43 Federal Budget “Riders” Aimed at Removing Environmental Protections
August 2011
Reducing the federal debt is an important national goal, which requires wise actions in order to produce a budget that continues to serve the people of this nation. But some in Congress are using this noble goal as a smoke screen to hand out favors to corporations who balk at environmental protections.
Hiding behind the goal of reducing the national debt, some House Republicans in Congress attached 43 environmental policy riders to the Interior/EPA budget bill and other funding bills in July. These funding bills were pulled from the floor at the last minute this week and will now be folded into a larger spending bill to be considered when Congress is back in session in September. In reality these riders do NOT save our country money and are an attempt to push through policies that did not receive enough Congressional support earlier in the session to be passed into law through the normal bill/law-making process. These policy riders undermine our capacity to maintain essential services such as supplying safe drinking water and preventing pollution from contaminating our waterways. For example, one rider would permanently block the Environmental Protection Agency from clarifying which streams and wetlands are protected by the Clean Water Act. To learn more about the protections these riders attempt to remove check out this list on our website: Anti-Environment Budget Riders.
Watch for more information about these riders in E-News when Congress is back in session in September. We’ll also be providing more information and sample messages for Congress, through our Action Alert system. If you are not currently an Action Alert Volunteer, please consider signing up to receive our alerts at http://capwiz.com/iaenvironment/home/.
Iowa Conservation Funding Continues to Decline
State Budget Should REflect Iowa Values
During the 2011 Legislative Session the Iowa Environmental Council provided guidance to legislators on proposed policies that would promote the creation of clean energy and clean energy jobs in Iowa, state policies that would have helped reduce air pollution in Iowa cities, and legislation that would affect the state’s ability to protect water quality and conserve other natural resources of the state.
If you’ve been an Action Alert volunteer for the Council in past years you may have also noticed that many more attempts were made this year, than in other recent years, to undermine state water quality safeguards, clean air protections, habitat protection and conservation funding. A lot of our time was spent fighting bad bills. 2011 was the first of a two year session. With the same legislators returning next year, we can expect that in six months we may see many of these bills resurface.
All Iowans owe a huge debt of gratitude to those who took the time to let decision makers know that caring for natural resources is key to sustaining our lives and those of future generations. THANK YOU ACTION ALERT VOLUNTEERS!
Most everything is now subject to approval or line item veto by Governor Branstad. After the Governor weighs in on this session’s legislatively approved bills, including the state budget bills, we will post a comprehensive report online. In the meantime, below is a snapshot of key conservation funding legislation and their status, now that the 2011 Legislature has adjourned.
2012 Iowa Conservation Funding Summary:
The state’s FY12 budget totally disregards that 63% of Iowa voters endorsed more funding for conservation just last November when voting for Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy amendment. Legislators appropriated just 1.1% of their discretionary spending for conservation in Iowa’s FY12 budget. General fund support for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and soil conservation is down by 16% from FY10, with $1.3 million cut from the FY11 funding level.
The Environment First Fund had no additional cuts, but it remains $9 million dollars (21%) lower than FY10 funding. Infrastructure appropriations for conservation were cut about $9 million with watershed protection and lake restoration being the big losers. State trails grants were restored from zero to $3 million, but the final budget appropriation resulted in a 25% net loss for conservation infrastructure. The Resource Enhancement and Protection Program (REAP) within the Environment First Fund was cut by $3 million—from $15M to $12M—leaving REAP at just two thirds of its FY10 funding.
This legislature did not deal with unavoidable increases in agency operating costs. Administrators will need to scavenge funds from program budgets, and not fill staffing vacancies, in order to cover increased fuel costs, health insurance premiums, pay raises and early retirement incentives from last year’s reduction in workforce. The overall capacity to maintain professional conservation services has been greatly diminished in recent years, and there is no evidence that this trend will be reversed based on the debate and projections for the FY13 budget.
Governor Branstad is in the best position to reverse this trend of conservation cuts, as the state has plenty of cash reserves for FY13. Iowa can afford to make conservation a higher priority.
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Congress Proposing Elimination of Conservation Programs in Farm Bill
Action Alert: Your Emails Needed to Help Protect Water Quality
June 28, 2011
The Mississippi River flows through the heart of our nation. It provides drinking water for 18 million people and has inspired American legends like Mark Twain. But the once mighty Mississippi needs our help. Pollution from farms damages our River and causes the Dead Zone in the Gulf of Mexico, an area in which no fish, shrimp or wildlife can survive.
