Conservation group opposes opening only National Park Service
October 03, 2013 | 03:20 PM
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership on Wednesday came out against Republican proposals to reopen the National Park Service by itself on the grounds that the entire government needs to be reopened to deal with conservation issues.
Whit Fosburgh
“We strongly oppose the effort under way in the House to open only certain sections of the government, such as a bill proposed that would reopen national parks but keep national wildlife refuges closed,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh.
“Conservation in this country is overseen by numerous agencies — including the Department of Commerce, BLM, the Forest Service and USDA. Cherry-picking among agencies ignores the broader problem of how this shutdown is negatively impacting sportsmen across the country.”
“Impacts of the federal closures radiate far beyond the nation’s capital,” TRCP noted. “Millions of sportsmen rely on publicly accessible lands such as national wildlife refuges to get afield or on the water. Hunting, within specified limits, is permitted on more than 329 wildlife refuges. Fishing is permitted on more than 271 wildlife refuges. All are closed under the shutdown. With hunting seasons beginning to crescendo across the country, the impact of these closures will have a major effect, not just on hunters, but on the communities that depend on dollars spent by sportsmen and other outdoor enthusiasts.”
“According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 90 million Americans pursued wildlife-related recreation in 2011, spending more than $144 billion,” stated Fosburgh.
“Given the substantial economic contributions made by sportsmen to our outdoor-recreation-driven economy – and given the shutdown’s timing, which coincides precisely as hunting seasons are getting under way – the impact will assuredly be substantial.”
Whit Fosburgh
“We strongly oppose the effort under way in the House to open only certain sections of the government, such as a bill proposed that would reopen national parks but keep national wildlife refuges closed,” said TRCP President and CEO Whit Fosburgh.
“Conservation in this country is overseen by numerous agencies — including the Department of Commerce, BLM, the Forest Service and USDA. Cherry-picking among agencies ignores the broader problem of how this shutdown is negatively impacting sportsmen across the country.”
“Impacts of the federal closures radiate far beyond the nation’s capital,” TRCP noted. “Millions of sportsmen rely on publicly accessible lands such as national wildlife refuges to get afield or on the water. Hunting, within specified limits, is permitted on more than 329 wildlife refuges. Fishing is permitted on more than 271 wildlife refuges. All are closed under the shutdown. With hunting seasons beginning to crescendo across the country, the impact of these closures will have a major effect, not just on hunters, but on the communities that depend on dollars spent by sportsmen and other outdoor enthusiasts.”
“According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, more than 90 million Americans pursued wildlife-related recreation in 2011, spending more than $144 billion,” stated Fosburgh.
“Given the substantial economic contributions made by sportsmen to our outdoor-recreation-driven economy – and given the shutdown’s timing, which coincides precisely as hunting seasons are getting under way – the impact will assuredly be substantial.”
