Dear Mr. Stoda,
Thank you for contacting me regarding wildlife extinction and funding for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Wildlife Without Borders program.
As you may know, Wildlife Without Borders is a program within the FWS’s division of international conservation which provides wildlife and habitat conservation assistance to key species and regions around the globe. The program’s three sub-programs, which are the Species, Regional and Global programs, support numerous conservation projects around the world. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 allocated $1.2 billion for the FSW and the programs within it.
Whether it is a result of habitat degradation or destructive human activity, the threat of species extinction is a serious one which holds many disastrous consequences. I recognize the great strides the Wildlife Without Borders program has made in the context of wildlife and species preservation. I place a high priority on working to protect and improve the environment, wildlife, and natural resources in our local communities; as an avid outdoorsman, I cherish the time I spend in the wilderness. However, our nation’s budget faces extinction as well. This unprecedented shortfall threatens the stability of our economy and the fiscal viability of future generations who will have to repay our debt. Families, businesses, and especially the federal government all need to take caution to live within our means and prioritize how to best spend our money. We must look at all programs as we search for savings in tackling this extremely important challenge.
The people of Missouri’s Seventh District elected me to make the difficult decisions that our country desperately needs to return to financial stability. Just as the American people must balance their own checkbooks each month, their government must live within its means. That is why I welcome all comments that my constituents may have so that we will have a good idea of which programs are working and which ones need to be reformed, reduced, or eliminated when the time comes to write these bills.
Again, thank you for contacting me on this important issue. Hearing the views of all Missourians gives me the opportunity to better understand how important issues could impact the people of the Seventh District and the future interests of the nation.
To celebrate the beauty and diversity of the Ozarks, I am holding a contest to choose which photos of Ozark landmarks should be displayed in my Washington, D.C. office. To place your vote in this contest, please visit my website at http://long.house.gov and see the contest link on the lower right side of the page. I also invite you to visit my website for additional information regarding current legislation, my representation of the Seventh District, and to sign up to receive my monthly newsletter.
Sincerely,
Billy Long
Member of Congress
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