Defend our National Forests - Demand Improved Funding

On February 5, the Bush Administration released its FY09 budget and once again the National Forests have been hit hard.  Many of this perpetually underfunded agency’s programs were gutted.  This severe cutting of the National Forest Service’s budget has not gone unnoticed.  As hikers, we need to work together to protect the trails we love, so please write your elected officials and tell them to restore funding to our forests.

Background

Since the late 1990s, the Forest Service has received only token budget increases in recreation programs.  By the time these small increases—2-4% on average—reach the ground, they look more like 5% cuts.  In Washington state, struggling Forests have leverage volunteer labor with Northwest Forest Pass revenues just to keep their heads above water.  But volunteers can’t do all of the work that needs to be done on Forest Service lands.  By 2003, Forests in Washington were operating with a trail maintenance backlog that had mounted into the tens of millions of dollars.  In 2003 and 2006, unprecedented wind and rain storms washed out roads and trails across National Forests in Washington.  All told, nearly $95 million in damage has been wreaked by these weather events.  The FY 09 budget does nothing to solve these problems.  Rather, the administration seems to be going out of its way to make things worse.

FY 09 Administration Budget Lowlights

While the proposed budget includes an increase for National Park Service operations it more than makes up for that small increase with slashes to National Forest System and federal land conservation programs.

• Cutting $161 million from the National Forest System appropriation, from $1.506 billion to $1.345 billion.  These cuts will not fall equally upon all heads—some National Forests will be hit harder than others
• Zeroing the State Side of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).  Reducing these critical grant dollars from $24.6 million to nothing drastically limits states’ ability to preserve critical landscapes.
• Reducing the Federal Side of LWCF to $42.5 million from $129.7 million.  While some dollars are left on the Federal Side, this cuts stands in sharp contrast to President Bush’s 2000 campaign promise to fully fund LWCF, which can receive a maximum appropriation of $900 million.
  

Taken together, these cuts add speed to a system that is in a tailspin.  Such cuts could result in the loss of 1,200 forest service jobs national.  This at a time when more career Forest Service staff retire with no one to take their places, the knowledge base that has worked closely with volunteers to keep trails open is fading.  Partnerships can work wonders, as WTA has demonstrated.  But we need Forest Service staff on the ground to make partnerships work.

What you can do:

Call and write your Member of Congress and both our Senators and ask them to work with their fellow delegation members to resist cuts made in the administration’s FY 09 budget as it works its way through the Fiscal Committees in the House and Senate.

Talking Points

• I am a member of your district who cares our forests; Forest Service money cut from FY 08 appropriations should be restored.

• Additionally, National Forest System funding should be increased 5% over FY 08 appropriations, for a total of $1.581 billion.

• Finally, State and Federal Sides of LWCF should be restored to 08 funding levels.

You can find your Member of Congress here and Senators here.