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TRANSPORTATION ACT SPELLS SUCCESS FOR ANGLERS, BOATERS, REFUGES
- Subject: TRANSPORTATION ACT SPELLS SUCCESS FOR ANGLERS, BOATERS, REFUGES
- From: Christine Manninen <manninen@glc.org>
- Date: Mon, 15 Jun 1998 08:13:09 -0400
- List-Name: GLIN-Announce
- Organization: Great Lakes Commission
Posted on behalf of Rich Greenwood <rich_greenwood@smtp2.irm.r9.fws.gov>
---
TRANSPORTATION ACT SPELLS SUCCESS FOR ANGLERS, BOATERS,
AND NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES
The millions of dollars anglers and boaters spend for fishing
equipment and boating fuel now will provide better protection for
natural resources, create more recreation opportunities, and will
continue to improve boating safety, thanks to a major
transportation act signed into law today by President Clinton.
Thousands of miles of crumbling roads within the National Wildlife
Refuge System also will be repaired under the new law's
provisions.
"Through the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA
21), President Clinton and Congress have created an even greater
legacy of care for the Nation's aquatic natural resources and the
people who enjoy them," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Director Jamie Rappaport Clark. "In addition, the act now places
the National Wildlife Refuge System on a par with other major
land-managing agencies by providing significant support for refuge
road repair."
"I applaud Congress' efforts to address the maintenance needs of
the National Wildlife Refuge System," said Director Clark. "I
also want to recognize the tremendous leadership of Senators John
Chafee and Max Baucus in making sure this legislation addressed
these needs. Receiving this funding under the Federal Lands
Highways Program will help us ensure safe and accessible roads for
the 30 million Americans who visit national wildlife refuges each
year. It will also allow the Fish and Wildlife Service to target
limited resources toward vital wildlife conservation programs on
refuges."
Sport fishing, boating, and refuge system benefits from the new
law include:
Repairing Refuge Roads: The act's Federal Lands Highways
Program includes $20 million in new funding for wildlife
refuge roads each year from 1999 to 2003. According to
Federal Highway Administration (FHA) studies, refuge roads
are used more intensively by the public than all national
forest roads and Department of Defense roads combined.
Currently, the refuge system, consisting of 512 wildlife
refuges and 38 wetland management districts, suffers from a
$158-million road maintenance backlog for its 4,250 miles of
public roads and 424 bridges. Based on an FHA analysis, 70
percent of refuge roads are in poor condition, 25 percent
are in fair condition, and only 5 percent are considered in
good condition. In addition, 90 percent of refuge bridges
need safety and maintenance repairs.
Additional Assets for Aquatic Resource Conservation: The
act will generate a projected increase of $135 million in
transfers of revenues to the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund,
which fuels the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration
Program. The fund now receives 11.5 cents of every 18.3
cents in Federal tax collected on every gallon of gasoline
used by boaters. This figure will rise to 13 cents on
October 1, 2001, and to 13.5 cents on October 1, 2003. The
mechanism that provides for these increases in transfers
also will apply to small-engine fuel taxes, which will be
used for wetlands restoration.
Continuing Clean Vessel Program Successes: The new law
makes $10 million available annually from 1999 to 2003 under
the highly successful clean vessel program. The funds
provide for marine sanitation pumpout facilities that help
minimize the dumping of human waste into waters.
Better Boating Access and Infrastructure: The new act
increases from 12.5 percent to 15 percent the amount of money
each state must spend on boating access from its Federal Aid
in Sport Fish Restoration Program apportionment. In addition,
the act provides $8 million annually from 2000 to 2003 to
meet the special needs of recreational boats that are not
trailered. The new Service-administered program will provide
funds to states to pay up to 75 percent of the costs of
building, renovating, or maintaining public marine facilities
such as slips, mooring buoys, day docks, and navigational
aids.
Education and Outreach Emphasis: A new national outreach
and communications program for sport fishing and boating is
funded at $5 million in 1999, and funding increases
progressively each year until it reaches $10 million in
2003. The program is expected to increase interest in sport
fishing and boating and in the conservation ethic these
activities instill in participants. The Fish and Wildlife
Service also is authorized to spend up to $2.5 million a
year of Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration administrative
funds for outreach and communications programs. In
addition, the amount of Federal Aid in Sport Fish
Restoration money states may spend on aquatic resource
education efforts increases from 10 to 15 percent of each
state's Sport Fish Restoration apportionment.
Boating Safety Funding Stability: TEA 21 also provides
additional support and a more stable source of funding for
grants to states for boating safety programs.
TEA 21 is the successor to the Intermodal Surface Transportation
Efficiency Act (ISTEA), which expired September 30, 1997.
Congress extended ISTEA through March 31; funds from the act were
available through the end of May. The U.S. Senate voted 88 to 5
and the U.S. House of Representatives voted 297 to 86 to approve
the TEA 21 conference report. The bill was approved for the
President's signature May 22.
The Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, provided for within ISTEA and
TEA 21, makes funding available for the Federal Aid in Sport Fish
Restoration Program and Recreational Boating Safety Program. The
programs are funded through excise taxes on fishing tackle,
electric trolling motors, flasher-type sonar fish finders,
motorboat and small-engine fuels, and import duties on fishing
tackle and pleasure boats. Considered a model user-pays, user-
benefits program, the Service-administered Sport Fish Restoration
Program provides grants to states for sport fish restoration and
management, aquatic education and boating access.
Deposits in the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, which is comprised
of the Sport Fish Restoration Account and the Boating Safety
Account, will exceed $334 million for Fiscal Year 1998. States
will receive $272 million from the Sport Fish Restoration Account
this year.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal Federal
agency responsible for conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish
and wildlife and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the
American people. The Service manages more than 94 million acres
of land and water consisting of 512 national wildlife refuges, 78
ecological services field stations, 65 national fish hatcheries,
50 wildlife coordination areas, and 38 wetland management
districts with waterfowl production areas.
The agency also enforces Federal wildlife laws, manages migratory
bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries,
conserves and restores wildlife habitat, such as wetlands,
administers the Endangered Species Act, and helps foreign
governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees
the Federal Aid program that distributes Federal excise taxes on
fishing and hunting equipment to state wildlife agencies. This
program is a cornerstone of the Nation's wildlife management
efforts, funding fish and wildlife restoration, boating access,
hunter education, shooting ranges, and related projects across
America.
-FWS-
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