Number: 1994-13
WHEREAS, watchable fish and wildlife programs can play a valuable role in efforts by state conservation agencies to maintain biological diversity through research, preserve endangered species, manage habitat, restore wildlife and educate the public which enjoys outdoor recreations; and
WHEREAS, surveys demonstrate that 76.1 million adults in the U.S. are actively involved in some sort of nonconsumptive recreational activity which is enhanced by the many species of watchable fish and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, most funding for these much-demanded watchable fish and wildlife programs comes through severely underfunded and unpredictable sources, such as income tax checkoffs and other voluntary contributions; and
WHEREAS, the National Wildlife Federation, in its 1988 position paper, “Funding State Nongame Programs: How Much is Enough?,” demonstrated need for increased funding in the range of $88,000,000 per year to meet watchable fish and wildlife work program goals of the 50 states; and
WHEREAS, Congress recognized, but has yet to satisfactorily address, this shortfall of reliable watchable fish and wildlife funding when it passed the Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 (The Nongame Act), but has yet to fund it; and
WHEREAS, the just-released National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife Associated Recreation points out that nonconsumptive recreationists in the U.S. spend over $18 billion annually to pursue those activities;
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the National Wildlife Federation in annual meeting assembled March 4-6, 1994 in Austin, Texas, encourages establishment of a federal Aid to Watchable Fish and Wildlife Resource Fund. Such a fund could utilize an excise tax on nonconsumptive equipment and supplies in the same manner as those supported by hunters, anglers and other consumptive outdoor recreationists; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that funds from such a system be equitably returned to the states, to be utilized for education, research, and enhancement of watchable fish and wildlife resources.