Disaster for Federal Funding of Conservation Programs Averted
As the country worked to address its mounting budget issues during this summer, it became clear that funding for conservation programs was going to be reduced by more than its fair share when compared to other programs.
Conversation funding makes up far less than two percent of federal spending and was not a driving force behind the deficit. Cutting it to the bone, as was suggested, was not going to solve our nation’s budget problems.
That is why the America's Voice for Conservation, Recreation and Preservation coalition was created to educate policy makers about the importance of conservation funding. Along the way, over 1000 conservation, preservation and recreation organizations from around the country joined the fight to create a formidable coalition. The group’s sole goal is to protect conservation funding from budget cuts out of tune with the reductions in other programs.
To achieve that goal, coalition members met with leaders from both parties in the House and Senate to educate policy makers. The organization made the case that conservation, recreation and preservation support a minimum of $1.06 trillion in economic activity, 9.4 million jobs, and $107 billion in federal, state, and local tax revenues annually.
The AVCRP’s work made a tremendous difference in the outcome of the 2012 budget for the Department of the Interior. Here are a few examples of funding levels for critical programs that fared very well in final omnibus appropriations package.
| Program | 2011 Spending* | 2012 House Budget* | 2012 Senate Budget* | 2012 Approved Budget* |
| N. America Wetlands Conserv Act | $37.4 | $20 | $35.55 | $35.55 |
| State and Tribal Wildlife Grants | $61.88 | $22 | $61.42 | $61.42 |
| Historic Preservation Fund | $54.4 | $49.5 | $64 | $56 |
| Land and Water Conservation Fund | $301 | $90 | $350 | $322.8 |
| *Spending is in millions | ||||
Conservation funding could have easily ended up with much lower funding. In many cases, funding came out as high as could be realistically hoped. In one other example, the National Wildlife Refuge System actually received a $3.5 million increase over the Senate’s high water mark recommendation in the final package. Based on what happened with other departments and agencies, it is clear that America’s policy makers saw significant value in conservation programs.
As the budget process moves forward for 2013, it is clear that conservation funding still faces a number of challenges. The AVCRP coalition is committed to continuing this fight next year. This coalition is a testament to what can be accomplished when American conservation and other like minded organizations work together for a common purpose.
