Laserfiche WebLink
<br />San Francisco, claims the rules water down protection of wildlife and the environment "to the point where <br />they are virtually meaningless. " <br /> <br />The suit filed by San Francisco-based Earthjustice on behalf of a coalition of conservation groups, said <br />the rules fail to include important environmental protection measures mandated under the National Forest <br />Management Act. The suit contends the rules reverse more than 20 years of protection for wildlife and <br />other resources without any scientific basis for doing so and removes requirements to use measurable <br />standards to protect wildlife. <br /> <br />Kuharicn AHi:Ilds Alliance Meeting: I recently attended thc annual mccting of the Family Farm <br />Alliance meeting in Las Vegas. I can provide you with a first hand update at our meeting. <br /> <br />New Alliance Leadership: The Family Farm Alliance has announced that Dan Keppen, former head of <br />the Klamath Water Users Association., will become the Executive Director of the Alliance and Pat <br />O'Toole, a rancher from Savery, Wyoming, will become the Alliance's fifth President. <br /> <br />New Deputy Secretary: On Feb. 8, President Bush nominated P. Lynn Scarlett to serve as Deputy <br />Secretary of the Interior. Scarlett currently serves as Assistant Secretary of Policy, Management, and <br />Budget at the Department. Prior to joining the Bush Administration in July 2001, she was President of the <br />Los Angeles-based Reason Foundation, a nonprofit research and communications organization. She is <br />author of publications on incentive-based environmental policies. She also served on President George W. <br />Bush's environmental policy task force during his presidential campaign. <br /> <br />WY Governor Signs Wildlife Fund Into Law: Wyoming's Governor, Dave Freudenthal, has signed into <br />law Wyoming's first fund dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat. The bill creating <br />the Fund was called the "Wildlife and Natural Resources Funding Act." <br /> <br />Reclamation's FY 2006 Budget Request: President Bush's FY 2006 budget request includes $946.7 <br />million for Reclamation. The Administration's budget proposal supports Reclamation's core mission of <br />managing the delivery of water and the generation of electricity. Reclamation will continue to emphasize <br />maintenance of its aging infrastructure to increase the reliability and efficiency of its water and <br />hydropower facilities. Public and employee safety will also be highlighted by devoting substantial <br />resources to the security and safety of its dam operations and other facilities. <br /> <br />The President is proposing $30 million for Water 2025, more than 50 percent above the amount <br />appropriated by Congress in FY 2005. <br /> <br />The request represents a decrease of$18.2 million from the FY 2005 enacted budget of $964.9 million. <br />Some other highlights of the Reclamation budget include: <br /> <br />. $391.7 million for facility operations, maintenance, and rehabilitation; <br />· $440.1 million for water and energy management and development, land management and <br />development, and fish and wildlife management and development; <br />. $52 million for the Animas La Plata Project to continue implementation of the Colorado Ute <br />Settlement Act of2000; <br />· $50 million for Site Security Activities to continue Reclamation's anti-terrorism program; <br />. $22.0 million for the Klamath Project; <br />. $19.0 million for the Middle Rio Grande Project to continue the operations, maintenance, and <br />rehabilitation ofproject facilities; provide flood protection; and protection and recovery of the Rio <br />Grande silvery minnow and southwestern willow flycatcher; <br />· $17.5 million for the Columbia and Snake Rivers Federal Columbia River Power System ESA <br />Act Implementation to continue to implement the reasonable and prudent alternative that includes <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />~ <br /> <br />6 <br />