Sarah Gamard and Caitie Burkes/Manship School News Service
Although the funding cards have not always being dealt in their favor, the heads of departments of Natural Resources and Wildlife and Fisheries remain optimistic about their respective fortunes in the forthcoming fiscal year, the House subcommittee on Infrastructure and Resources was told March 30.
For starters, Natural Resources Secretary Tom Harris noted that, as of mid-March, the price of oil is almost at an ideal spot, with 35 active oil rigs working every week.
Though he admitted he would like to see it hit the magic number of $60 per barrel, he claimed the state still could make money at the current $50 level. “I’m not telling you that we’ve got a boom coming, but we’re certainly heading in the right direction.”
However, Rep. John Schroder, R-Covington, challenged Harris’ optimism with heightened concerns that his agency is not supportive enough of the oil and gas industry.
“At what point does the cost of caring for people outweigh the service you provide?” Schroder asked.
Harris said he believes his department has managed its budget in a fiscally responsible manner. With approximately 91 percent of its budget dedicated to personnel, Harris said DNR tried to tackle spending issues.
But Schroder was more concerned as to why the DNR is intervening in a multitude of coastal lawsuits suing an industry that has “given so many jobs to Louisiana.”
Harris said, “These (suits) are not a condemnation of the entire oil and gas industry any more than citing individual violations would be,”arguing that enforcing federal regulations drives his department’s purpose, which subcommittee chairman Rep. Charles Chaney, R-Rayville, seconded.
Despite national headlines predicting congressional action reducing funds for wildlife conservation, the DWF Undersecretary Bryan McClinton says he isn’t worried.
McClinton said the majority of federal dollars to his department comes from three grants that are based on excise tax and are not appropriated directly through Congress. So far, McClinton said, he has not heard that will be changed.
McClinton said there is some federal funding that could be impacted by congressional action. This includes the state wildlife grants for rare, threatened and endangered species and the North American Wetland Conservation Act.
If Congress takes away these funds, he said, could negatively impact habitat restoration for waterfowl and state research projects.
What would be hits a closer to home. McClinton said his biggest concern for the upcoming fiscal year is HCR1 by House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia. The resolution, a long-term plan to fix the state’s ongoing budget deficit by skimming 3 percent from every department, would cut his department just enough to lose eligibility for large federal grants.
That is when the department would be in trouble, McClinton warned, noting Wildlife and Fisheries would lose $22 million in federal aid a year.