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In the past 30 years, the population of blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay has been barely hanging on, much to the dismay, I know, of Senator MIKULSKI and Senator SARBANES, who fight

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   In the middle of this century, a boater could look down into Lake Tahoe's depths and see 100 feet. Today that is more like 60, or 70, and dropping every day. Senator FEINSTEIN and Senator BOXER know that CARA could be one of the answers--not the only answer but truly one of the answers to help.

   These facts are staggering. More importantly, it will take decades to turn it around.

   So let's begin now.

   I ask each of my colleagues to put themselves in the shoes of our Governors, our mayors, and our natural resource officials. All of these local officials are charged just as we

   are with developing long-range strategies to combat vanishing coastlines, disappearing wildlife, and crumbling treasures. But if we don't enact CARA, or something very close to it, a funding stream they can count on year in and year out, their efforts will be marginalized.

   The Gulf of Mexico does not wait for congressional approval to claim 30 square miles of Louisiana every year. Hurricanes do not lobby congressional appropriators before they claim precious beaches in Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and the eastern seaboard. Mother nature does not testify in front of Congress before she floods our parks, eats away at the Everglades, and takes her toll on our historic treasures.

   Let us look closely at what we are doing here today. I ask that we not be lulled into believing that this is anything more than a minor downpayment on a debt we owe to our children.

   In the past 2 years, I think we have made much progress in recognizing the contribution of the coastal States--particularly States such as Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, and Alabama--which generate these offshore revenues in the first place.

   Because I have received assurances from both leaders, Senator LOTT of Mississippi, and Senator DASCHLE of South Dakota, that both coastal impact assistance and wildlife protection can be addressed in other bills in this Congress, I have withdrawn my objections to final passage of this bill.

   Although CARA supporters will lose the vote today, we will grow stronger. We will come back energized and ready to fight for what our country really needs--a true environmental legacy. The coalition knows that this is a downpayment. And, like all who are owed a debt, we will come to collect.

   Winston Churchill once said:

   Want of foresight.....unwillingness to act when action would be simple and effective ..... lack of clear thinking, confusion of counsel until the emergency comes ..... until self-preservation strikes its jarring gong.....these are features which constitute the endless repetition of history.

   Colleagues, let us heed these words. Let us come next year prepared with a willingness to act . Let us think clearly before the emergencies come. Let us not wait until our environmental preservation hangs in the balance. And let us listen to the cause of the American people--people from my State, people from your State, people from all of our States who say they need something on which they can depend--a steady stream of revenue; a partnership that they can depend on to help preserve what is best about America while protecting private property rights, while protecting the great balance between land ownership and land maintenance, while protecting the great needs of our coastline and our interior.

   We need a bill that America can grow on and depend on and prosper from in the decades ahead.

   I thank again the appropriators for their hard work. I thank the authorizers for their tremendous vision.

   Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD a list of wonderful people who need to be thanked for their efforts and, in doing so, not conceding that there is not still some time left to make some corrections and improvements but recognizing that the time is short and we will continue to pursue this avenue. But this is a list of coalition members from the National Wildlife Federation; Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association; National Governors' Association; the

   Nature Conservancy; Louisiana Department of Natural Resources; Americans for our Heritage and Recreation; International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies that worked so hard on this effort; U.S. Soccer Foundation; National Wildlife Federation; Coastal Conservation Association; Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America; Trust for Public Lands; Coastal States Organization, which Jack Caldwell helped to head up; National Coalition of State Historic Preservation Officers, particularly the Governor of Oregon who was so helpful, and many other Governors; the Wilderness Society; Southern Governors Association; my Governor, Governor Foster, who lent a hand early on; Land Trust Alliance; and the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana.

   Those are just a few. There are so many more and I know my time is probably up.

   I also ask unanimous consent to have printed in the RECORD the names of many of the staff people who helped make this possible.

