FEDERAL WRAP-UP FOR 2006



Covering the Federal Flank
Although it is an election year, the 109th Congress has found time to consider a variety of proposals that could impact our waterfowl resource and those who pursue them in the marsh. The following is an update on two measures the California Outdoor Heritage Alliance (COHA) has been working on behalf of California Waterfowl Association (CWA).

Habitat Acquisition Expansion
COHA is working closely with U.S. Representative Mark Kennedy (R-6th/MN) and his staff to agree upon hunter opportunity amendments to federal legislation that would authorize a two-step increase in the price of federal duck stamps to escalate wetland conservation efforts nationwide.

Last November, U.S. Representatives Kennedy and Mike Thompson (D-1st/CA) introduced H.R. 4315 – legislation that proposes to amend the Duck Stamp Act and the Wetland Loan Act to reauthorize and accelerate appropriations for the federal acquisition of waterfowl habitat. Coined the “Emergency Wetlands Loan Act of 2005,” the measure would substantially increase appropriations for habitat acquisition to $400 million for fiscal years 2007 through 2016. The bill proposes to pay for the “advance” by increasing the price of the federal duck stamp to $25 dollars in 2007 and to $35 in 2015.

Though the bill garnered sweeping support from virtually all interested conservation organizations, CWA and COHA took serious exception to the fact that the bill proposed to pay for the habitat protection efforts by taxing solely the duck hunting community – with no assurance that the hunters who pay will also benefit from a corresponding increase in hunting opportunity. To address this concern, CWA contacted Congressman Thompson, who promptly agreed to assist us with obtaining amendments which would (a) require that these funds could be used only to acquire lands that would be open to hunting; (b) if hunting is not a compatible use of lands impacted by the funds (which would be determined by the Department of the Interior), an equal amount of comparable sanctuary acreage would be opened to hunting; and (c) authorize that the funds may be used for the management of public hunting programs.

Although well-intended, the Emergency Wetlands Loan Act of 2005 amplifies the imbalance between duck hunters, who have generated over $600 million for the acquisition of roughly five million acres of federal refuge lands since the enactment of the Duck Stamp Act in 1934, and the many thousands of bird watchers, hikers, and other outdoor enthusiasts who also enjoy the fruits of the Duck Stamp. The act again calls upon the hunting community to dig deeper to finance the accelerated acquisition of lands that are enjoyed by all.

After its introduction, the bill was referred to the House Resources Committee Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans, where it remained.