NWF Affiliates Oppose Public Land Sales

NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION And Western State Affiliates

Working together today for America's wildlife tomorrow

1400 16th St NW #501 - Washington, DC - Tel: 200-797-6800 - Website: www.nwf.org

February 27, 2006

The Honorable Richard Pombo
Chairman, House Resources Committee
United States House of Representatives
2411 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable Nick J. Rahall
Ranking Member, House Resources Committee
2307 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

 Dear Congressman:

On behalf of the National Wildlife Federation and state affiliates we write in strong and unanimous opposition to the proposals contained in the President's budget to sell public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service in order to secure revenues to reduce the federal budget deficit and to fund the Secure Rural Schools and Community Act.

The President's budget proposals are ill-advised for any number of reasons, but foremost among them is the President's failure to recognize the incredible value of the nation's public lands. Public lands encompass a wonderful diversity of fish and wildlife habitats, even while giving millions of Americans opportunities to fish, hike, hunt, camp and otherwise experience the out-of-doors. Every year, these lands become more valuable and more important, and to propose selling them off in order to secure one-time solutions for budget shortfalls is to rob this, and future, generation of a great national legacy.

Under the President's proposal, the reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Act would be contingent on the sale of 300,000 acres of national forest lands as a source of funding. The Secure Rural Schools and Community Act is important legislation and has stabilized funding for rural schools across the country, even while stimulating important, locally supported, management initiatives on national forest land. This law deserves to be reauthorized; what it doesn't deserve is a controversial, short-term funding source that doesn't address the need to permanently fund rural schools. We urge Congress to reauthorize the Secure Rural Schools and Community Act, but to decouple this action from the sale of public lands.

The President also proposes to sell up to 500,000 acres of land managed by the Bureau of Land Management in order to raise 0 million to reduce the federal deficit. We cannot accept this as a serious deficit reduction proposal given a current annual federal deficit of nearly 0 billion. We do regard this ill-conceived proposal as a serious threat to the public trust embodied by the nation's public lands. Drawing down this trust for a miniscule reduction in the federal deficit ignores the enormous benefits that our public lands provide for clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, ecosystem health and diversity, natural resources, and outdoor recreation. These benefits are always accruing and will only grow more valuable as the nation's population and economy also continue to grow.

Earlier this year, the National Wildlife Federation and its state affiliates across the country helped defeat a proposal to sell off public land that was inserted into the House budget reconciliation bill. The outcry that this legislation provoked among sportsmen and sportswomen across the country is tangible evidence of the great value that Americans place on their public lands and the legacy they represent. Such an outcry will occur again if President Bush continues to push these short-sighted budget proposals and the Congress tries to enact them. We respectfully urge you to reject these proposals now.

Finally, we would note that this letter has been circulated just amongst the western affiliates of the National Wildlife Federation, where most of the nation's public lands are located. However, we have no doubt that virtually every NWF affiliate across America would sign this letter if asked. Sportsmen and sportswomen across the country recognize the tremendous value of our nation's public lands and speak with one voice in wanting them protected.   

With best regards,

Larry Schweiger, President and CEO, National Wildlife Federation
Mary Jo Forman Miller, President, Arizona Wildlife Federation
Gary A. Patton, Exec. Dir., California Planning and Conservation League
Kent Ingram, Chair, Colorado Wildlife Federation
Kent Marlor, President, Idaho Wildlife Federation
Craig Sharpe, Executive Director, Montana Wildlife Federation
Christina Miller, President, Nevada Wildlife Federation
Oscar Simpson, President, New Mexico Wildlife Federation
Bill Burbridge, Chair, Utah Wildlife Federation
John McGlenn, President, Washington Wildlife Federation
Mark Winland, President, Wyoming Wildlife Federation
 

Cc:    The Honorable Jim Nussle          The Honorable John M. Spratt          The Honorable Jerry Lewis          The Honorable  David R. Obey

The Honorable Charles H. Taylor          The Honorable Norman D. Dicks          Chief Dale Bosworth          Director Kathleen Clarke