Administration's Proposed FY 2009 Budget Provides
No Funding for Watershed Program

Brookhaven, Mississippi February 6, 2008 - The President's proposed FY 2009 budget includes no funding for watershed operations or for watershed planning in the USDA Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program. "This has been the trend in the current Administration's past proposed budgets and once again watershed project sponsors across the nation will be building the case for funding," said Don Underwood, Chairman of the National Watershed Coalition (NWC). "While funds for the program have decreased in recent years, there are still viable projects and significant needs for flood protection and erosion control. "

Extreme rainfall events across much the country in 2007 added an exclamation point to the importance of watershed-based planning and the benefits of the 2,000 existing watershed projects across the nation. "It was a good example of how watershed projects provided huge benefits by reducing flooding, erosion and property damage, but also demonstrated that there is more flood control work needed across the country," said Underwood. "Congress must consider whether the country should spend money on proven techniques in watershed projects to protect both urban and rural communities from flood damage or continue to face millions of dollars from flood damages and repetitive recovery costs from future floods in unprotected watersheds."

Watershed projects also provided benefits in drought stricken areas of the country this past year. In many areas small reservoirs and water supply created by watershed projects were the source of much needed water for agriculture as well as for many communities. "The proposed elimination of funding for the program, if approved by Congress, would have a devastating effect on watershed projects across the nation," said Underwood, who lives in Brookhaven, Mississippi. "Local project sponsors work hard to obtain local funding and clear projects for construction and implementation. Time is often critical in getting construction started on projects and many have been waiting for years for the federal funding portion of a project. Delayed funding increases both risk to life and property as well as project costs."

Only $6 million is proposed in the budget for watershed rehabilitation of aging dams compared to about $30 million that has been appropriated annually in the past five years. "Significant progress has been made in rehabilitating aging watershed dams in the past five years and now is not the time to cut funding for that effort," said Underwood. "Local watershed project sponsors have worked to raise their 35 percent of the cost of projects and obtain land rights and now are depending on the federal government to come through with their share of funding in keeping the most high hazard dams safe."

The National Watershed Coalition recommends $35 million for watershed planning, $190 million for watershed operations and $75 million for rehabilitation of aging watershed dams for fiscal year 2009.

The USDA watershed program provides an important infrastructure to thousands of communities in all 50 states. Investment in the USDA watershed program over the past 50 years has developed a $15 billion national infrastructure that is providing $1.5 billion in annual benefits to 47 million people in 2,000 watershed projects. Before a project can be approved it has to be shown that for every federal dollar spent, there will be at least two dollars in benefits.