   There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

   CARA Coalition Members
Mark Van Putten, Jodi Applegate, Jim Lyon, Steve Schimburg--National Wildlife Federation
Sandy Briggs--Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Jena Carter, Diane Shays--National Governor's Association
Tom Cassidy, Jody Thomas, David Weiman--The Nature Conservancy
Sidney Coffee--Louisiana Department of Natural Resources
Tom Cove--Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association
Jane Danowitz--Americans for our Heritage and Recreation
Glenn Delaney, Naomi Edelson, Max Peterson--International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Jim Range--International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies/The American Airgun Field Target Association
Gary Taylor--International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Herb Giobbi--U.S. Soccer Foundation
Pam Goddard--National Wildlife Federation
Bob Hayes--Coastal Conservation Association
Myrna Johnson--Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America
Lesly Kane--Trust for Public Land
Tony MacDonald--Coastal States Organization
Nancy Miller--National Coalition of State Historic Preservation Officers
Andrew Minkiewicz, Kevin Smith--Governor Kitzhaber of Oregon
Rindy O'Brien--The Wilderness Society
Beth Osborne--Southern Governor's Association
Bob Szabo--Van Ness--Feldman Law Firm
Russell Shay--Land Trust Alliance
Mark Davis--Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana

   Actively Supportive Members and Staffs
Senator Thomas Daschle--Mark Childress, Eric Washburn
Senator Trent Lott--Jim Ziglar
Senator Bingaman--Minority Energy Committee Staff: Bob Simon, Sam Fowler, David Brooks, Mark Katherine Ishee, Kyra Finkler
Senator Murkowski--Majority Energy Committee Staff: Andrew Lundquist, Kelly Johnson
Senator Mike DeWine--Paul Palagyi
Senator John Breaux--Fred Hatfield, Stephanie Leger, Mallory Moore
Senator Max Baucus--Brian Kuehl, Norma Jane Sabiston, Jason Schendle, Aylin Azikalin, Alyson Azodeh

   All democratic colleagues on Energy Committee and Senator Fitzgerald.

   Ms. LANDRIEU. Mr. President, I end by saying that sometimes it takes a bold act to receive something on which we can really build. CARA is a bold act .

   In a bill with $15 billion, asking for a few hundred million for States and local governments, a few hundred million for our coastal communities, a few hundred million for wildlife, was not too much to ask. I am very hopeful in the years ahead we can meet the promise of CARA.

   I ask unanimous consent to have printed excerpts of editorial support.

   There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:

   Why CARA? Why Now?

   EXCERPTS OF EDITORIAL SUPPORT FOR THE CONSERVATION AND REINVESTMENT ACT

   ``It's a bold approach to environmental conservation and restoration. If ever there were a win-win for all the squabbling factions permanently encamped in the corridors of Capitol Hill to argue about the environment, this bill has to be it.'' Seattle Post-Intelligencer, May 18, 2000.

   ``The Conservation and Reinvestment Act has the magic to get through Congress in an election year: money for lots of states, creative compromises and an odd-couple pair of sponsors from the right and left.''--Seattle Times, May 9, 2000.

   ``Even with the unusual level of bipartisan support that this measure has, it could easily get lost in the last days of an election-

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   ``This measure should be plucked from the pack and made law.''--Los Angeles Times, September 18, 2000.

   ``By passing the act , the Senate will demonstrate that in the current prosperity, America is not forgetting its other riches, those bestowed on it by nature.''--San Jose Mercury News, September 17, 2000.

   ``As Congress churns though its last days before adjournment, one issue of environmental impact should not be left in the dust: the Conservation and Reinvestment Act , or CARA.''--Chicago Tribune, September 16, 2000.

   ``Before adjourning next month, Congress should approve two of the most important conservation bills in many years. One bill, the Conservation and Reinvestment Act , would guarantee $45 billion over 15 years for a range of environmental purposes, including wilderness protection.''--The New York Times, September 13, 2000.

   ``One of the most important and comprehensive pieces of conservation legislation in U.S. history deserves immediate passage by the Senate. It is a bill most Americans have never heard of: The Conservation and Reinvestment Act , or CARA.''--St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 11, 2000.

   ``This is a rare piece of legislation. Its purpose is clear and simple. Its funding is ready. Its public benefit would be immense, and so would its public support, if anyone could hear about it through the blare of electioneering. All it needs is attention by our senators in the next three weeks.''--San Diego Union-Tribune, September 7, 2000.

   ``Senators from inland states don't seem to understand why Louisiana and other coastal states should receive the bulk of the environmental money generated by offshore oil revenues. And maybe that's because their states aren't disappearing.''--The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune, July 18, 2000.

