SCWA CEO, David Wielicki appeared before the House subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries in opposition to the proposed USFWS biological integrity, diversity and environmental health (BIDEH) regulation. The proposed regulation would prohibit the use of genetically modified crops, pesticides, herbicides and predator control on National Wildlife Refuges.
Groups joining SCWAs opposition to this regulation include the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Congressional Sportsmens Foundation, Delta Waterfowl amongst others.
According to Wielicki, The finalization of these regulations will be detrimental to waterfowl populations and a multitude of other species. This proposal would prohibit a number of important conservation activities unless an undefined criteria is met. Impacts would include the following:
1. Elimination of the majority of cooperative farming on National Wildlife Refuges which would reduce the number of duck energy days provided on refuges in the Southeast alone by 223 million duck energy days.
2. Inability to control invasive and noxious vegetation on National Wildlife Refuges due to herbicide and pesticide restrictions.
3. Prohibition of predator control on 6 million acres of Midwestern prairie USFWS Waterfowl Production Areas largely paid for with duck hunter purchased duck stamp dollars. A significant number of these would benefit from predator control of raccoons, skunks and red foxes in order to increase duck nest success and recruitment of ducks to the fall flight.
4. Prohibition of predator control on refuges will restrict the ability of refuge managers to protect threatened and endangered species.
5. Greatly reduce the ability of refuge managers to utilize active management techniques to achieve management goals for waterfowl and other species.
6. Refuge managers will be burdened with mountains of paperwork in order to approve a variance to these proposed rules. This includes completing cumbersome processes which will strain an already overtaxed field staff.
Wielicki summarized his opposition to the proposed BIDEH rule during his testimony National Wildlife Refuges are not National Parks their purposes, management, and founding goals are very different and more often require active management. We need to retain the ability for refuge managers to utilize active management approaches to meet the needs of waterfowl, shorebirds and other species.
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The South Carolina Waterfowl Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that exists to enhance and perpetuate South Carolinas wildlife heritage through education and habitat conservation.
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