March 1, 2010

Administration's Proposed FY 2011 Budget has Zero Dollars for Watershed Operations and Watershed Planning

Good News/Bad News…..Confusing times for Watershed Sponsors!

Amidst a growing number of recent official press releases heralding the good things that USDA -NRCS Watershed Program projects are doing for the economy, natural resources and health and safety we were once again confused by the Administration's proposal to zero out funding for Watershed Planning and Watershed Operations in the President's 2011 budget proposal. Looking at the official budget document we note the same tired language and misguided logic used in a number of previous budget documents. But enough about our frustrations….

The good news is the President has called for $40 million in Rehabilitation funding. The NWC believes this is an excellent starting point for the budget discussion on Rehabilitation. We believe $65 million is a better figure and we would urge you to write in support of that number for Rehab.

The bad news in the Administration's 2011 budget proposal is again zero dollars for both planning and operations in the NRCS Watershed Program Budget.

For FY 2011 the National Watershed Coalition recommends:

$65 Million for Rehabilitation
$35 Million for Planning
$75 million for Operations

What these funding categories provide:

Watershed Planning: Funds for surveys to determine feasibility of projects and funds for planning and design of projects. In addition to planning for new federally funded projects, funds provide for studies for projects that are often are locally funded.

Watershed Operations: Technical and financial assistance funds for NRCS to assist sponsors in implementing and maintaining watershed projects, including construction money and engineering and other assistance. Sponsors must have this assistance in maintaining existing projects, completing ongoing projects and developing new projects.

Rehabilitation: Provides funding and technical assistance from the Natural Resources Conservation Service in rehabilitating high priority aging flood control dams to ensure they remain safe and continue to provide benefits for another 100 years. Sponsors across the country have gotten a good start of rehabilitating high hazard aging dams, but funding and assistance must be available in the future to continue the work that is necessary to keep thousands of citizens safe.

Unlike many of the better-funded crop and payment programs there is no large stable of paid professional lobbyists fighting for watershed program funding. The Watershed Program depends on the same local watershed project sponsors and communities that organize, implement and maintain projects to fight for financial and technical support funding.

Bottom Line:

Congress must hear from local communities and watershed project sponsors about the need to adequately fund the Watershed Program.Congress must also hear about the success of existing projects. When Congress doesn't hear from Watershed project sponsors, they may easily make the assumption there is no need. FY 2010 appropriations and ARRA funds were a huge boost to the Watershed Program, but continuing funding is needed to complete projects.

In recent years USDA has even been reluctant to ask for funds for the program in their own budget submissions due to Congressional earmarks in the Watershed Program budget. Sponsors can no longer leave the responsibility to USDA for sharing the documented program benefits and educating Congress concerning the documented needs for watershed work.

Congress will only hear the story when local sponsors take the time to tell it to them.

The leadership and members of the National Watershed Coalition work very hard to educate Congress concerning Watershed Program needs. The Coalition can coordinate the message and alert our friends and members at key times in the legislative process, however. .

. . . IT TAKES ALL OF US WHO HAVE A STAKE IN THE PROGRAM WORKING TOGETHER TO BE SUCCESSFUL !

If we are to keep the program viable nationally and locally, as well as get projects funded and receive adequate federal technical assistance to maintain existing structures safely, we will have to actively work to inform and educate members of Congress. This means phone calls, letters, faxes and personal visits. It means providing Congress with information about the needs of local projects. It means providing photos, newspaper clippings and other documentation of flood damages. It means providing documentation of the benefits a project will provide and how it will improve the local economy and the safety, health and quality of life for citizens, as well as protecting the environment and conserving natural resources.

Now is the time to act.

The Strategy:

It is critical that we engage the full power represented by the National Watershed Coalition membership to insure Congress adequately funds the Watershed Program in the FY 2011 budget. Your individual actions are essential to the success of this effort. Experience tells us that when NWC members work together on these issues…success will follow.

We ask that you immediately begin contacting your own U.S. Senators and U.S. Congressmen.

We believe the strategy for letters outlined below will maximize the impact for the effort you expend:

Step 1: Letters written to your State's U.S. Congressional delegation should show on the letter that Cc'd copies were sent to the Appropriations Committee and Subcommittee Chairs and Ranking member. For a letter to your U.S. House member copies should go to Congressmen Dave Obey, Jerry Lewis, Rosa Delauro and Jack Kingston. For letters to your U.S. Senators copies should go to Senators Daniel K. Inouye, Herb Kohl, Thad Cochran, Sam Brownback, Blanche Lincoln and Saxby Chambliss. Their mailing addresses (as well as fax numbers and email addresses where available) can be accessed here.

Step 2: Please take time to slightly modify your first letter and send it as a personal letter addressed to the Committee and Subcommittee Chairs and ranking members and on this correspondence show Cc's to the members of your State U.S. Congressional Delegation.

If your time or patience for such matters is short, at a minimum please complete the first step of the letter strategy, please don't forget to send copies to the committee leadership!

Your letter should contain a request for the member's support for funding the USDA-NRCS Watershed Program accounts at levels recommended by the NWC. It would also be appropriate to personalize the letter by including two or three brief sentences concerning the benefits and protection the program provides in your area. Additional letter writing tips and information are available on the web site at www.watershedcoalition.org.

Last but not least in the strategy is the timely method used to send your letters. Please fax or email your letters immediately as well as using the US Postal Service. It takes both methods for the message to reach Congress in a timely and persistent manner. (If you share office space with a USDA Office as many sponsors sometimes do, respect your USDA partners and please do not use a USDA fax machine to transmit your sponsor letter.)

The President's FY2011 budget proposes $0 for Watershed Planning, $0 for Watershed Operations and $40 million for rehabilitation of aging dams. The Coalition proposes $35 Million for Planning, $75 million for Operations and $65 Million for Rehabilitation

Please act now.