The Wildlife Society (TWS), drawing on more than 70 years of experience working on wildlife policy with federal, state, and local governments, has offered a series of recommendations to the new US administration and Congress that provide an overview of major issues facing wildlife managers and conservationists.
“There are several major challenges facing us today,” says Dr Michael Hutchins, CEO of TWS. “With a new administration and a new Congress in place, we have an opportunity to make real advances on addressing climate change and a wide range of other critical issues in wildlife management and conservation. Those advances can only occur, however, if wildlife policy relies on science and is developed in a transparent manner.”
At TWS, “part of our mission is to ensure the responsible management of wildlife resources for the benefit of society,” says Hutchins. To that end, the Society has outlined for Congress nine specific areas of concern, along with actions the TWS membership would like to see move forward. The nine priority areas include:
• Global Climate Change: Congress should pass comprehensive climate change legislation that reduces greenhouse gas emissions and allocates a per cent of the revenue generated through the auction of emissions credits to a natural resource adaptation program to mitigate the effects of climate change on fish and wildlife at both state and federal levels.
• Funding for Wildlife Management and Conservation: Federal environment and natural resource programs should be robustly funded commensurate with their needs. In addition, state agencies should receive dedicated, assured funding from the federal government to implement their Wildlife Action Plans.
• Farm Bill: The relevant agencies should request, and Congress should appropriate, full funding for Farm Bill conservation programs, such as the Conservation Reserve Program and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program.
• Clean Water Act: The jurisdiction of the Clean Water Act should be restored to include intermittent streams and intrastate, geographically isolated wetlands.
• Energy Development: Energy development must be done responsibly. The benefits and costs, including possible negative and lasting effects on wildlife and habitat from all forms of energy development, including alternative energy, should be considered and acknowledged at each step in the development process.
• Endangered Species: The Endangered Species Act should be strengthened to increase the effectiveness of threatened and endangered species conservation.
• Invasive Species: TWS encourages effective laws and regulations at the state and federal levels that control the spread of invasive species.
• Sportsmen’s Heritage: The hunting, trapping, and fishing heritage of this country should be sustained through access programs that provide places for the public to hunt, trap, and fish, and through educational programs to attract and retain hunters, trappers, and anglers.
• Professional Societies: The Federal conflict-of-interest statute should be amended to exclude scientific and professional societies so that service in leadership positions within these organisations is allowed and encouraged. Such service reduces isolation, keeps professionals up-to-date on cutting-edge issues in the profession, and makes them more efficient at managing our natural resources.
For a copy of the complete recommendations, please visit www.wildlife.org.
