National Association of Conservation Districts

Action Alert

Action Requested
Date: February 20, 2009
Subject: FY2010 Appropriations

Action Requested:
Contact your Members of Congress in support of NACD’s Annual Appropriations priorities in FY2010 appropriations bills: Conservation Technical Assistance, State and Private Forestry, and 319 Nonpoint Source Pollution Grants. Request an appropriations form from your Member of Congress and submit a request for funding of these important programs.

Background:
Congress is observing the President’s Day recess this week before returning to Washington, D.C. on Monday to begin work on a backlog of appropriations bills. The economic stimulus and unfinished business on FY2009 has prevented Congress from working on FY2010 appropriations. The current continuing resolution for FY09 expires on March 6, so Congress must either pass a second continuing resolution or an omnibus bill making final spending decisions for FY09. Immediately after FY09 appropriations are addressed, Congress must shift its attention to FY10 appropriations.

Funding
NACD’s Board of Directors approved funding levels for each of the priority programs at their meeting in New Orleans. Specific funding levels for each program are:

Conservation Technical Assistance:  $924.446 million
State and Private Forestry:  $300.582 million
319 Nonpoint Source Grants: $218.957 million

NACD sent letters of support this week to leadership on the House and Senate Agriculture Appropriations and Interior Appropriations subcommittees. Those letters are on NACD’s website and can be reviewed here as you develop your own letters: http://www.nacdnet.org/policy/appropriations/fy10/

Member Request Forms
In addition to making contacts in support of NACD’s priorities, you can also request and submit member request forms. Members of Congress have appropriations request deadlines that are quickly approaching – typically the end of February or beginning of March.  These deadlines allow for constituents to submit requests to their Member and then that office can determine their own priorities and meet the request deadlines set by the Appropriations Subcommittees. The subcommittee meetings will begin sometime in March to begin reviewing FY10 appropriations.

If you have not already contacted your Members of Congress and received a request form from them, now is the time to make a contact and ask for one. NACD Government Affairs staff are available to assist with this process or answer questions.
 
Remember to make your remarks specific to how these programs are used in your local district and why it is important that your Members of Congress support them.

Contacts:
You can call, email, or fax your Members of Congress at the following links:
 
U.S. House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/writerep
U.S. Senate: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

You can also contact your Members of Congress by calling the U.S. Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
 
(Please remember when contacting Members of Congress that use of federally owned equipment is prohibited. This includes fax machines, computers, email or any other method which involves federal property)

Follow Up
As you make contacts and receive feedback, please remember to contact me so that we know how Members of Congress are feeling about NACD’s recommendation. Also be sure to let us know should you receive a member request form and need assistance in completing it. I can be reached via email at jeremy-peters@nacdnet.org or by telephone at 202-547-6223.