April 2, 2014
Sandra Hobbs, Chair
Friends of Maine’s Seabird Islands (FOMSI)
9 Water St
Rockland, ME 04841
Testimony
For the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related
Agencies
Regarding Fiscal Year 2015 Appropriations for the
National Wildlife Refuge System, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee:
On behalf of the 250 members of the Friends of Maine’s Seabird Islands from across the
country, thank you for the opportunity to submit written testimony on the FY2015
Interior Appropriations bill. Thank you for your past support of the National Wildlife
Refuge System, the world’s premier system of public lands and waters set aside to
conserve America's fish, wildlife and plants.
FOMSI is an all-volunteer group whose mission is to support the Maine Coastal Islands
National Wildlife Refuge. The Refuge manages 59 islands on our 250-mile long coast,
and several thousand acres of mainland wildlife habitat. First, let me emphasize that we
are grateful that we have a National Wildlife Refuge on the coast of Maine. Why? For
many reasons, all of which lead back to the positive economic and social benefits that are
produced by the conservation of wild lands and wise use of our natural resources. The
2006 National Survey of Hunting, Fishing and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, found
that, in Maine alone, hunters, anglers, and wildlife watchers generated nearly $1.5 billion
in revenue for Maine. Clearly, wild lands and healthy fish and wildlife populations are
important to this State’s economy, and the National Wildlife Refuges in Maine are a
significant part of that!
Although we understand and take very seriously the economic challenges that our nation
faces, it is important to point out the positive economic impact that this Refuge has on
local economies. In Maine, according to studies conducted by Dr. Charles Colgan from
the University of Southern Maine, 120 companies provide services involving seabird
viewing as a recreational activity. These include small kayak guides and outfitters all the
way to large ships that go on seabird watching cruises several times each day. An
estimated 5,000 to 7,500 trips are made by people annually primarily for seabird viewing
and 350,000 to 450,000 trips with seabird viewing as a secondary activity. The total
estimate for seabird-related spending was $5 million to $10 million in 2001. This does
not count the number of birders and others who have their own boats and do not take the
organized trips, yet come to this area specifically to see seabirds; accordingly, they have a
significant, but uncalculated impact on the economy, too. Nor does it count the revenues
from stores that sell merchandise from t-shirts to binoculars that go along with birding.
Thousands of people come to the Maine coast each year to see the charismatic Atlantic
puffin, a bird that nests in the United States only in Maine. Currently, over 90% of the
Atlantic puffins nesting in Maine nest on Refuge islands, where they are actively
protected by Refuge staff and partners, such as the National Audubon Society and Maine
Division of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. If funding for this management is not
maintained, these nesting birds will abandon their colonies and Maine will return to the
pre-Refuge situation in the 1970’s and early 1980’s when only gulls nested on many of
the islands. Seabird viewing and birder expenditures will fall, and our already fragile
economy will suffer further.
The economic impact described above is only a part of the positive impact that the
Refuge has on the State’s economy. Others visit the Refuge units to hunt, hike, fish, and
learn about conservation. The Fish and Wildlife Service’s “Banking on Nature” report
showed that the local economic effects of recreational visits to this refuge totaled $7.9
million in 2011, with associated employment of 71 jobs, $2.2 million in employment
income and $930,700 in total tax revenue.
That is a brief summary of the economic impacts that one refuge has in our part of the
country. There are five other refuges in Maine that are also important to Maine’s
economy. Multiply that by the 556 National Wildlife Refuges in the System, and it is
clear that Congress’ investment in the System pays off many-fold to our nation’s
economy. Our National Wildlife Refuges are often economic powerhouses, especially in
rural areas. In fact, “Banking on Nature,” found that for every $1 that is appropriated for
the NWRS, $5 is returned to our nation’s economy.
Therefore, we respectfully ask you to:
1. Maintain management capabilities for the National Wildlife Refuge System by
approving a $4 million increase over FY14 levels. The System actually needs $900
million annually to adequately manage its 150 million acres; a funding allocation of $476
million in FY 12 will simply maintain the status quo.
2. Appropriate $168.8 million in FY15 from the Land and Water Conservation Fund
(LWCF) to acquire conservation easements on working lands and to purchase in-holdings
and vital habitat for the National Wildlife Refuge System, and reauthorize LWCF at $900
million annually. Created in 1965 and authorized at $900 million per year (more than $3
billion today), the LWCF is Refuges’ most important land acquisition tool. More than 8
million acres are unprotected within existing refuge boundaries and there is an increasing
need to establish key wildlife corridors and connections between protected areas making
the LWCF more important than ever.
There are four significant inholdings for sale at the Maine Coastal Islands National
Wildlife Refuge, and more are expected to come on the market soon. Funding of the
LWCF at the authorized level will allow the Refuge to acquire these important inholdings
to further protect its integrity.
3. Appropriate $35 million in FY15 for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act
(NAWCA) and reauthorize the Act at $75 million. This Act helps the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service leverage Federal conservation efforts through partnerships that enable
the acquisition and restoration of critical wetlands to deliver multiple benefits including
habitat restoration and improved water quality.
The Refuge received partial funding from NAWCA this year to help acquire Mahoney
Island in Brooklin, ME, a critical seabird nesting island. We are grateful for that, and
hope to receive more funding from this important Act in the future.
4. Increase appropriations for essential conservation programs including State Wildlife
Grants $58.7 million), the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund $4million),
Coastal Grants ($13 million), and the Department of Interior’s Fire Management Program
($60 million).
The State Wildlife Grant program is a very successful federal-state program that helps
keep our nation’s wildlife from becoming endangered.
Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) grants conserve the habitats
that neotropical birds use along their migration north and south and in their wintering
range throughout the Caribbean, Central, and South America. This Act fortifies
investments on national wildlife refuges by conserving “our” birds during critical periods
of their lifecycles spent outside of refuges and often outside the United States.
The Coastal Program provides technical and financial assistance for voluntary efforts to
protect and restore coastal habitats for wildlife. This program is critical to implementing
recovery projects such as restoring and enhancing estuarine habitats, removing invasive
species and derelict fishing gear, and stabilizing shoreline. This program has been a very
important partner with the coastal refuges in Maine.
Fire is one of the Service’s most important tools for managing wildlife habitat; however,
due to the catastrophic western wildfires made worse by climate change and fuel loading,
funds for refuge fire management have been consistently diverted to fighting wildfires
and protecting the forest-urban interface. Resources are needed to allow refuges to
manage dangerous fuel loads in fire-dependent systems and to use fire management to
improve habitat for many threatened and endangered species. The refuges in Maine
actively use fire to protect and enhance habitats for many species such as arctic terns and
woodcock.
We are proud of our National Wildlife Refuges, one of our country’s greatest
conservation achievements. We are but one of 230 “friends” groups who support
National Wildlife Refuges throughout the country. Friends groups provide assistance to
our National Wildlife Refuges through monetary and equipment donations and volunteer
labor. Last year over 40,000 friends and volunteers provided services for the NWRS
equal to over 600 positions, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. Volunteers throughout
the country provide an astonishing 20% of the work done of Refuges each year! This is a
further indication of how many Americans support the National Wildlife Refuge System.
The interest in our National Wildlife Refuge System is significant and we are showing
our support with our donated time and funds. However, we need proper funding of the
System so we can leverage our taxpayer dollars to provide even more economic and
social benefits to our country.
Finally, let me also add that with all the negative stories in the press today about
government appropriations and politics, the National Wildlife Refuge System remains a
positive success story since the first Refuge was created by President Theodore Roosevelt
over 100 years ago. It has always enjoyed support from Congress and we thank you for
that, and for your continued support!