The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA)
sent a letter to President Barack Obama on Tuesday asking him to pause and better
integrate state fish and wildlife agency considerations into his
Administration’s energy, climate and conservation initiatives and processes to
avoid unintended consequence to the management of the nation’s fish and
wildlife resources.
In the letter, AFWA extends its appreciation to the
President for promoting the outdoor recreational economy and natural resource
conservation, particularly America’s Great Outdoors and the administration’s
Climate Action Plan.
However, the Association expresses concern over the
need and desire for improved coordination with state agencies on several of the
President’s priorities including Executive Order 13604 on Improving Performance
of Federal Permitting and Review of Infrastructure Projects; the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Quadrennial Assessment; the clean energy economy and
similar initiatives. Through greater alignment, early in the planning process,
state and federal agencies can ensure they do not work at cross-purposes, and
that fish and wildlife resources are conserved in the Administration’s “All of
the Above Energy Strategy.”
AFWA’s letter requests a meeting with the
President’s senior advisors on energy, the environment and climate change to
discuss perspectives and determine a collaborative path forward.
