Nearly 30 hunting/conservation organizations have urged Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne to make greater use of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit (CFWRU) research and training partnership in carrying out cooperative conservation efforts to meet this nation's pressing future natural resource challenges, reports the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI).

Each of the 40 CFWRUs, in 38 states, is a true federal/state/university/private partnership among the U.S. Geological Survey, a state natural resource agency, a host university and WMI. The CFWRUs build on these partner contributions to leverage more than three dollars for every one dollar appropriated to the program by Congress.

The hunting/conservation organizations are the Archery Trade Association, Bear Trust International, Boone and Crockett Club, Bowhunting Preservation Alliance, The Campfire Club of America, Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, Dallas Safari Club, Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Foundation for North American Wild Sheep, Houston Safari Club, Izaak Walton League of America, National Assembly of Sportsmen's Caucuses, National Trapper's Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, North American Grouse Partnership, Orion-The Hunters Institute, Pope and Young Club, Quality Deer Management Association, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ruffed Grouse Society, Safari Club International, Sand County Foundation, Texas Wildlife Association, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Wildlife Forever, The Wildlife Society, and Wildlife Management Institute.

In a letter to Interior Secretary Kempthorne, the organizations collectively stressed that the CFWRUs across the country are crucial to addressing successfully the natural resource management challenges posed by energy development needs, invasive species, infectious diseases, wildfire and increased demand for limited water resources. They argued that solving these problems and others requires the CFWRU's management-oriented, community-based approach to research, which relies on interdisciplinary efforts and fosters collaboration and accountability.

According to the organizations, the nation's management challenges also include replacing the unprecedented number of natural resource professionals who will be retiring over the next 10 years. The groups maintained that the CFWRUs are well positioned to meet this need with an established record of training new natural resource professionals who are management-oriented, well-versed in science, grounded in state and federal agency experience, and able to assist private landowners and other members of the public.

To begin meeting these high priority research and training needs, the organizations asked Secretary Kempthorne to establish a competitive, matching fund program within existing CFWRU legislative authority that would make available up to $20 million annually in new funds beyond base operational costs. These new funds would support future cooperative research efforts in key areas and essential training of new natural resource professionals to replace the large number who will retire within the next decade.

In order to fill current scientist vacancies, restore seriously eroded operational funds for each CFWRU, and enhance national program coordination, the groups stressed that the Interior Department budget request for the CFWRUs must increase approximately $5 million above the fiscal year 2007 funding level. This funding would restore necessary capacity in the CFWRU program for it to meet the nation's research and training needs, and it would ensure that the Interior Department provides the federal scientist staffing agreed to with partners so that the return on their continuing investment in the CFWRUs is realized and fully leveraged. Without an infusion of funds, nearly a quarter of all CFWRU scientist positions (24) will need to be vacant by the end of Fiscal Year 2007.

The recommendations by the hunting/conservation groups would implement key provisions of the National Cooperators' Coalition (NCC) Vision and Strategies for the Future of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit System. The NCC is an alliance of nearly 70 nonfederal CFWRU program cooperators and other supporters of the CFWRU program. Its members include state wildlife agencies, universities and nongovernmental organizations. The mission of the NCC is to build a stronger and more coordinated base of support to serve research, education, and technical assistance needs of the nonfederal CFWRU program cooperators.

The organizations' letter to Secretary Kempthorne and the NCC Vision and Strategies for the Future of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit System may be obtained by at www.wildlifemanagementinstitute.org/pages/notices.html