To:     Teaming with Wildlife Coalition
From:   Dave Chadwick, Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Date:   November 16, 2007
RE:     Teaming with Wildlife Update: New Climate Legislation Includes
Wildlife; State Wildlife Grants Still At Risk in FY08 Budget

1. Update on Wildlife Funding in Climate Legislation 2. State Wildlife Grants Update: Last Minute Budget Deals Could Put State Wildlife Grants At Risk 3. State Feature: Montana Hosts Its First Wildlife Summit 4. Endorsement Feature: 24 New Members, 5,713 Total

This week we have good news and potentially bad news:

1. Update on Wildlife Funding in Climate Legislation

Senators Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA) have included provisions in America's Climate Security Act (S.2191) that would provide substantial dedicated funding for the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program.  This compromise bill aims to reduce CO2 emissions to 57% below 1990 levels by 2050.  With respect to wildlife funding, it includes a substantial amount of funding for the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program to help address climate change impacts through implementation of the state wildlife action plans and other landscape-scale conservation initiatives.  For more information about this legislation and ways you can help please visit:
www.teaming.com/funding/climate.html  

2. State Wildlife Grants Update: Last Minute Budget Deals Could Put State Wildlife Grants At Risk

Last week, Congress passed another "continuing resolution" to keep the federal government open for a few more weeks, and efforts are intensifying between Congress and the White House to find a budget compromise.  Unfortunately, everything is on the table as they seek a way to close the $22 billion gap between the White House's proposed budget and the appropriations bills passed by Congress.  It is very possible that the final budget package could CUT FUNDING for State Wildlife Grants.  This would be a major disappointment in light of the increase proposed by the House this year ($85 million) and a major setback to the implementation of every state's wildlife action plan.

Now more than ever we need to remind Members of Congress that our coalition needs them to support State Wildlife Grants.  We need the budget dealmakers to see that this is NOT a painless program to cut when push comes to shove.  Contact your Senators and Representatives TODAY
(Switchboard: 202-224-3121) and urge them to weigh in with Senate Interior Appropriations Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein and House Interior Chairman Norman Dicks in support of $85 million for State Wildlife Grants.  YOUR CALL WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE at this crucial stage in the budget process.  Remind them of the size of your state's coalition AND the 60 Senators and 162 Representatives that signed letters of support for $85 million.

3. State Feature: Montana Hosts Its First Wildlife Summit

Last Thursday, Montana held its first Summit on the Montana Comprehensive Fish & Wildlife Conservation Strategy.  139 people showed up for a seven hour meeting to discuss implementation of the habitat components of the state's strategy.  The session was centered on a Doris Duke grant awarded last winter to the Five Valleys Land Trust and the Heart of the Rockies Initiative to assess Montanans capacity to work with the state's wildlife action plan.  Over 100 Montana conservation leaders were interviewed and the results were very positive.

Montana is also at the front end of two large landscape habitat
projects: one in northeast Montana called The Milk River Initiative, and another in southwest Montana called The Upper Big Hole River Partnership.  These projects include several targeted species recovery efforts as well as essential survey & inventory projects.  Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has also hired a land-use planner to work with county commissions and county planners in the rapidly growing counties west of the Continental Divide and around Bozeman - a strategy that many other states are pursuing.

4. Endorsement Feature: 24 New Members, 5,713 Total

CALIFORNIA
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory (Online Endorsement)

IDAHO
Friends of the Teton River (Online Endorsement)

INDIANA
Northwest Indiana Steelheaders, Inc. (Online Endorsement)

IOWA
Project GREEN (Online Endorsement)

MICHIGAN
The Nature Conservancy-Michigan Chapter

MINNESOTA
The Friends of Sherburne NWR
Turn In Poachers, Inc.

MINNESOTA
Backland Outdoors
MN Deer Hunters Assn-Jim Jordan Chapter

MISSISSIPPI
Lower Mississippi River Cons. Committee

MONTANA
Swan Ecosystem Center

NEW JERSEY
Lloyd Road School Environmental Club (Online Endorsement)

NEW YORK
Bainbridge Sportsmens Association (Online Endorsement)

OHIO
Firelands Audubon (Online Endorsement)
Friends of Magee Marsh (Online Endorsement) Green Frog Environmental, LLC (Online Endorsement) Lake Metroparks (Online Endorsement) Little Miami, Inc. (Online Endorsement) Nature Center at Shaker Lakes (Online Endorsement) Ohio Biological Survey (Online Endorsement) Ohio Game Fishing LLC (Online Endorsement)

TENNESSEE
Southeast Watershed Forum (Online Endorsement)

TEXAS
Student Learning & Guidance Center

VIRGINIA
National Sportsman Association

Thanks!

Dave Chadwick
Senior Program Associate
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
444 North Capitol Street NW, Suite 725
Washington, DC 20001
202-624-5429/202-270-0737 (cell)
chadwick@fishwildlife.org
www.fishwildlife.org - www.teaming.com - www.wildlifeactionplans.org