Obama's Warming Emphasis for FWS Divides Greens

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service would spend more time and resources planning for and adapting to anticipated global warming under the Obama administration’s fiscal 2011 proposed budget. The reallocation of priorities is garnering mixed reviews among environmental activist groups.

The Obama budget would direct FWS to direct $29 million to climate change research and planning, a 45 percent increase over the 2010 fiscal budget. The 2011 budget also includes a 12 percent boost in funding for land acquisition, deemed important to assist species migrate north during anticipated global warming.

Mary Beth Beetham, director of legislative affairs for Defenders of Wildlife, supports the fiscal 2011 proposals.

“Climate change is the challenge of our time,” explained Beetham. “We need to build resiliency in natural systems to ensure they’ll be able to take the stress.”

Noah Greenwald, director of the Center for Biological Diversity’s endangered species program, has his doubts. Greenwald is especially concerned with apparent budgetary priorities that value renewable power production over species protection.

“We support climate change adaptation. We support renewable energy development. But none of that should be done at the expense of real protections for species,” said Greenwald.