Letters to Senate

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association October 2000 Newsletter)

Below are three letters sent to our senators on issues of importance to you and to JCAA.   Please send personal letters and club letters to both Senator Torricelli and Senator Lautenburg on each of the following issues.

Honorable Robert G. Torricelli
United States Senator
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510-3003

Dear Senator Torricelli:

I am writing to you on behalf of the Jersey Coast Anglers Association.  Jersey Coast Anglers Association represents over 75 fishing clubs in New Jersey.  Its mission to help protect, conserve and enhance the marine fisheries and environment.  We also fight to protect the rights of recreational and subsistence fishery to have access to the public resources. 

The JCAA is very encouraged with the pending federal legislation known as the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999 (CARA).  The JCAA was particularly pleased when the House of Representatives passed HR701 earlier this year.

The natural resources of the United States are precious commodities that support important commercial and recreational opportunities for our citizens.  There never seems to be sufficient funding available to adequately address the needs of these natural resources.  Consequently, the CARA legislation is a welcome advance in the management of our natural resources.

Obviously, the JCAA particular interest is for the marine fisheries resources and I would like to encourage you to ensure that the appropriate language is incorporated into the bills to emphasize authorization of funds for marine fisheries management and research.  Overall this legislation is the most important conservation legislation in years.  The JCAA trusts we can count on your support to ensure adoption of this landmark legislation.  The New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen Clubs, with a 150,000 members, has also sent you a letter of support and I am legislative chairman for both groups so please give me a call if you have any questions at 732-270-9102.

Thomas P. Fote
Legislative Chairman JCAA & NJSFSC

The Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg
United States Senate
506 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-3002
 

Dear Senator Lautenberg:

              You have been a good friend to the sport fishing community in the past, and now we need your help again.  A bill to amend the Sport Fish in Restoration Program will likely be brought before the Senate within the next week.  This legislation (S. 2609, The Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Programs Improvement Act of 2000) seeks to address well-publicized deficiencies in the program’s administration.  As you can imagine, as an angler that, through my fishing tackle purchases, contributes nearly $100 million into the fund, I want to ensure that sportsmen and women receive the maximum return on their investment.  While I agree that some of the changes proposed in S. 2609 will improve program accountability, I would like to point out two other changes that will harm important conservation and outreach components of the Program. 

            I am disappointed that this legislation fails to include $400,000 in funding for the Sport Fishing and Boating Partnership Council (SFBPC).  Without such a set aside, I fear that the important work of the SFBPC will cease.  As you may know, the SFBPC was created to provide a mechanism to provide advice to the Secretary of the Interior on fishing and boating issues including sport fish restoration and has a solid track record of success.  Further, those of us that contribute to the fund deem the SFBPC an invaluable mechanism for ensuring that our voice is heard when critical decisions are made within the Fish and Wildlife Service regarding the allocation of these dollars to sport fishing projects.

            Secondly, S. 2609 currently provides only $2.5 million for the Sport Fish Multi-State Conservation Grant Program.  This level of funding is simply not sufficient to fund the deserving four existing programs nor to include other projects of multi-state or national benefit that may be less expensive to perform collectively at much less expense than if each state conducted them individually. 

            The funding as it exists in S. 2609 is inadequate for these programs.   The consequence is a program with diminished value to the angler and the industry that helps support the program.  On behalf of the recreational anglers everywhere, I ask for your help in remedying this situation.  As always, I appreciate your hard work on behalf of New Jersey’s anglers.  Please call me at 732-270-9102 if you have any questions.

Sincerely yours,

Thomas Fote
Jersey Coast Anglers Association

Dear Senator Lautenberg,

            Thank you again for the support of the Jersey Coast Angler’s Association causes over the years.  JCAA has always been able to count on your support on marine resource protection over the years.  You will truly be missed next year as the important leader of the New Jersey Congressional delegation.

 The Jersey Coast Anglers Association has been an active member of the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) for many years.  ASA has always worked to protect the needs of New Jersey’s 1 million anglers and the 21,000 jobs they support in our state.

 One way ASA has been doing good things for New Jersey anglers is through a partnership with the NMFS fisheries restoration program.  For example, ASA’s FishAmerica Foundation and NMFS awarded $15,000 to the Camden County Parks Department to install a fish ladder on the Cooper River.  This recently completed project opened four miles of river habitat to blue back herring and alewife.  This effort perfectly complements JCAA’s other work to ensure a strong forage base for recovering stocks of gamefish like striped bass, weakfish, and bluefish.  Importantly, NOAA and FishAmerica’s partnership reduces conflict between sportsmen and commercial fishermen because fisheries restoration lifts all boats.

 JCAA will continue its work to save New Jersey’s forage and sportfish, but it is unclear if the NMFS fisheries restoration program will be able to continue their on-the-ground restoration work in New Jersey.  Unfortunately, funding for fisheries habitat restoration was not included in the NMFS appropriations bill that was recently approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.  Last year, Congress approved $2 million for the NMFS fisheries restoration program.  The current House-passed bill continues last year’s funding level.  If funding is restored, FishAmerica and NMFS would be able to fund several important projects, including an effort of Rutgers University to restore eelgrass habitat in Little Egg Harbor.  NOAA fisheries restoration projects are valuable because they take a voluntary, non-regulatory, and community-wide approach.  In other words, they are from the grassroots up, not from the beltway down.

              Thank you again for all your past support on behalf of New Jersey’s anglers.  I hope you and your colleagues will restore funding to the NMFS fisheries restoration program so it can continue its work to restore our nation’s fisheries.

 Sincerely,
Tom Fote
Legislative Chairman JCAA

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