CONSERVATION AND REINVESTMENT ACT OF 1999 -- (Extensions of Remarks -
May 15, 2000)
[Page: E724]
---
SPEECH OF
HON. ROBERT A. WEYGAND
OF RHODE ISLAND
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Thursday, May 11, 2000
The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union had under
consideration the bill (H.R. 701) to provide Outer Continental Shelf Impact
Assistance to State and local governments, to amend the Land and Water
Conservation Fund Act of 1965, the Urban Park and Recreation Recovery Act of
1978, and the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly referred to as
the Pittman-Robertson Act) to establish a fund to meet the outdoor conservation
and recreation needs of the American people, and for other purposes:
- Mr. WEYGAND. Mr. Chairman, as an original sponsor of H.R. 701, the
Conservation and Reinvestment Act, I am in strong support of this important
legislation.
- By providing an estimated $17 million per year for wildlife protection,
open space preservation, urban parks, and coastal protection to my home state
of Rhode Island, CARA will go a long way in providing the resources and
investment necessary to fund vital conservation and recreation
programs.
- As many of my colleagues know, I am a landscape architect by profession. I
began my public service career by serving on my local planning board. Later,
as Lieutenant Governor, I served as chairman of Rhode Island's Land Use
Commission. During that time, I wrote Rhode Island's current land use and
zoning laws which the won praise of planning organizations nationwide. I have
spent the last 25 years working on ways to improve land use planning for
communities and states. I can say with a high degree of expertise that
providing a steady and stable conservation funding stream will improve the
ability of states and communities to plan better and manage their growth. This
legislation provides this critical funding stream.
- As communities continue to struggle with uncontrolled growth and the loss
of sensitive environmental lands, this legislation provides states with the
resources they need to address these issues. Many of us in Congress
[Page: E725]
have been working hard to make our communities
more livable. CARA takes us one step closer to making communities across the
country more livable.
- As I travel across Rhode Island, my constituents urge me to make their
communities more livable by improving the environment in which they live. In
the northern part of my state, I continue to hear that we need more green and
open space, more parks for their children to safely play. This legislation
will provide the funds that communities, such as my home town of North
Kingstown need to provide additional parks and open space.
- In the southern part of my State, the coastal areas, I continue to hear
that we need to take further action to address coastal erosion, and prevent
further damage to sensitive wetlands and salt ponds. As many of you know,
Rhode Island is subject to severe winter storms and hurricanes. These storms
do untold damage to habitat and salt ponds, and increase coastal erosion. This
bill will provide Rhode Island with several million dollars per year to
address the problems resulting from these storms.
- Many Members have taken to the floor to talk about the environmental
importance of this bill. I agree. I would also like to address the potential
economic benefits. For a state who's economy and way of life is largely
dependent upon the Atlantic Coast and Narragansett Bay, preserving and
restoring critical habitat and coastline is not only important to Rhode
Island's environmental health but vital to its economic stability. Protecting
our coastline will undoubtedly result in cleaner water which in turn, yields
improved fish stocks for both the recreational and commercial fisheries. Both
are significant economic generators for Rhode Island.
- One of Rhode Island's largest economic generators is the tourism industry.
People from all over the world come to Rhode Island to sail, visit its
beaches, and experience the natural beauty of its coastal landscape. Taking
steps to protect the State's natural beauty will undoubtedly result in an
improved tourism industry.
- Mr. Chairman, CARA is good for our environment, it is good for our
economy, it will ease growth pressure on our communities, and I strongly urge
my colleagues to support it.
END