American Fisheries Society * American Sportfishing Association * Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies * BASS/ESPN * Bear Trust International * Boone & Crocket Club * Catch-A-Dream Foundation * The Campfire Club of America * Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation * Conservation Force * Dallas Safari Club * Federation of Fly Fishers * International Hunter Education Association * The Mule Deer Foundation * National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses * National Trappers Association * National Wildlife Federation * Pheasants Forever * Pope & Young Club * Quail Forever * Quality Deer Management Association * Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation * Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership * Trout Unlimited * Wildlife Forever * Wildlife Management Institute * The Wildlife Society

The International Hunter Education Association has signed on to the following letter, along with the organizations listed above. Fish and wildlife agencies are facing critical new problems related to climate change. This legislation will provide $125 billion for state and federal fish and wildlife agencies during the first 19 years it is in effect. Forty percent of this money would go to state fish and wildlife agencies to help mitigate the effects of climate change.

October 18, 2007

Honorable John Warner                                                 Honorable Joe Lieberman

United States Senate                                                     United States Senate

Senate Russell Office Building                                       Senate Hart Office Building

Washington, DC 20510                                                  Washington, DC  20510

Dear Senators Warner and Lieberman:

The organizations on the letterhead, representing millions of hunters, anglers and other conservationists, very sincerely appreciate your willingness to add a balanced and thoughtful fish and wildlife conservation funding proposal to your climate change legislation.  Your carefully-crafted proposal will help ensure the long-term survival of fish and wildlife by providing important new resources through direct spending to address the impacts of climate change. 

State fish and wildlife agencies and the federal natural resources agencies will be instrumental in implementing conservation strategies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on fish and wildlife resources and their habitats.  Funding for these efforts should be delivered through existing programs with track records of success in on the ground conservation, as called for under your proposal.  At the state level, the long-standing and successful fish and wildlife restoration programs provide the most appropriate means of delivering many of the needed conservation benefits. 

We particularly appreciate the fact that you intend to provide forty percent under direct spending of the natural resource conservation funding available under your legislation to be spent through the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Account established under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act for comprehensive programs to remediate impacts from climate change to all fish and wildlife species.  The state cost share requirement of ten percent will help ensure that states can utilize these funds immediately to implement conservation actions and put needed habitat on the ground.  By funding state fish and wildlife agencies in this manner, your legislation will effectively and efficiently support critical activities that enhance the resiliency and sustainability of fish and wildlife and their habitats to climate change. 

Federal agencies also will play an important role in assisting fish and wildlife to adapt to the impacts of climate change and we applaud your efforts to provide direct spending resources for a wide range of important federal programs, including implementing cooperative grant programs that benefit fish and wildlife.

In conclusion, our organizations, representing millions of American sportsmen and sportswomen, thank you again for working with us to help address the challenge of climate change by both reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and providing important new resources to assist fish and wildlife survive in the face of this unprecedented challenge.  We look forward to working with you and your staff on this very crucial and complex issue as your legislation moves forward.

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Hunting and fishing clubs, or individuals, can visit this page to learn more about the ways climate change is affecting hunters and anglers.

How Hunters and Anglers are Confronting Climate Change

http://targetglobalwarming.org/