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For Immediate Release
President's Budget Shortchanges America's Natural Heritage
The following is a statement by Jamie Rappaport Clark, executive vice president of Defenders of Wildlife, and former director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the Clinton administration, in reaction to the $410 million budget cut for the Department of the Interior, as well as other cuts announced today in the President’s 2009 budget.
“The President’s final budget deals a huge blow to the agencies and programs charged with safeguarding our nation’s natural resources. For example, the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the principal source of funds for acquisition of lands for parks and wildlife refuges, would be crippled by a budget cut of nearly $104 million, wiping out more than 67% of its funding.
This budget, which emphasizes continued pursuit of damaging, unsustainable energy sources, while failing to adequately address the needs of public lands and wildlife increasingly threatened by global warming, once again shows that this administration remains determined to neglect our children’s future and our nation’s natural heritage. The next administration will be burdened with mending the damage caused by President Bush’s disastrous policies.”
Please contact Jessica Brand (202) 772-0239 or Mary Beth Beetham (202) 772-0231 for further details of the budget cuts.
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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come.
