>--- Forwarded Message from "MURRAY, Susan" <smurray at AUDUBON.ORG> ---
>
> PLEASE CROSS POST THIS
>
>MEMORANDUM
>
>TO: Concerned Persons
>FROM: Susan Murray (e-mail: smurray at audubon.org)
>DATE: June 27, 1995
>RE: National Biological Service Abolished
>
>The House Appropriations Committee voted on a party line vote (with the
>exception of Rep. Kolbe who opposed the amendment) today to cut funding for the
>National Biological Service (NBS) by almost one-third and voted to transfer the
>remaining $112 million in NBS funds to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for
>"resource research." The current bill restricts the USGS from spending these
>funds to administer volunteer programs and conducting new surveys on private
>property -- regardless of property owner authorization.
>
>These restrictions will eliminate the following NBS volunteer programs:
>Breeding
>Bird Survey and other migratory bird surveys, wildlife disease control work,
>water quality monitoring projects, and wildlife monitoring in National Parks
>and
>Wildlife Refuges. This limitation sets a terrible precedent for volunteerism.
>Future legislation may restrict the government from using data collected from
>volunteer programs such as the Christmas Bird Count, Breeding Bird Census,
>Atlas
>Programs, Project Feederwatch, Hawk Migration Data, Adopt-A-Refuge, Save-Our-
>Streams, Natural Heritage Data, and the Fourth of July Butterfly Count.
>
>Some Democratic members vow to oppose the restrictions imposed on former NBS
>programs and will attempt to amend the bill when the Interior Appropriations
>bill reaches the floor DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 10.
>
>PLEASE CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS BEFORE JULY 10. MEMBERS WILL BE HOME
>FOR
>THE JULY 4 RECESS NEXT WEEK. Ask him/her to oppose the anti-volunteer language
>in the Interior Appropriations bill. This bill does not yet have a number.
>Ask
>the member to speak on the floor about the value of volunteer programs. WE
>ESPECIALLY NEED THE SUPPORT OF MODERATE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS. Contact me for
>more
>information at 202-547-9009 or at smurray at audubon.org.
>

Dennis Paulson, Director phone: (206) 756-3798
Slater Museum of Natural History fax: (206) 756-3352
University of Puget Sound e-mail: dpaulson at ups.edu
Tacoma, WA 98416