WHEREAS, the Mississippi Canyon Macondo 252 oil spill posed a potential threat to wintering habitats of migratory waterfowl, shore birds, wading birds, and other wetland wildlife, and
WHEREAS, resident wildlife such as mottled duck and secretive marsh bird habitats were also threatened, and
WHEREAS, ongoing threats such as coastal wetland loss, subsidence, urbanization, and conversion from wet agriculture (rice/crawfish production) to dry agriculture (livestock, soybeans, etc.) continue to pose a serious threat to those species, and
WHEREAS, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) efficiently and effectively utilized federal funding to provide 193,000 acres of early successional habitat by utilized existing on-farm infrastructure such as levees, water control structures, pumps, and tractors and rollers in Louisiana, mostly on rotational rice fields, many of which would have been dry and containing tall weedy vegetation, and
WHEREAS, the NRCS provided similar habitats in seven other adjacent states (AL, MS, AR, FL, TX, MO, GA) to provide landscape scale habitats totaling 471,000 acres, and
WHEREAS, this Initiative was integrated with working agriculture, supported by working agriculture, wildlife conservation groups, local communities and community organizations alike, and
WHEREAS, the Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative (MBHI) is currently not funded.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation respectfully acknowledge, through written letter, appreciation to the Secretary of Agriculture, Mr. Tom Vilsack, and the Chief of NRCS, Mr. Dave White.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Louisiana Wildlife Federation respectfully requests the USDA Secretary and NRCS Chief to continue funding (through the Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program and Wetlands Reserve Program) and technical delivery of this important Initiative.
Adopted by the Louisiana Wildlife Federation in Convention Assembled, March 20, 2011 in Alexandria, Louisiana