Maryland Senator Ben Cardin
“You are making a difference! We’ve made a lot of progress, but we need you to stand strong!” That was the call to arms issued by Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) to 16 “citizen lobbyists” amassed for a Capitol Hill reception last week hosted by Cardin and longtime wildlife champion Representative Norm Dicks (WA-6).
Washington Representative Norm Dicks
The 100-person gathering was the culmination of a two-day lobbying marathon organized by Defenders and other conservation groups to help secure funding for wildlife conservation programs. In all, the heads of seven different enviornmental groups partiipated in the lobbying push along with countless other staff. And the 16 citizen lobbyists? They were the stars of the show, all having agreed last minute to put their personal lives on hold, fly to D.C. and speak from the heart about the importance of wildlife conservation funding to their local regions and economies.
They hailed from all walks of life—refuge managers, environmental activists, and local eco-business owners. And each had a unique story to tell about the importance of wildlife conservation in their area. Nathan Varley, owner and operator of The Wild Side, a wildlife tourism business, spoke to the crowd about how important wildlife is to his business and many others. “Put simply,” he said, “take away the wildlife and I don’t have a business and my employees don’t have jobs.”
Nathan’s plea was an apt one considering the total contribution from outdoor sports in the United States is nearly $821 billion a year, generating more than 6.4 million jobs and close to $100 billion in federal and state tax revenue. Wildlife viewing alone brought in close to $49 billion, including nearly half a million jobs and people visiting national wildlife refuges, parks, and other
recreation areas added another $47 billion.
Defenders President Jamie Rappaport Clark
“These programs are so vital to our natural heritage,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, President of Defenders of Wildlife and emcee for the evening. “But we also must remember what they mean for jobs and so many local economies.”
With such earnest citizen lobbyists speaking out in favor of such programs, it’s not a lesson anyone is likely to forget soon.
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