The Honorable Mitch McConnell Majority Leader United States Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 | The Honorable Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 |
The Honorable Chuck Schumer Minority Leader United States Senate Washington D.C. 20510 | The Honorable Kevin McCarthy Minority Leader United States House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 |
May 18, 2020
Dear Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McCarthy, The COVID-19 pandemic is a national crisis and the need to address the health and safety of communities as well as the economic futures of people across the nation is paramount. As Congress works to restart the American economy and put people back to work, you have an opportunity to create a large number of green, long-term jobs performing vital conservation and restoration work. Similar to the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps during the recovery from the Great Depression, Congress can revive the United States economy by investing $25 billion in new and existing conservation programs that will create hundreds of thousands of direct jobs and provide benefits to people, communities and the environment. On the ground conservation and restoration work has myriad benefits. Most importantly, this work is needed in virtually every corner of the United States, creates quality jobs impossible to outsource, and can provide employment opportunities for low-wealth communities, Black, Brown, Indigenous and other people of color, and younger people, all of whom are suffering disproportionately from this current economic downturn. Conservation work can—and should—be conducted in an equitable manner, guaranteeing fair wages and utilizing project labor agreements, community benefit agreements, local hire, and other provisions and practices that ensure the rights of workers and promote environmental justice. The United States can overcome this economic hardship while protecting and restoring our unique natural resources which includes a diverse array of fish and wildlife and our national wildlife refuges, forests, parks, monuments and other public lands. Restoring wildlife, wild lands and waterways contributes to significant public health benefits for all people. As Congress begins to plan for the post- pandemic recovery, we urge you to provide funding for federal agencies and existing federal grant programs to support the work of state and local governments and agencies, Tribes, public universities, and small businesses to immediately implement the following conservation and restoration projects for the benefit of all. RESTORING WILDLIFE AND PUBLIC LANDS Prioritizing Endangered Species Recovery Threatened and endangered fish, wildlife and plants are found across the United States, and every imperiled species would benefit from additional conservation work to further their recovery. Despite their importance, recovery programs have been consistently and significantly underfunded, with recent estimates indicating species receive less than one-quarter of the funding scientists indicate is required. Habitat restoration, the removal of invasive plants, the humane management of invasive animal species, and translocating and restoring species to their historic range all are contingent upon having sufficient funding and capacity. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) work in close partnership with other federal, state, local agencies, Tribal governments and private landowners, and these collaborations helped to save the California condor, gray whale, black-footed ferret, and the bald eagle from extinction. Similar work on other species could put thousands of people to work on environmentally beneficial projects in a COVID-19 stimulus bill. Recovery projects should be prioritized whenever possible when Congress funds the other conservation initiatives discussed below. Restoring Public Lands Public lands – including national forests, national parks, national wildlife refuges and lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management – are crucial to the conservation of our nation’s fish and wildlife and the well-being of its people. Unfortunately, landscapes and habitats on public lands nationwide have suffered significant harm and are in need of environmental and cultural resource restoration. Similarly, much of the infrastructure associated with the use of public lands has been abandoned, left in disrepair, is no longer needed, and/or creates hazards for public land users and wildlife. We urge Congress to significantly increase funding for reclamation and restoration work on public lands to create significant job opportunities and improve the beauty, function, and safety of public lands. Examples of projects and funding recommendations include:- Removal of unauthorized and unneeded roads and trails that negatively impact fish and wildlife habitat, movement, and security,
- Reclamation of orphaned well pads and abandoned mines,
- Removal of degraded and abandoned rangeland infrastructure, debris, and waste,
- Conversion and repair of existing or damaged rangeland infrastructure to mitigate impacts to fish and wildlife and safeguard sensitive habitats, and
- Fully fund and expand the U.S. Youth Conservation
- Decommissioning, repairing and/or relocating roads that negatively impact waterways and water quality, including removal or replacement of culverts to reconnect stream segments and re-establish passage of native aquatic species,
- Restoration of natural stream channels and hydrologic flows including removing dams and water diversion infrastructure and gully stabilization,
- Restoration of coral reefs, coastal dunes, and estuaries,
- Creation of wetlands and other natural alternatives to gray infrastructure, and
- Humane management of invasive animal species, removal of invasive plant species and restoration of native vegetation for wildlife habitat and stream bank
- Identification and management of wildlife corridors by increasing agency capacity, funding improvements, and directing grants to landowners, states, and Tribes,
- Construction of wildlife overpasses, underpasses, and bounding fences across busy roads and highways,
- Removal, re-siting, or modifying infrastructure that is a barrier to fish and wildlife migrations and movements,
- Burial of transmission lines to reduce bird strikes and other impacts to wildlife, and
- Developing and employing technology to reduce impacts to wildlife from energy production and other infrastructure.
- Substantially increase federal and state agency staffing in the areas of import/border inspection for agriculture and wildlife,
- Fund additional invasive species strike teams on national wildlife refuges and other public lands to remove invasive plants and humanely manage invasive animals,
- Fully fund the Bureau of Land Management Plant Conservation and Restoration Program to implement the National Seed Strategy, including the construction, operation and maintenance of up to five native seed storage facilities across the country,
- Scale up existing contracts for seed collection and research and support native plants material development on Tribal lands, including culturally significant plants, and
- Establish a comprehensive national survey of invasive plants and
- Development and implementation of wildlife-friendly waste management strategies,
- Installation of electric fencing and application of other non-lethal wildlife deterrents,
- Creation and maintenance of livestock composting facilities and carcass removal programs,
- Expansion of on-the-ground community outreach and education programs,
- Increasing funding for federal, state and Tribal non-lethal wildlife conflict specialists, and
- Funding of pilot programs geared to creative non-lethal solutions to conflicts in the urban wildlands interface.
