NWRA's Top 10 Priorities for 2011

Each year the National Wildlife Association provides recommendations for Congress to keep our country’s fish and wildlife heritage strong.  The ten priority actions outlined below will ensure that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, our National Wildlife Refuges, and surrounding landscapes have the tools they need to protect habitat and wildlife from the many challenges they face such as pollution, invasive species, habitat fragmentation and climate change.  

To protect America’s valuable natural assets, the National Wildlife Refuge Association calls on Congress in 2011 to:

1. Keep National Wildlife Refuges Strong  -Fund the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) Operations and Maintenance (O&M) accounts at $511 million in Fiscal Year 2012 and maintain funding for key NWRS accounts including fire and construction;
2. Restore the Gulf of Mexico – Pass legislation to implement the Presidential Oil Spill Commission’s recommendations to restore fish and wildlife habitat and repair Gulf economies;
3. Promote Conservation Partnerships -Leverage federal conservation efforts through partnerships with other federal agencies, state governments, local governments, private landowners and non-profits as called for in the America’s Great Outdoors Report;
4. Conserve our Nation’s Iconic Landscapes - Fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) at $900 million to conserve the Connecticut River, Everglades, Flint Hills, Crown of the Continent, Dakota Grasslands, Bear River and other unique American landscapes;
5. Incentivize Farm, Ranchland and Forestland Conservation through Estate Tax Provisions - Expand tax benefits for large private landowners who put lands and waters into conservation;
6. Protect Western National Wildlife Refuges from Mining - Pass legislation to permanently withdraw all national wildlife refuges from mining;
7. Increase Wetlands Conservation - Pass legislation to increase the price of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp and authorize funding for a partner-driven marketing and promotion strategy;
8. Conserve America’s Preeminent Wilderness Area - Designate the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s Coastal Plain as Wilderness;
9. Protect our Borderland’s Wild Cats and Antelope - Urge the Department of Homeland Security to release the remaining $39 million of the $50 million promised to the Department of Interior for mitigation from the Border wall on the Mexico/U.S. boundary;
10. Conserve America’s Songbirds - Reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act and fund at $6 million for FY12;

Download NWRA's Top 10 for 2011: Priorities for Protecting America's Wildlife