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Heads of Agriculture, Interior discuss policy priorities, economic challenges to conservation with board of directors of sportsmen’s group.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- Interior Department Secretary Ken Salazar and Agriculture Department Secretary Tom Vilsack met with the board of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership this week to discuss the challenges facing fish and wildlife conservation, public access to lands and waters, and funding cuts to programs key to hunting and angling.

“The investments in conservation historically made by American sportsmen and –women are substantial,” said TRCP Board Chair Katie Distler Eckman, “and we greatly appreciate the fact that the administration is acknowledging these contributions and demonstrating its commitment to working with hunters and anglers as we navigate this rocky terrain toward economic sustainability.”

During his remarks to the TRCP board yesterday, Secretary Salazar underscored the need to frame conservation by the funding challenges currently capturing the attention of Congress and the administration. He spoke positively about America’s Voice for Conservation, Recreation and Preservation, a coalition led in part by the TRCP that is committed to securing continued funding for conservation, outdoor recreation and historic preservation programs. A recently issued report cited by the AVCRP demonstrates that the outdoors and historic preservation generate more than $1 trillion in total economic activity and support 9.4 million jobs every year.

“From President Theodore Roosevelt’s bold steps to establish national parks, wildlife refuges and forests to President Obama signing the 2009 Public Lands Bill into law in his first days in office, America has a proud tradition of protecting the places that matters most to hunters, fishermen and our families,” said Secretary Salazar. “One in 20 U.S. jobs is in the recreation economy – more than there are doctors, lawyers or teachers. With the help of the TRCP and the support of sportsmen and businessmen across the country, the Obama administration is promoting investments in conservation that contribute to the economic growth of America.”

Secretary Vilsack, who met with the TRCP board this morning, reiterated the necessity for innovation in addressing budget constraints and economic challenges. The secretary emphasized the USDA’s commitment to demonstrating to businesses that investments in conservation will achieve profitable results.

“Outdoor recreation has an extraordinary capacity to create jobs, boost tourism and stimulate the economy,” said Vilsack. “Sportsmen’s voices will be critical to reinforce the fact that USDA is doing its part to uphold and expand outdoor opportunities and that these good programs do important things to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for people throughout the country.”

“Funding that upholds our natural resources and outdoor traditions equals a sound fiscal investment from which all Americans stand to gain,” stated TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh. “The administration’s support of key measures such as Open Fields and the Conservation Reserve Program achieve twin goals of conservation and economic sustainability. The TRCP and our partners value this clear dedication to sportsmen’s interests and look forward to continued opportunities to work together toward these goals.”

Learn more about the TRCP’s work in support of conservation funding.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the tradition of hunting and fishing. Visit: www.trcp.org

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Gulf of Mexico Initiative will offer conservation assistance to landowners, funding clean water, wildlife and fisheries restoration.

Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership

WASHINGTON --(Ammoland.com)- The establishment of a U.S. Department of Agriculture plan to improve fish and wildlife habitat and water quality in the Gulf of Mexico watershed drew praise from American sportsmen, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership announced today.

The Gulf of Mexico Initiative will direct up to $50 million over three years toward conservation assistance to landowners in priority areas along major rivers that drain into the Gulf. Launched via the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, the initiative is among the efforts being undertaken by the administration’s Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force.

“Sportsmen are encouraged to see this important part of the Gulf restoration equation being addressed by the administration,” said Geoff Mullins, TRCP senior director of policy initiatives and communications.

“A comprehensive approach to conservation and land use for the region – one that focuses not only on the coastal and marine habitats but the lands upstream as well – is the best way to restore the unique Gulf coast ecosystems. What’s at stake is healthy habitat for the coastal fish and wildlife species that are critical to supporting the strong economic engine of hunting and sport fishing throughout the region.”

The Gulf of Mexico Initiative comprises five Gulf Coast states – Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas – and focuses funds restoring water supplies, wildlife populations and fisheries associated with riverside communities and cities in these states. Sixteen priority watersheds are targeted for participation in the Gulf of Mexico Initiative.

“Like so many of our most identifiable waters, the Gulf of Mexico has water quality challenges that get their start hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away from the Gulf itself,” said Steve Kline, director of the TRCP Center for Agricultural and Private Lands. “Hunters and anglers across the country – not just on the Gulf Coast – applaud the administration’s support of these outdoors-dependent economies.

“A clean Gulf of Mexico begins in a flooded Texas rice field, a Mississippi cotton field, an Alabama pine stand and a citrus grove in Florida,” Kline continued. “Sound upstream conservation efforts like the USDA Gulf of Mexico Initiative underline the importance of a holistic, watershed-based approach that invests money wisely in places where real impacts can be made and benefit the public for generations to come.”

“Nationally, activities related to fishing support more than 1 million jobs and contribute almost $125 billion annually to the economy, with the Gulf region alone supporting more than 82,000 jobs and $8 billion in economic output” said American Sportfishing Association President and CEO Mike Nussman. “If we want to improve our financial situation we should continue to invest in our open spaces. The Gulf of Mexico Initiative takes steps in this direction, and we appreciate the government’s investments in the Gulf’s natural resources, citizens and economy.”

• Learn more about the TRCP’s work in support of responsible marine fisheries management.
• Learn about the TRCP’s efforts to conserve America’s agricultural and privately owned lands.

About:
Inspired by the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt, the TRCP is a coalition of organizations and grassroots partners working together to preserve the tradition of hunting and fishing. Visit: www.trcp.org

Filed under: Conservation News by Ammoland No Comments »