Washington Watch, 07/25/08

Request for Proposals Issued for Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Program

Request for Proposals Issued for Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Program

On July 23rd, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service issued a request for proposals (RFP) for grants through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund. Authorized by Section 6 of the Endangered Species Act, these grants are available for states and territories to use for a variety of conservation projects to benefit federally listed species and their habitat.

The Service is seeking proposals for the following three grant categories under the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund:

Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) Land Acquisition Grants: Grants are available to states and territories to assist in the acquisition of land associated with the approved Habitat Conservation Plans. Grants cannot be used to fund the mitigation requirements of an HCP; rather, must support acquisitions that complement the HCP.

Recovery Land Acquisition Grants: Grants are available to states and territories to assist in the acquisition of habitat for federally listed endangered and threatened species in support of approved species recovery plans.

Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance Grants: Grants are available to states and territories to support the development of HCPs, through the support of baseline surveys, inventories, outreach, and other such planning activities.

For FY 2009, the President's budget request for the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund would provide approximately $75.5 million in funding for these grant programs. The state or territory, by law, must have a current cooperative agreement with the Secretary of Interior to be eligible for funding and must contribute at least 25% of the total project costs, or 10% of the total cost when two or more states or territories undertake a joint project.

In FY 2008, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service awarded more than $70 million in grants to support the conservation of federally-listed threatened and endangered fish and wildlife species habitat through these grant programs. Over $7.5 million in grants were awarded to 17 states to support local planning and habitat protection efforts through the Habitat Conservation Planning Assistance grant program. Over $35 million in grants were also awarded to 9 projects in 6 states through the HCP Land Acquisition grant program. Another $14 million in grants were awarded to 12 states to support over 20 individual habitat acquisition and protection efforts through the Recovery Land Acquisition grant program.

To read more about grants awarded through the Cooperative Endangered Species Conservation Fund, or to learn more about the program, please visit the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's website.

Conservation Bills of Interest

Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2008, S 3213: Introduced on June 26 by Senator Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat from New Mexico and Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the measure includes more than 90 bills that have already been reported favorably from the committee to the Senate floor. This legislation is the second omnibus public lands bill to reach the Senate floor in 2008. Included among the wide variety of smaller bills are park boundary adjustments, national trail designations, wilderness expansions, and reclamation projects. Some bills of interest include the reauthorization of the American Battlefield Protection Program (S 1921), the establishment of Paterson National Historical Park in New Jersey (HR 189), and the study of designating historical sites relating to Alexander Hamilton in the U.S. Virgin Islands as a unit of the National Park System (S 1969).

The smaller bills have been combined into a larger package by Chairman Bingaman in order to overcome the objections on the Senate floor of Senator Tom Coburn, a Republican from Oklahoma. Senator Coburn has placed holds on these individual measures, arguing that additional funds should not be spent on additional parks, forests, and programs. His objections can be overcome by a vote of 60 senators. An omnibus approach makes it more likely that senators will achieve the necessary votes, move forward on the legislation, and then send the package to the House for final congressional approval.

The first collection of natural resources legislation prepared by Chairman Bingaman's committee, the Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 was considered by Congress in the spring and subsequently became Public Law 110-229 on May 8. This package included 62 smaller bills. When the package went to the Senate floor, Senator Coburn had negotiated the opportunity to present four amendments for a vote. Each amendment was defeated with the support of no more than 30 senators, and the final bill passed with a bipartisan vote of 91 to 4.

The Revolutionary War and War of 1812 Battlefield Protection Act, HR 160: Introduced on January 4, 2007 by Representative Rush Holt, a Democrat from New Jersey, the legislation creates a new battlefield protection program within the National Park Service for sites relating to the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812. The House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on the bill on July 10, 2008. On July 16, 2008, the full Natural Resources Committee held a markup and passed the bill as amended by the committee.

