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Congress Provides Funds for North Carolina Wildlife New Federal Grants Programs to State Wildlife Agencies
In response to widespread public and congressional support for the Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA), Congress created the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program in 2001. The establishment of this program was seen as a compromise when the Senate failed to act on CARA legislation following passage by the House by a 3-1 margin. Yearly appropriations are available to state fish and wildlife agencies for wildlife conservation, related recreation and education. The SWG program is designed to assist states by providing federal funds for the development and implementation of programs that benefit wildlife and their habitats, including species that are not hunted or fish and those of ‘greatest conservation concern’. There is hope that this federal funding eventually will become a permanent funding source, supporting long-term wildlife conservation as CARA would have.
For more than 50 years, the Pittman-Robertson Act and the Dingle-Johnson Act have provided federal excise taxes, collected at the manufacturers’ level, to states for conservation, research and management of game fish and wildlife species. However, North Carolina contains more than 900 species (amphibians, birds, reptiles, mammals, mollusks and fish) that are not hunted or fished. Funding for conservation of these nongame species has come mostly from voluntary income tax check-offs and the sale of wildlife license plates. This new Congressional funding will provide an excellent base on which to build a new conservation effort that will improve conditions for all wildlife and wildlife habitat in North Carolina. To meet their obligations under the SWG program, states must develop Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plans by October 2005. The plans provide an historic opportunity for state fish and wildlife agencies and conservation stakeholders to map out and implement a cohesive and comprehensive vision for the conservation of the nation’s wildlife. Thus, the plans will provide an essential foundation for the future of wildlife conservation, as well as a stimulus to engage conservation stakeholders and federal and state agencies to think strategically about their individual and coordinated roles in prioritizing conservation efforts nationwide. See North Carolina's Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Plan for more information. For more information on CARA and on new funding programs recently passed by Congress, visit the Teaming with Wildlife Web site, www.teaming.com. |
