March 23, 2018
For immediate release
Contact
Shauna Stephenson / Trout Unlimited
(307) 757-7861, shauna.stephenson@tu.org
Trout Unlimited commends passage of spending bill
Bill will fund important conservation priorities across the country
WASHINGTON D.C. – A spending bill that will fund important conservation priorities such as the Land and Water Conservation Fund, funding for restoration of Chesapeake Bay, the Great Lakes, the Delaware River Basin and clean water programs across the country passed the Senate early Friday morning. It now waits for the signature of the President who indicated on Twitter that he might not sign the bill.
Perhaps most notable was the break in stalemate over “fire borrowing,” – the dollars taken from the general Forest Service budget to fight increasingly expensive fire seasons leaving other priorities unfunded.
“The Forest Service had been using more than 50 percent of their budget to fight fires caused by drier weather and prolonged drought. Mother Nature may often bat last, but when it comes to fire, it is best to consider her first. This bill will give the federal agencies the funding they need to protect communities, and to also manage fire as a natural and potentially productive part of a healthy forest,” said Chris Wood, President and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “TU commends the great work of Congressional leadership and the House and Senate Appropriations Committee members. Sportsmen and women are delighted by this achievement. Let us hope we can build on his positive outcome for the betterment of the lands and waters that sustain our great nation. We urge the President to sign this important piece of legislation.”