The potential program is modeled after the Civil War Battlefield Protection Program created by Congress in 2002. Under the bill, state and local governments, in partnership with non-profit organizations, may apply to the National Park Service for one-to-one federal matching grants to acquire fee or easement interests in land to preserve battlefield sites related to the two wars. The sites must be outside the boundaries of existing national park units and must be listed in a National Park Service study presented to Congress in September 2007. This report was authorized by Congress back in 1996. At total of $30 million from the Land and Water Conservation Fund over three years is authorized by the legislation for the matching grants.

The Civil War Battlefield Protection Act, S 1921 and HR 2933: The legislation reauthorizes the Civil War Battlefield Protection Program created by Congress in 2002. The bill is sponsored by Senator Jim Webb, a Democrat from Virginia, in the Senate and Representative Gary Miller, a Republican from California, in the House.

The program, which is authorized to provide up to $10 million a year for Civil War battlefield preservation outside of existing National Park Service units, is set to expire on September 30, 2008, the end of the fiscal year. According to the National Park Service, $26.3 million in grants have been awarded through the program to protect 15,705 acres at 72 Civil War battlefield sites. The bill would extend the program through FY 2013. Given the upcoming expiration of the program and the bipartisan congressional support that it enjoys - there are 32 cosponsors in the Senate and 107 cosponsors in the House - both the House and Senate have made progress on the reauthorization. On April 10, 2008, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee favorably reported the bill to the Senate floor and published Senate Report 110-300. On July 10, 2008, the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on its version of the bill.

The bill was also included in the second omnibus natural resources legislation, S 3213, introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat from New Mexico, on June 26 (described above). Therefore, the bill can either become law as a stand alone measure, or through the Senate's omnibus package, assuming final congressional and presidential approval. Given the shortness of time remaining on the congressional calendar, the latter vehicle is more likely.

Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park Act, HR 189 and S 148: Introduced by Representative Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey, HR 189 establishes the Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park in New Jersey. The 77-foot Great Falls on the Passaic River in Paterson spurred Alexander Hamilton to create the Society for the Establishment of Useful Manufactures (SUM) in the 1790s to develop the site for industrial purposes. As the first Secretary of the Treasury and a New Yorker, Hamilton was greatly interested in ensuring the longterm economic and industrial growth needed to keep America independent and self-supporting and was familiar with the region's potential as a centrally located transportation, shipping, manufacturing, and population hub.

The national historical park would include seven sites or features around the falls to protect the falls' natural and historical resources. The National Park Service would sign cooperative agreements with New Jersey, Paterson, and private organizations as to the ownership and management of the individual sites.

Due to the support of both New Jersey senators and the state's entire House delegation of seven Democrats and six Republicans, significant progress has been made on the bill during the 110th Congress. The bill passed the House on October 22, 2007 and was favorably reported by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 16, 2008. Attached to the bill are House Report 110-310 and Senate Report 110-376. The bill was also included in the second omnibus natural resources legislation, S 3213, introduced by Senator Jeff Bingaman, a Democrat from New Mexico, on June 26 (described above). Therefore, the bill can either become law as a stand alone measure, or through the Senate's omnibus package, assuming final congressional and presidential approval. Given the shortness of time remaining on the congressional calendar, the latter vehicle is more likely.

Trail of Tears National Historical Trail Act of 2008, HR 5335: Introduced on February 20, 2008, by Representative Zach Wamp, a Republican from Tennessee, HR 5335 would expand the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail to include additional routes taken by Native Americans when they were removed by the federal government from Southeastern states to present-day Oklahoma in the 1830s. The House Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands held a hearing on the legislation on July 15, 2008.

The expanded trail would include the Benge and Bell routes westward, the land components of the designated water routes in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee, the routes from the collection forts in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee to the emigration depots, and the related campgrounds located along the routes and land components.

The bill is supported by a bipartisan collection of 21 representatives from North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma. Many of the same lawmakers, led then as well by Representative Wamp, previously teamed up to author Public Law 110-378, which was signed into law in December of 2006. That bill authorized the National Park Service to study the inclusion of these sites into the trail. HR 5335 would bypass that study process.

For more information about the federal programs, visit Federal Programs page.

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