Subject: Re: Re[2]: Nisqually haying vs. birds
Date: Jul 12 09:47:05 1996
From: Don Baccus - donb at Rational.COM


Jane Stewart:

> Some times I feel so stupid; what is "Teaming with Wildlife"

It is a proposal to levy an excise tax on outdoor goods at the
manufacturing level, a sliding scale depending - I think - on
the specialization of the equipment towards wildlife-oriented
recreation (i.e. it would be higher on binoculars than on boots).

It would work in a way analogous to the excise tax on guns and
ammo which has been paid for about sixty years by hunters. The
funds would be allocated to the states for the purchase of wildlife
habitat, with an emphasis on non-game habitat acquisition. I don't
know the details between the split between USF&W acquisition programs
and state F&W acquisition programs.

At first, most manufacturers of outdoor gear balked at the idea,
but currently over 200 support the concept, which also has broad
bi-partisan support in Congress. I think there'll be a big push
for this next session, after Uncle Bill wins re-election.

Portland Audubon has supported the concept for years (the idea's
been floating around for some time, the "Teaming with Wildlife"
tag is relatively recent and a sign that the effort has become
organized to an extent where folks needed a convenient name for
it).

- Don Baccus, Portland OR <donb at rational.com>
Nature photos, on-line guides, at http://www.xxxpdx.com/~dhogaza