A group of municipal, regional and statewide planning and conservation organizations joined legislative leaders today in sharply criticizing a Douglas administration move to eliminate a position with the Department of Fish & Wildlife responsible for overseeing the Department’s Community Wildlife Program.
Local officials stressed the significant value the position has brought to their communities, and lawmakers criticized the cut because it runs directly contrary to clear Legislative intent.
House Speaker Shap Smith, President Pro Tem Peter Shumlin, and Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee Susan Bartlett noted that lawmakers, in the budget passed this spring, expressly directed the Agency of Natural Resources, in the budget, to retain the position because they had heard strong community support in favor of the keeping the position. A memo signed in late June by legislative budget writers repeats the directive, essentially reiterating budget language that allocates money specifically for the position.
“The administration is thumbing its nose at the Constitutional separation of powers, and the Legislature; that is simply bad government,” said Senator Shumlin. “The Governor signed this budget. The Administration is to implement the budget, and implement it entirely, and not pick and choose the things they will and won’t do.”
“In the budget, that the Governor signed, the legislature communicated how proposed cuts in programs should be remedied,” said Speaker Smith. “To have an Agency so blatantly rebuff this process, not only diminishes public confidence in state government, but it is bad policy for our communities in Vermont.”
“Our committee heard loud and clear from our constituents that this position is critically important,” said Susan Bartlett, the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee. “We meant what we said when we said ‘keep the position.’”
Dana Farley, President of the Vermont Planners Association, said the Community Wildlife Program “provides critical planning assistance to communities, and is one of the few technical assistance programs that has not been eliminated in recent years.”
“In Vermont, most land use and development decisions are made at the municipal level, often by volunteer boards and commissions with limited technical resources,” Farley explained. “The state has basically given towns the responsibility to plan for and protect the state’s wildlife resources, but they are taking away the program needed for them to do that responsibly.”
Wildlife biologist Jens Hilke currently staffs the position. The bulk of his work involves assisting municipal planning and conservation commissions to understand and integrate wildlife considerations into local planning.
Caitrin Noel, Co-Chair of the Warren Conservation Commission, said the Hilke has been able to bring people from various towns together for regional goals, something that is hard for towns to do on their own. “The Community Wildlife Program has helped build greater understanding and appreciation for wildlife and wildlife habitat in our community” she explained, “and is a key resource in an ongoing effort between all of the towns in the Mad River Valley to address habitat conservation on a regional basis."
Source: Shumlin's office. 7.21.2010
Local officials, lawmakers call on ANR not to cut wildlife position
Submitted by tim
on