While sportsmen are focusing today on the House floor debate over legislation to increase hunting and fishing access on public lands, they took time this morning to urge lawmakers to renew wetlands conservation funding.

The North America Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) has helped protect more than 7 million acres of wetland habitat through matching grant programs since it was first enacted in 1989. While the program is required to leverage $1 in private funding for every $1 of public money, it has historically raised three times that.

"Folks, that is a success program, a program that in today's budget atmosphere we ought to be making sure more people know about," said Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) during a congressional breakfast briefing this morning hosted by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation and Ducks Unlimited. "This is something everybody ought be in favor of."

President George H.W. Bush signed the North American Wetlands Conservation Act into law on Dec. 13, 1989. Looking on, from left to right, are Sen. John Chafee (R-R.I.). Rep. Silvio Conte (R-Mass.), U.S. EPA Administrator William Riley, Rep. Gerry Studds (D-Mass.), Interior Secretary Manuel Lujan and Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.). Photo courtesy of Ducks Unlimited.

An avid hunter, Wittman co-sponsored H.R. 1960 to reauthorize NAWCA for another five years before it expires at the end of fiscal 2012. While a companion bill has also been introduced in the Senate (S. 2282), the hunting and conservation community said more support is needed.

Pointing to a large black-and-white picture of a bipartisan group of legislators and administration officials applauding and smiling as President George H.W. Bush signed NAWCA into law in 1989, current Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe called on the 112th Congress to revitalize that bipartisan spirit to renew it this year.

"These men were proud and happy to be putting this landmark legislation into law," Ashe said. "We need to find that spirit and energy and enthusiasm reflected in that photograph today."

The need for wetlands conservation has never been greater, as wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region -- which provide critical breeding habitat for millions of migratory waterfowl -- are facing a "perfect storm" of factors allowing rapid agricultural expansion, Ashe said.

High corn prices, genetically modified crops that grow in wet soil, and new techniques to quickly drain wetlands mean the landscape will look dramatically different even a year from now -- unless programs like NAWCA are able to conserve that vital habitat, Ashe said.

Over the past two years, NAWCA funding has decreased 25 percent, or $12 million, which conservationists say equates to a loss of $48 million for conservation projects because of the 3-to-1 match.

"We don't mind taking some cuts, but we don't want to take more than our fair share," said Dale Hall, CEO of Ducks Unlimited.

Conservation programs account for about 1.25 percent of the federal budget, so Hall suggested a fair cut would be no more than 1.25 percent of its $47.6 million historical funding level. "We'd love to see it back up to $47.6 [million] -- then we'd have almost $200 million for on-the-ground conservation," Hall said.

While authorized for up to $75 million per year, NAWCA has received $35 million the last two years.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation presented the Fish and Wildlife Service with a $150,000 check to help fund NAWCA grant programs this morning. The foundation is a trade association representing the firearms industry and fully supports habitat conservation through nonregulatory programs like NAWCA, because, as foundation President Steve Sanetti said: "You can't have Elmer Fudd without Daffy Duck."

Sportsmen are also closely watching the House floor debate today on H.R. 4089, a bill that would promote hunting, angling and shooting access on public lands, among other things. More than 30 environmental groups are opposing an amendment by Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) to restrict the president's ability to designate national monuments (E&E Daily, April 17).