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Audubon’s Legislative Update
August 21, 2008 — Special Recess Issue
Vol 2008, Issue 8
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IN THIS ISSUE
Offshore Drilling Votes Expected in SeptemberThe oil industry and its allies in Congress have pressed relentlessly over the past several weeks for increased offshore drilling. For months, both House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid have indicated opposition to offshore drilling proposals, arguing correctly that drilling would not lower prices at the gas pump but would put at risk currently protected areas along America's coastlines including ecologically sensitive places and world-class beaches in Florida and California. It now appears, however, that votes on offshore drilling can be expected in Congress as soon as the first week of September. Offshore drilling causes routine water pollution and also risks significant oil spills that could cause widespread environmental damage and cripple multi-billion dollar tourism economies. The oil and gas industry argues this risk to our coasts is an acceptable one to lower gas prices, but even the Bush Administration's own energy experts at the Energy Information Administration say it would have an "insignificant effect" on prices at the pump. Think you know all the facts on offshore drilling? Take our new Drilling Quiz and test your knowledge! Then keep your eyes out for alerts in the coming weeks that will be your chance to let your Members of Congress know they should not sacrifice our environment for something that provides no help at the gas pump! Instead, Audubon is asking for cleaner, cheaper and faster solutions that will help consumers now, protect our coasts and other special areas, break our addiction to oil, and reduce global warming pollution. Endangered Species Act Under AttackIn its final few months, the Bush Administration is attempting to gut the Endangered Species Act. This time, it's a proposal to allow federal agencies to decide unilaterally that a proposed project is not likely to adversely affect listed species — no consultation with wildlife experts at the Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) required. The proposed rule would replace the current requirement that federal agencies must consult with the FWS and NMFS to insure that an agency's actions do not jeopardize the existence of a species or adversely change or destroy its habitat. Audubon and other conservation groups are mobilizing a full-scale effort to defeat this proposal. We have already joined with other groups in seeking an extension of the 30-day comment period, which is unreasonably short in light of the huge potential impact of the proposed change. Whether or not the comment period is extended beyond the September 15 due date, Audubon will be filing comments strongly opposing the proposal. We are counting on you! Please be on the lookout for an action alert and submit your own public comments. We only have a short time to get as much public participation as possible, so we will need your help to spread the alert far and wide. Record Funding Recommended for Population ProgramsIn June, the House State-Foreign Operations Appropriations subcommittee approved $600 million for international family planning and reproductive health programs — programs that have a proven track record of slowing population growth and reducing population pressure on the environment and wildlife habitat in many parts of the world. This represents the largest total amount ever recommended for international family planning programs (not accounting for inflation) and the largest one-year dollar increase in these programs on record. $600 million would be a 28% increase above current levels and an 83% increase above the President's budget request of $327 million. The Senate Appropriations Committee approved a slightly lower amount — $520 million — in their version of the bill, which nevertheless represents an important step in addressing the large unmet need for these services around the world. We are heartened to see these substantial increases in Congressional allocations for international family planning programs, and offer our congratulations and thanks to many of you who reached out to your Congressional representatives in support of greater investments in population programs. With the number of days for Congressional action this session rapidly diminishing, this may be as far as this appropriations process moves this year, but the passage of these funding levels in committee has laid important markers for when the new Congress picks up the process in 2009. Web bonus: Read Audubon President John Flicker's recent op-ed on population and the environment, published in several newspapers around the country on World Population Day, July 11. Final Great Lakes States Ratify Compact; Passes U.S. SenateA longtime Audubon priority, the Great Lakes Basin Compact is an agreement between U.S. states and Canadian provinces that border the Great Lakes to preserve the water levels in the region's ecosystem. The Compact bans the large-scale removal of water from the Great Lakes to more arid regions of the country and world, like the Southwest. The final Great Lakes states ratified the Compact in July, and the U.S. Senate passed the compact on August 1. The House is expected to vote on the bill in September, and President Bush has promised to sign the bill into law once it reaches his desk. UPDATE: How the Environment is Faring
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