NC WILDLIFE RESOURCES COMMISSION FACING SERIOULS BUDGET CUTS
The Coastal Fisheries Reform Group (CFRG) supports the Camo Coalition in its efforts to eliminate or at least mitigate the budget cuts proposed in the NC Legislature. Anyone wanting to help can click on the link below and send a message.]
You can also contact you NC House and Senate member, which can be found on the NC Legislature web site. You can also visit
http://www.nccamo.org/ for more information.
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| Senate Budget Slashes Wildlife Appropriation |
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The Senate has released its 2013 – 2014 budget proposal and it has passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee. The cuts to the Wildlife Resources Commission budget are staggering and, if enacted, will cut long-standing and important programs of the agency significantly. In previous years the General Assembly has appropriated about $18 million to the Commission to provide services and infrastructure to manage and protect the fish and wildlife resources of the state. This year, the proposal is to appropriate only $9 million to the agency for these activities. This is a cut of about 49%. Hunters and fishermen in NC will certainly miss the fish and wildlife programs and services supported by these cut funds.
The Senate will vote on the budget tomorrow, Wednesday, May 22, 2013. The budget has to be voted on in two separate days, so this cut may be addressed and funds restored on Thursday, May 23, 2013 also. You still have time to provide important input to your Senator to correct this misguided cut.
The fish and wildlife management programs and infrastructure of the Wildlife Resources
Commissions contribute significantly to the state and local economies. The programs of the agency impact the state in all areas and have been created over the years with receipts collected from hunting and fishing license sales and other receipts from agency programs. Appropriations to the WRC are typically used to support the programs of the agency that benefit all the citizens of the state.
The Senate budget cut is accompanied with the implied suggestion that the Commission use the Wildlife Endowment Fund (WEF) to make up the difference. The WEF was created to provide a supplemental source of funding to improve fish and wildlife programs and not to replace traditional sources of financial support from the General Assembly. The WEF has been utilized over the years to keep our fish and wildlife programs efficient and current with such projects as fish hatchery improvement, improvements to law enforcement, and game lands purchases. We need to keep this valuable asset to continue improving our fish and wildlife programs and not be required to expend these trust funds for routine operations.
Click TAKE ACTION to send a message to your Senator today and ask him or her to restore the modest appropriation to the WRC budget to avoid significant reduction in services so important to the hunters and fishermen of NC.
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