Copyright 1999 Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.
Federal Document Clearing House Congressional Testimony
May 04, 1999
SECTION: CAPITOL HILL HEARING TESTIMONY
LENGTH: 479 words
HEADLINE:
TESTIMONY May 04, 1999 MAX CLELAND SENATE ENERGY & NATURAL
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND REINVESTMENT
BODY:
STATEMENTOF SENATOR MAX CLELAND (D-GA) BEFORE THE SENATE ENERGY AND NATURAL
RESOURCES COMMITTEE HEARING CONCE'RNING S.25. The Conservation and
Reinvestment Act; and S. 446, the Resources 2000 Act Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. I would like to thank you all for arranging a hearing on these
important bills. I was very pleased to be an original co-sponsor of the
Conservation and Reinvestment Act during the 105th Congress and
was happy to once again co- sponsor the bill this year. I would like to thank
Senators Landrieu and Murkowski for their leadership on this matter. I would
also like to thank my colleagues for allowing Mr. David Waller the opportunity
to speak before the Committee. Mr. Waller is a superb resource for the Fish and
Wildlife Agency Community and Georgia is very proud and fortunate to have had
him as Director of our state's Wildlife Resources Division since 1990 and with
the Department for nearly 30 years. David contacted me over two years ago to
inform and educate my office about the merits and need for a project called
Teaming with Wildlife, specifically how the project would provide a much needed
funding source for the management of non-game species. As you will certainly
discover, David's great passion, focus and commitment to purpose made it very
easy to realize the merits of his cause. Unfortunately, because the Teaming with
Wildlife proposal became burdened with the stigma of being called a new tax
bill, the opportunity for the full Senate to hear the merits of tile proposal
were stifled. Thus, I was extremely excited when David informed me that the
proposal had been attached to the Conservation and Reinvestment
Act. I was pleased to discover that the Conservation and
Reinvestment Act had other provisions which I supported, including
increased funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund at both the federal
and local levels, and provisions to protect and restore our coastal habitats.
Although Georgia does not have a large percentage of offshore oil receipts,
which correspondingly decreased the amount of financial resources the State
would receive under Title I of the bill, I co-sponsored the Conservation
and Reinvestment Act because I strongly supported the Title III
provisions. Moreover. I believe that those Coastal States which contribute the
most to Outer Continental Shelf revenues should benefit from a greater
percentage of these receipts than those states which did not. In conclusion, Mr.
Chairman, I believe that the Conservation and Reinvestment Act
provides valuable improvements in the federal government's distribution of
conservation program resources which will be of great benefit to both natural
resources and wildlife in America. Once again. Mr. Chairman, I thank you and the
other honorable members of this Committee for this opportunity and w ill now
yield to my good friend David Waller.
LOAD-DATE: May 5,
1999 
