U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
The President's FY 2008 budget request of $1.287 billion in discretionary appropriations for the U.S.F.W.S. supports a range of important conservation initiatives, including efforts to enhance our nation's native fisheries and assist landowners who volunteer to manage their property for the benefit of imperiled wildlife. The budget includes an additional $859.4 million accessible under permanent appropriations, most of which will be provided directly to states for fish and wildlife and restoration and conservation.
" The Service conserves our nation's fish, wildlife and plants on behalf of the American people, using the best science and working cooperatively with government, organizations and individuals at all levels," said U.S.F.W.S. Director H. Dale Hall. "The agency is committed to achieving long-range conservation goals that will ensure a future for the wild resources we all value so much. Working with conservation partners from a broad range of interests helps us better accomplish our mission."
The 2008 budget for the FWS operating account, Resource Management, is $1.0 billion, $40 million above 2007. The 2008 budget includes full backing for fixed costs, including $28.3 million, the majority of which funds pay and other anticipated costs in the Resource Management account.
The FY 2008 request provides critical support for the Service's efforts to expand fish access to stream habitat necessary for natural reproduction. The budget request includes $11.0 million for the fish passage program. This is a $6.0 million increase and will allow the FWS to participate in the Open Rivers Initiative, a multi-agency plan to remove existing barriers, such as old road culverts, that prevent fish movement up streams. The budget also requests a $2.25 million increase for the Countrywide Fish Habitat Action Plan, a comprehensive, coordinated effort to increase the quality of habitat for our nation's fish.
The FY 2008 budget also funds a number of significant new efforts such as:
An increase of $2.0 million to support work for the Healthy Lands Initiative. In conjunction with the Bureau of Land Management and U.S.G.S., the Service will enhance habitat and protect species on private lands. The FWS funds will focus on the Green River Basin of Wyoming, which encompasses both important wildlife habitat and significant energy resources. Backing will support habitat conservation, more timely candidate consultations for species eligible to be protected under the Endangered Species Act, as well as support for the Western Native Trout Initiative.
A programmatic increase of $4.7 million for National Wildlife Refuge System wildlife and habitat management. This will allow the refuge system to restore an additional 5,102 acres of wetlands and 48,000 acres of uplands. It will also provide a $600,000 increase for the newly created Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Countrywide Monument to protect natural resources, enhance visitation and preserve native Hawaiian culture. The monument includes the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.
A net programmatic increase of $5.7 million for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Plan to support the recovery of species on the federal list of threatened and endangered species, as well as candidate species, and other species on private lands. This includes a portion of the Backing for the Secretary's Healthy Lands Initiative. The Partner's Plan will direct $750,000 to support habitat restoration and enhancement plans in Wyoming's Green River Basin. The Partners Plan will continue working with all States and Territories in support of their strategic habitat conservation goals.
Other ongoing Service efforts highlighted in the President's FY 2008 budget suggestion include:
The full request for the National Wildlife Refuge system is nearly $398.4 million which is a net programmatic increase of nearly $2.8 million.
The Fisheries Plan is slated to gain nearly $124.8 million, a net increase of nearly $7.3 million.
The FY 2008 President's Budget Request will be made accessible online in a few weeks at http://budget.fws.gov.
The U.S.F.W.S. is the principal Federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 96-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 National wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 Countrywide fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies.
