Spring 2004

Conservation News



Lott

LOTT LEADS EFFORT TO RECOVER FISHING AND BOATING FUNDS - Senator Trent Lott recently introduced Senate Bill 2019, a measure to safeguard anglers and boaters’ investments in fishing and boating access and quality by recovering the full amount of excise taxes they contribute under the Sport Fish Restoration Act. The Senate bill mirrors the Sportfishing and Boating Equity Act of 2003, legislation introduced in the House of Representatives in July 2003 by Congressman Clay Shaw of Florida and now co sponsored by 22 other Members of Congress. “The legislation Senator Breaux and Senator Lott introduced would add $110 million annually under the Sport Fish Restoration Act, which will mean at least an additional $1.1 million for each state’s fishing and boating programs every year,” said Mike Nussman, President and CEO of the American Sportfishing Association. Nussman also chairs the American League of Anglers and Boaters, a coalition of 32 partners working toward reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration Act and promoting legislative measures to recover this funding. “We should be dedicating 100 percent of this Aquatic Resources Trust Fund to all valuable boating and fishing programs that benefit from the Wallop Breaux legislation, ranging from boat safety programs to coastal wetlands restoration,” said Senator John Breaux. “Wallop Breaux was specifically designed so users pay for these programs through the fuel taxes they pay, and this legislation will rightfully return those funds to help everyone who enjoys fishing and boating in Louisiana and nationwide.” “I’m a strong advocate of reserving all the motorboat fuel tax revenue in the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund to support infrastructure improvements and promote a clean, safe environment for the tax paying boating and fishing public,” said Senator Trent Lott. “This practice of directing all fuel tax revenues into trust funds has been a boon for supporting federal highway and aviation needs, and I advocate its adoption for aquatic transportation as well.” For more than 10 years, only 75 percent of anglers and boaters’ federal motor boat fuel taxes have been directed to the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund, a user pay fund that provides revenues for fishing and boating programs across the nation. Congress required the U.S. Treasury to redirect 25 percent of the excise taxes on motor boat and small engine fuels each year to the General Treasury Fund instead of channeling these revenues to the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund. The Sport Fish Restoration Act set up the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund as the collection point for motor boat fuel taxes and other excise taxes on fishing gear. Altogether the fund amounts to about $450 million per year, which is ultimately parceled to state fish and wildlife agencies as a primary source of their overall funding. Motor boat fuel taxes make up $284 million of that amount. The current tax is 18.3 cents per gallon, yet only 13.5 cents out of that 18.3 are currently being channeled to the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund. The new legislation would ensure the full amount is channeled to the fund to ensure revenues are used to enhance fishing and boating as the Sport Fish Restoration Act intended. Under its provisions, the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund is to be used for fisheries monitoring; habitat conservation and restoration; fishing and boating access facilities such as docks, piers, and boat ramps; and education and safety programs for anglers and boaters. In 2003, Mississippi received $3,445,468 in funding from the Aquatic Resources Trust Fund. If passed, Senator Lott’s efforts would add $1,428,894 per year.

NINE BALD EAGLES SEEN AT SARDIS LAKE - On January 10, Sardis Lake's 22nd Annual Bald Eagle Survey was attended by 56 Eagle Watchers who sighted nine bald eagles. The unseasonably warm temperatures in the northern states in the weeks prior to the survey help account for the low numbers spotted this year. As the lakes in the north begin to freeze over the birds will migrate to the southern states to find fish, one of their major food sources. In March or April, when temperatures in the north warm up, the birds will return there in time for the breeding season. Information collected from the survey will be sent to Jackson, where it will be compiled with results sent from other State and Federal agencies. These surveys are helpful because they provide beneficial data for understanding changes in populations. Their numbers have climbed in the United States from about 400 breeding pair in the early 1960s to about 6,000 pair today. In 1994 the bald eagle was downgraded from endangered to threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. These majestic birds are still facing death or injury today from guns, poisons and destruction of habitat. They continue to be protected by the Endangered Species Act of 1973, the Bald Eagle Protection Act of 1940, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 and the Lacey Act.

