9-20 SS Duck Funding

 Money considerations for conservation groups like Ducks Unlimited. Ducks Unlimited, along with other conservation organizations, have vehemently opposed  spending cuts in conservation programs. Bernard Brown is the Senior Regional Director in WA of Ducks Unlimited and recently discussed cuts and conservation funding. “ Our national funding through the North American Wetlands Conservation Act has been sliced which is unfortunate because all of that money is released in the form of grants to organizations like Ducks Unlimited so we would match that sometimes 3 ½ times. If we get 50 million bucks, not us but if the North American Wetlands Conservation Act is voted at the level of $50 million, which I believe it has been at various times, each one of those federal dollars is matched up to 3 ½ times by what we raise through the fundraising dinners and from major donors and private corporations etc. So the conservation arena is, if we get money through a federal grant, we leverage that money up to 3 ½ times, particularly Ducks Unlimited, and the other thing that comes in there is the fact that hunters, fishermen, and waterfowl hunters in particular, put in a tremendous amount of money through the Pittman Robertson Act which is a tax on all firearms and all ammunition.”