This pollution threatens our drinking water, economies and quality of life. Over the years, Congress has created effective and efficient conservation programs that help farmers reduce their pollution and protect our water quality, and supports farmers. These programs help protect over 2.5 million acres in Iowa and add over $53.3 million to our local economies.
Unfortunately, members of Congress want to completely cut these programs. Instead of making smart cuts that will reduce the deficit, Congress is overzealously making cuts that irresponsibly hurt farmers and threaten livelihoods. Congress is making careless cuts that will eliminate programs that have been proven to decrease pollution from farms, while simultaneously helping to keep us safe and our economy growing.
Government’s job is to protect us and our most basic needs, like clean water. These programs are prime examples of what government should do. Fiscal responsibility makes sense, but never at the expense of American safety and progress. Congress must not zero-out these programs.
Because they live in a Mississippi River state, your members of Congress should be fighting to protect exactly these types of programs. Because you live in a Mississippi River state, you have a responsibility to help protect this national treasure. Contact Senators Harkin and Grassley today and urge them to protect conservation programs.
Please follow THIS LINK to a sample letter you can personalize and email to Senators Harkin and Grassley.
Conservation Fact Sheet - Iowa -- This fact sheet made available by the 1Mississippi Campaign
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Iowans Vote "Yes!" to Support Natural Resources Trust Fund
An Investment in our Future
On November 2, 2010, in a year with a high turn-out at the polls and Iowans divided on many issues, voters sent an overwhelming message of commitment to the protection of Iowa’s natural resources. Almost two-thirds of Iowa voters approved an amendment to the Iowa constitution to create a Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund.
The trust fund will begin to accrue an estimated $150 million a year the next time Iowa legislators approve a sales tax increase. A regular audit will be conducted to ensure monies are used only for specific conservation and recreation work as outlined in a bill passed earlier this year.
Coalition members of the campaign called Iowa Water and Land Legacy are celebrating today.
“This is a win for all Iowans,” said Marian Riggs Gelb, executive director for the Iowa Environmental Council.
“We can attribute this overwhelming victory to the power of coalition—of people working together to accomplish much more than anyone could alone,” said Gelb.
One hundred and thirty organizations, representing over 300,000 Iowans have worked together since 2005 to first, examine how best to create state funding for natural resources in a way that protected designated funds from being raided for other uses. Later the coalition worked to educate Iowans on how the money would be spent, to protect the intent of the fund by passing legislation that spells out the allocation of the funds, and to get out the vote.
“Much work is still ahead of us, but today is a day for celebrating. Voters can tell their grandchildren that they did act to stop water pollution, protect our precious agricultural soils, prevent floods, and preserve wildlife habitat.”
Iowa farmers and over 90 percent of Iowa legislators supported this measure.
Background
In 2008 and 2009, more than 90 percent of Iowa’s state legislators overwhelmingly approved legislation that would establish the constitutionally protected Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. Polls conducted in 2006 and 2008 continue to affirm that Iowans value natural areas and the features that are unique to this state.
Now approved by Iowa voters, the Trust Fund will allocate 3/8ths of one cent from sales tax revenue the next time the Iowa legislature raises the state sales tax – providing the Trust Fund an estimate of $150 million per year. This funding recommendation was based on over two-years of research and study conducted by a legislative advisory committee. The advisory committee concluded that those funds, strategically used at state and local levels, would meet current needs. The impact on the average taxpayer in Iowa would be about 8¢ a day, with nearly half of the revenue coming from business and travelers.
Funding for conservation programs and outdoor recreational opportunities is subject to a fluctuating state budget. The Trust Fund will provide a permanent and protected source of funding for Iowa’s natural resources, in addition to annual state budget allocations. A broad range of programs will be enhanced by the Trust Fund, including REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection program), local conservation programs, watershed protection, lakes restoration, trails, natural resources management and agriculture and land stewardship. 
Investing in our natural resources provides quality of life opportunities close to home where Iowans can enjoy and appreciate healthy activities, natural areas and Iowa’s beauty. Enhancing and developing more competitive outdoor “destinations” will attract visitors and business to the state, helping to diversify local economies and increase tax revenues related to hunting, angling and other outdoor activities.
In 2008 our neighbors to the North, Minnesota, voted in support of a very similar constitutional amendment to fund conversation programs, and over 30 years ago, our neighbors to the South, Missouri, provided constitutional protected funding for its conservation programs and later reauthorized this funding after 20 years of progress.
A broadbased bipartisan coalition of sportsmen, farmers, nurses, first responders and others interested in sustainably funding clean water, soil conservation, and fish & wildlife habitat programs supported the establishment of the trust fund.
Photos on this page courtesy of The Nature Conservancy.
