The more than 60 state agencies, universities and nongovernmental organizations of the National Cooperators' Coalition (NCC) are asking Congress to look beyond the President's fiscal year 2008 budget request and make greater use of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units (CFWRU) in meeting this nation's pressing future natural resource challenges, reports the Wildlife Management Institute.

Looking to implement NCC's Vision and Strategies for the Future of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Units, the CFWRU partners seek congressional establishment in fiscal year 2008 of a competitive, matching fund program that would make available $20 million annually in new funds beyond base operational costs. These new funds would support high-priority research efforts and essential training of new natural resource professionals to replace the large number who will retire within the next decade.

To provide necessary capacity in the CFWRUs for them to meet these research and training needs, the CFWRU partners also are asking Congress this year to appropriate $5 million more for program operation than the FY 2006/2007 funding levels. This increase would fill current scientist vacancies, restore seriously eroded operational funds for each CFWRU and enhance national program coordination.

According to the CFWRU partners, the challenges posed by climate change, energy development, invasive species, infectious diseases and limited water resources require the CFWRU approach to research, which relies on interdisciplinary efforts and fosters collaboration and accountability. The partners maintain that the CFWRUs also are well positioned to help replace the unprecedented numbers of imminent retirees because CFWRUs have an established record of educating new natural resource professionals who are management-oriented, well versed in science and grounded in state and federal agency experience.

Each of the CFWRUs in 38 states is a true research and training partnership among the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a state natural resource agency, a host university and the Wildlife Management Institute. The CFWRUs build on these partner contributions to leverage more than three dollars for every dollar appropriated to the program by Congress.

Last fall, nearly 30 conservation organizations and a bipartisan group of 11 Senators asked Interior Secretary Kempthorne to adopt the NCC recommendations for the CFWRUs in fiscal year 2008. Instead, the President's recently released USGS budget request for the CFWRUs is $15.430 million. That amount is just $492,000 above the fiscal year 2007 funding level of $14.938 million. The fiscal year 2006 funding level was $14.664 million.

The CFWRU partners stress that the amount of support requested for fiscal year 2008 fails to maintain even the minimum level of federal scientist staffing that USGS has agreed to provide. Without that support, the partners will not be able to leverage and realize fully a return on their continuing investment in the CFWRUs. (rpd)