Congress Boosts Conservation Funding, Commits to Habitat and Access Programs
Funding for Environment and Interior is up, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is in, but a much-needed fix for fire borrowing is out
Washington, DC -(AmmoLand.com)- Overnight, Congressional leadership unveiled a bipartisan omnibus appropriations bill that includes some important investments in habitat and sportsmen’s access.
The must-pass legislation, which is necessary to avoid a government shutdown, will move forward quickly after weeks of intense negotiating.
Sportsmen and women should be pleased to see:
- $32.158 billion allocated for Interior and Environment—a 6-percent increase over FY2015, which includes boosts for the Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and Bureau of Land Management.
- The Land and Water Conservation Fund reauthorized through 2018, with $450 million appropriated for FY2016, an increase of more than $100 million over the FY2015 level.
- $5.77 billion for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), or $324.6 million more than FY2015, with increases for coastal science and assessment.
- No rider to undermine protections for headwater streams and wetlands.
- No rider to delay or defund conservation plans meant to keep the greater sage grouse off the endangered …Read the Rest
Source:: AmmoLand
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