WILDLIFE OFFICIALS MAKE STOLEN PROPERTY ARRESTS - Officials from several law enforcement agencies were called to two Jackson residences on April 1 2 on a tip involving possible stolen goods. According to law enforcement officials, federal probation officers were conducting an at home visit at the residence of Robbye Odom, of Jackson, when they discovered a suspicious looking lawn tractor with a J.A. Moss sticker in Odom’s back yard. The tractor was verified as being stolen and a four-wheeler was also discovered, both of which Odom claimed had been sold to him by Johnny Teague, also of Jackson. “Teague was dropped off by his girlfriend at Odom's residence the evening of April 1,” Hinds County Detective Trey Brister said. “He walked right up and talked to us, but denied any knowledge of the tractor or the four wheeler.” According to Brister, Odom also stated that he knew of a National Parks truck at Teague's residence as well. Both men were arrested and taken to jail. Law enforcement officials arrived at Teague's residence shortly after midnight on April 2 and, after obtaining a search warrant, uncovered a large store of power tools, hand tools, trailers, weapons, ammunition, lab equipment and other various items. Approximately $20,000 worth of an estimated $40,000 in reported stolen items belonging to the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks was recovered. The total value of all items found in the house is still undetermined. Officials will take inventory of every item on the premises and produce a comprehensive list before possible owners of the stolen items can be found. The investigation includes officials from the Hinds County Sheriff's Department, Madison County Sheriff's Department, Flowood Police Department, Jackson Police Department, Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, Mississippi Agricultural Theft Bureau and federal probation officers. According to Brister, Robbye Odom faces charges of receiving stolen property. Johnny Teague faces charges of disposing of stolen property and will likely face more charges as the investigation continues.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RELEASES PROPOSED GUIDELINES FOR CARBON SEQUESTRATION - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) recently released proposed guidelines for the voluntary reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and reduction efforts designed to improve the accuracy, verifiability and completeness of greenhouse gas emission data reported under the registry program. The issuance of this proposal represents another significant step toward the establishment of a broad national effort to reduce greenhouse gas intensity of the economy and address the risk of global climate change. The registry program was established as a voluntary program by section 1605(b) of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. The proposed revisions to the guidelines for the 1605(b) registry fulfill President George W. Bush's directive that DOE enhance its voluntary reporting program. The proposed revisions are a key element in the Administration's efforts to encourage and document voluntary efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Changes to the federal registry are necessary to significantly improve the documentation of participating entities’ efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. “We believe these changes will provide a more complete accounting of efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by companies that report on their emission reduction programs. Such clarity and transparency will encourage increased participation in the registry by those companies that take their reduction programs seriously,” said Under Secretary of Energy Robert Card, who led an interagency process that developed the changes to the 1605(b) program. Participants in the interagency process included DOE, the Department of Commerce, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Management and Budget. The proposed revisions would enable the Department of Energy to fully recognize those participants in the registry who provide an accurate and complete accounting of their efforts to reduce greenhouse gases. The proposed guidelines will encourage major U.S. companies and institutions to undertake comprehensive reviews of their greenhouse gas emissions and to take actions to reduce emissions. By emphasizing the importance of providing a full accounting of all greenhouse gas emissions and emission reductions, the revised guidelines are designed to stimulate the type of broad, economy wide effort that is needed to make substantial progress toward achieving the President's goals for reducing the greenhouse gas intensity of the U.S. economy. Under the revised guidelines, a wide range of entities, including utilities, manufacturers, landowners and citizens, will be able to register their greenhouse gas emissions reductions if they provide entity-wide emissions data and demonstrate entity-wide emission reductions after 2002. Other provisions encourage participation in the registry by small emitters of greenhouse gases, such as households, farmers, and small businesses. Reporters not seeking to register reductions on an entity wide basis can continue to report emissions and emission reductions without meeting the new entity wide requirements. However, participants are encouraged to take full advantage of the opportunity to do entity wide reporting, which can best showcase successful reduction efforts. Other technical changes to registry reporting requirements are being developed and will be made available for review and comment at a later date. Revising the general guidelines for the voluntary 1605(b) registry is just one of many actions taken by the Bush Administration to address climate change. The President’s approach recognizes that climate change is a century-long challenge, but one the nation must begin to address now. In response, the Bush Administration has taken short-, mid- and long-term actions to reduce U.S. emissions.

MISSISSIPPI FLYWAY MEETING CONCLUDES - The Mississippi Flyway Council and Technical Section concluded their winter meeting at the Edison Walthall Hotel in downtown Jackson on February 19. The meeting, which began on February 15, included waterfowl biologists from 14 states and 3 Canadian provinces. “Some of the main topics discussed at the meeting were the decline of scaup numbers, the effects of spinning wing decoys on duck harvests and other recent waterfowl research,” said Wildlife Biologist Scott Baker of the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. Baker said that there are several committees on which several different state representatives sit and discuss issues unique to their areas. The Flyway's Technical Section gives recommendations to the Flyway Council for approval. From there, if approved, the recommendations are sent to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for their consideration in becoming law. The Council and Technical Section meet twice a year. The summer meeting will be held in July at Deluth, Minnesota.