1 Economic activity generated by restoration activities is well documented, producing between 13 and 30 jobs for every $1 million invested. Restoration of coastal wetlands can create as many as 29 jobs for every $1 million invested. https://cdn.americanprogress.org/wp- content/uploads/issues/2011/09/pdf/public_lands.pdf; see also Nielsen-Pincus, Max and Cassandra Moseley. Economic and Employment Impacts of Forest and Watershed Restoration in Oregon. Ecosystem Workforce Program. Working Paper Number 24, Spring 2010. https://scholarsbank.uoregon.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/1794/10776/WP24.pdf?sequence=1 2 The Endangered Species Act a popular law that enjoys the support of 90 percent of American voters. “Poll Finds Overwhelming, Broad-Based Support for the Endangered Species Act Among Voters Nationwide,” Tulchin Research. 2015. https://earthjustice.org/sites/default/files/files/PollingMemoNationalESASurvey.pdf 3 See for example https://defenders-cci.org/files/ESA_recovery_costs_2019.pdf;and https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/biodiversity/pdfs/Shortchanged.pdf. 4https://www.fws.gov/ecological-services/about/what-we-do.html 5 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/habitat-restoration-supports-jobs-stewardship 6 The Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program (LRT) is an example of a very successful program created by Congress to address problems with the USFS’s massive roads and trails system. LRT has created many thousands of good jobs while restoring watersheds and habitat, improving access and recreation, and providing drinking water protection. See e.g. https://www.fs.fed.us/restoration/Legacy_Roads_and_Trails/ 7 https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/reports/2020/04/29/484158/congress-can-help-energy-states-weather-oil-bust-coronavirus-pandemic/ 8 https://www.nps.gov/subjects/youthprograms/ycc.htm 9 For example: https://www.epa.gov/hwp/what-epa-doing-healthy-watersheds, https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/habitat-conservation#how-we-restore, 10 See LRT program above and https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/reopening-rivers-migratory-fish 11 https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/habitat-conservation/current-and-past-community-based-restoration-projects 12 https://www.epa.gov/nep and https://www.noaa.gov/topic-tags/coastal-restoration 13 A single acre of wetlands can hold up to 1.5 million gallons of rain or melting snow. Wetlands, once constructed or restored, also require little to no maintenance investment, a savings over conventional water treatment options. See: Function and Value of Wetlands. EPA 843-f-01-002c. Sep. 2001. Available at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-02/documents/functionsvaluesofwetlands.pdf, https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/ZyPURL.cgi?Dockey=30004TBD.TXT, and https://www.wateronline.com/doc/constructed-wetlands-a-low-cost-alternative-0002 14 See for example: http://escalanteriverwatershedpartnership.org/success-stories/healthy-rivers-and-healthy-communities-story/ and https://www.troutheadwaters.com/services-restoration-mitigation-climate-more/, and https://www.beaverinstitute.org/management/stream-restoration/ 15 Congress should consider incorporating the bi-partisan Wildlife Corridors Conservation Act, H.R. 2795 and (S. 1499) and the Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2019, H.R. 5179 (S. 2891) passed by the House Natural Resources Committee in 2020, and the bi-partisan wildlife crossing pilot program (Section 1125) and related provisions expanding wildlife infrastructure funding eligibility found in S.2302 unanimously passed by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in July 2019. 16 https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/safety/08034/08034.pdf 17 For a list of potential projects, see https://wildlandsnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Wildlife-Crossing-List-for-Infrastructure-Funding.pdf 18 https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/invasive_species_impacts_on_infrastructure.pdf, and https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/invasive_species_impacts_on_federal_infrastructure.pdf 19 Cooperative Alliance for Refuge Enhancement: Testimony submitted to U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies FY 2021 Appropriations Request for National Wildlife Refuge System 20 https://www.doi.gov/sites/doi.gov/files/uploads/isac_green_economy_white_paper.pdf 21 Reaser and Waugh 2007; https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/2007-058.pdf 22 https://www.blm.gov/sites/blm.gov/files/programs_natural-resources_native-plant-communities_national-seed-strategy_pca_Framework.pdf 23 http://www.bearsmart.com/managing-communities/waste-management/ 24 For example: hiring additional wildlife rangers, conducting bear identification and bear spray deployment clinics, printing and distribution of education materials, conducting livestock husbandry workshops, purchase of equipment for removal of attractants, etc. See also: http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=95623 25 Settele, Josef, Sandra Díaz Eduardo Brondizio, and Dr. Peter Daszak. COVID-19 Stimulus Measures Must Save Lives, Protect Livelihoods, and Safeguard Nature to Reduce the Risk of Future Pandemics. April 27, 2020. Available at https://ipbes.net/covid19stimulus. 26 See, e.g.: Ostfeld RS, Biodiversity loss and the rise of zoonotic pathogens. Ja. 2009. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19220353; Wilkinson, David A., Jonathan C. Marshall, Nigel P. French, and David T. S. Hayman. Habitat fragmentation, biodiversity loss and the risk of novel infectious disease emergence. Dec. 2018. Available at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6303791/.