cents on October 1, 2003. The mechanism that provides for these increases in transfers also will apply to small-engine fuel taxes, which will be used for wetlands restoration.
Continuing Clean Vessel Program Successes: The new law makes $10 million available annually from 1999 to 2003 under the highly successful clean vessel program. The funds provide for marine sanitation pumpout facilities that help minimize the dumping of human waste into waters. In Region 3, Service Federal Aid and state Clean Vessel Coordinators are currently working on a direct mail campaign to inform marine operators and owners of this continued pumpout grant opportunity.
Better Boating Access and Infrastructure: The new act increases from 12.5 percent to 15 percent the amount of money each state must spend on boating access from its Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program apportionment. In addition, the act provides $8 million annually from 2000 to 2003 to meet the special needs of recreational boats that are not trailered. The new Service-administered program will provide funds to states to pay up to 75 percent of the costs of building, renovating, or maintaining public marine facilities such as slips, mooring buoys, day docks, and navigational aids.
Education and Outreach Emphasis: A new national outreach and communications program for sport fishing and boating is funded at $5 million in 1999, and funding increases progressively each year until it reaches $10 million in 2003. The program is expected to increase interest in sport fishing and boating and in the conservation ethic these activities instill in participants. The Fish and Wildlife Service also is authorized to spend up to $2.5 million a year of Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration administrative funds for outreach and communications programs. In addition, the amount of Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration money states may spend on aquatic resource education efforts increases from 10 to 15 percent of each state's Sport Fish Restoration apportionment.
Boating Safety Funding Stability: TEA 21 also provides additional support and a more stable source of funding for grants to states for boating safety programs.
TEA 21 is the successor to the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), which expired September 30, 1997. Congress extended ISTEA through March 31; funds from the act were available through the end of May. The U.S. Senate voted 88 to 5 and the U.S. House of Representatives voted 297 to 86 to approve the TEA 21 conference report. The bill was approved for the President's signature on May 22.
The Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, provided for within ISTEA and TEA 21, makes funding available for the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program and Recreational Boating Safety Program. The programs are funded through excise taxes on fishing tackle, electric trolling motors, flasher-type sonar fish finders, motorboat and small-engine fuels, and import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats. Considered a model user-pays, user-benefits program, the Service administered Sport Fish Restoration Program provides grants to states for sport fish restoration and management, aquatic education and boating access.
Deposits in the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which is comprised of the Sport Fish Restoration Account and the Boating Safety Account, will exceed $334 million for Fiscal Year 1998. States will receive $272 million from the Sport Fish Restoration Account this year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 93-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System which encompasses more than 530 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 66 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resource offices and 78 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces Federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Aid program that distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. For further information about the programs and activities of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Great Lakes-Big Rivers Region, please visit our home page at: http://midwest.fws.gov
