CONFERENCE REPORT ON H.R. 4578, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2001 -- (Extensions of Remarks - October 04, 2000)

[Page: E1669]
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SPEECH OF HON. MARK UDALL

OF COLORADO IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Tuesday, October 3, 2000

Mr. UDALL of Colorado. Mr. Speaker, I will vote for this conference report--and I will do so as a strong supporter of the Conservation and Reinvestment Act, or ``CARA.''

I understand that other supporters of CARA may disagree. They are concerned that passage of this bill will mean that CARA is dead.

But I do not think that is the case. Certainly I will continue working for CARA's enactment this year--and, if that does not occur, and if I am reelected, I will resume the effort next year.

But in the meantime, by passing this conference report we will take an important step toward one of CARA's key goals--that is, toward fulfilling the promise of one of the wisest and most far-sighted conservation measures ever--the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act.

The promise of that Act was that as the federal government sold non-renewable resources, particularly the oil and gas from the outer continental shelf, it would invest a major part of the proceeds in conserving our lands and waters and in helping our local communities to make similar investments.

Unfortunately, because of the budget problems of the past, for too long the Congress fell short of fulfilling that promise. But now the budget situation is different and we have a chance to make up for some of the shortfalls of the past and in fact to expand the benefits for our country.

By passing this bill, we can help our communities respond to the problems of growth and sprawl and to provide much-needed places for sports and outdoor recreation. We can help preserve our open spaces by acquiring inholdings in our parks and forests from people who want to sell. We can help protest threatened and endangered species, and the fish and wildlife resources that are so important to Colorado and the rest of the nation.

By greatly increasing the resources of the Historic preservation Fund we can help preserve the irreplaceable historic legacy of Colorado and our nation--saving historic landmarks, attracting private investment, and helping bring economic vitality to historic sites in Gilpin, Clear Creek, Adams, and Jefferson Counties and to neighborhoods in Boulder, Arvada, and countless other communities in Colorado and across the continent.

And by bolstering the PILT program, we can help the counties and other local governments in areas where the federal government is a major landowner--and we can do it the right way, by providing funds that aren't tied to timber sales or other uses of the federal lands and so without making the local communities hostages to the debates over timber harvests or other extractive uses.

Mr. Speaker, of course this is not a perfect bill--but, all too often we are reminded that there is no perfect legislation.

But, when you consider all that this conference report would do for our country I am convinced that we should approve it today--and, after that, keep on working for the further improvements that will come from enactment of CARA.
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