We all know that wildlife in America face serious challenges. Many people, agencies, and organizations are working for wildlife conservation, and many citizens support such efforts. But conservation costs money. A user fee on hunting and fishing equipment, as well as license fees, has long paid for the management of game animals. At the other end of the spectrum, efforts to manage threatened or endangered wildlife are funded through federal and state dollars. But there is a lack of secure, reliable, and adequate funding for the wildlife in the middle—the nearly 1800 species which are neither hunted or fished, nor threatened or endangered. These species, because they have no dedicated funding source, currently receive only 5% of the money allocated for wildlife.

Now there is a proposal for a national funding source for wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation, and environmental education that would be reliable and dedicated to these purposes. It's officially called the Fish & Wildlife Diversity Funding Initiative, though the moniker Teaming With Wildlife is easier to remember, and perhaps more descriptive. Here's how it works. A user fee in the form of a modest surcharge, never to exceed 5% of manufacturer's cost, would be added to out-door recreation equipment such as tents, binoculars and mountain bikes, as well as wildlife-oriented merchandise like birdseed and field guides. This would be done by the manufacturers, so the percentage would apply to the wholesale price. For example, a backpack costing $100 in a store might wholesale for $50. Five percent of this cost, added to the price charged the retailer, would be $2.50. If high-ticket items such as recreational vehicles are ultimately included in the final initiative, the surcharge may be as low as .25% (that would be only $125 on a wholesale price of $50,000).

These funds would be collected by the federal government and distributed to the states using a formula based on the geographic area of the state and its population size. The federal funds would be matched by a state contribution at a rate of one state dollar for every three federal dollars. Of the $350 million the surcharge is projected to collect nationally each year, Colorado would receive $7 million. With a match of about $2.2 million from the state, Colorado would realize $9.2 million in funding each year for wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation, and environmental education.

The proposal is being promoted by a coalition of more than 245 conservation and outdoor recreation groups, as well as state fish and wildlife agencies. The International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) is the lead organization. In Colorado, the initiative is supported by the Colorado Wildlife Conservation Funding Coalition, which includes such diverse members as the Colorado Bowhunters Association, Colorado Wildlife Federation, Denver Audubon Society, and the Colorado Division of Wildlife.

Teaming With Wildlife is a chance for all people interested in wildlife, nature and the outdoors—from birdwatchers, hikers and mountain bike riders, to hunters, anglers and photographers—to contribute to the protection of wildlife and its habitat. It's a way to invest in the future today, before it's too late. And it's a prevention strategy for keeping wildlife from becoming threatened or endangered. The 11th hour rescue of wildlife on the brink of extinction is enormously expensive. For example, over a 15 year period, the state of Colorado spent about $100,000 annually on peregrine falcon recovery. Add to this the dollars spent by the federal government and many other states, and the total is in the millions for recovery of one species. It is wiser and far less expensive to prevent species from becoming endangered than to bring them back once they're in dire straits.

Americans who love the outdoors will not only be helping to conserve wildlife, they will see some direct benefits, too. By protecting land for wildlife, more of our nation's forests, waterways, and mountains will be preserved for recreation as well.

Since education and recreation are important components, the money won't just be spent on research projects to count birds. It will include trails development, the building of boardwalks and interpretive nature signs and environmental education programs for school kids. The money will help not just rare species but the common animals—the frogs, butterflies and songbirds—which enliven our world.
 

So What Sorts of Things Would be Subject to the User Fee?

• Backpacks, sleeping bags, tents
• Binoculars, spotting scopes
• Film, cameras, lenses
• Bird feeders, birdseed, birdhouses, bird baths
• Recreational vehicles
• Canoes, kayaks
• Sport utility vehicles
• Mountain bikes
• Field guides and other outdoors guide books
• Hiking boots

Next: A History of Wildlife Funding