   ``Back in the '60s, Congress set aside $900 million yearly from offshore oil revenue for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to finance purchases of important natural beauty spots. But over the years Congress routinely robbed the fund to spend the money elsewhere, and Iowa was routinely shut out when the remainder was divided. CARA restores the fund and adds much more.''--The Des Moines Register, July 8, 2000.

   ``This landmark legislation deserves a chance, and it will be a shame if opponents manage to use the clock or unreasonable arguments to kill it. While senators out West worry about the federal government gaining more control over land, those of us who live in Louisiana worry about the acres of coast that are crumbling into the Gulf of Mexico. One fear is speculation, the other is all too real.''--The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune, September 19, 2000.

   ``The Conservation and Reinvestment Act is a necessary and sensible measure that would allow our nation to safeguard its natural heritage. It deserves the Senate's support.''--The Tampa Tribune, July 7, 2000.

   ``CARA is considered to be the most significant conservation funding legislation any Congress has ever considered.''--Times Daily (Florence, Alabama), July 10, 2000.

   ``The Conservation and Reinvestment Act is a strong and balanced realization of the philosophy that government revenues generated by exploiting natural resources ought to be spent, in large part, on protecting resources elsewhere. That's philosophy that Congress has long honored on paper, and should now put into practice.''--The (Minneapolis) Star Tribune, July 3, 2000.

   ``One of CARA's most exciting aspects, in fact, is the ability to focus on smaller projects than the federal government normally would, including urban green spaces, walkways and small slices of important habitat. For those with visions of a walkable riverfront in Detroit, of selective preservation of natural spots in the path of development, CARA is a dream come true--if the senators controlling its fate will set it free.''--Detroit Free Press, June 27, 2000.

   ``The most important land conservation bill in many years is now before the United States Senate, and time is running out.''--The New York Times, June 27, 2000.

   ``It's a reasonable, bipartisan way for America to create long-term funding for conserving our natural heritage.''--The (Salem, Oregon) Statesman Journal, June 14, 2000.

   ``CARA is a good program that promotes local initiative toward parks, resource conservation and historic preservation. We hope our senators change their positions and give the support it deserves.''--The Idaho Statesman, June 13, 2000.

   ``We need to make it clear that we, the American people, want the Senate to pass the most significant wildlife, parks and recreation legislation in over 30 years.''--The Pueblo (Colorado) Chieftain, June 11, 2000.

   ``This is a quality-of-life bill for the future, one that holds enormous promise for the protection of dwindling natural and cultural resources. Passage means benefits for the current generation of Americans, and a chance to continue those gains for generations yet to come.''--The Buffalo (New York) News, May 22, 2000.

   ``So long as good sense continues to prevail, this legislation may signal the beginning of an era, none too soon, in which environmental impact has a more prominent seat at the table.''--Winston-Salem Journal, May 19, 2000.

--

   Conservation Money

   The proposed Conservation and Reinvestment Act , which would transfer millions of dollars from federal off-shore oil leases to financially starved local and state parks and wildlife programs, is in trouble.

   Thanks to a deal devised by congressional negotiators on the Interior Department appropriations bill, the House has approved a pale version of the landmark legislation that earlier had been endorsed by two-thirds of the House, more than half of the Senate and President Clinton.

   The President has endorsed this inferior agreement, saying that ``while we had hoped for even more'' he wanted to praise the conservation , wildlife and recreation groups, as well as citizens, who worked so hard for the conservation act .

   This is not the time to give up. Despite the apparent bipartisan agreement, this latest version of the Conservation and Reinvestment Act , also known as CARA, should not be the one approved by Congress. It falls far short of the original that has been pushed by conservation groups, cities, counties and states.

   Under a strong bipartisan effort, Congress has been on the verge of restoring the money to its rightful uses. Of the $3 billion CARA would provide, Missouri annually stands to gain $34.7 million and Kansas $17.3 million for natural resource preservation and parkland acquisition. Kansas and Missouri cities and counties could use their share of the money to improve state and local parks, purchase land for parks, and other recreational purposes.

   The substitute version falls short in the money it would guarantee over the long term. In one example, $350 million annually for nongame wildlife programs has been cut to $50 million.

   Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott and Minority Leader Tom Daschle have announced their intention to push to restore CARA to its former self. They are backed by the nation's governors, who have sought significant conservation funding for state needs. The original version is the one that should be passed.

   Approval of CARA could be one of the most significant victories of this Congress.

   Mr. THOMAS. I ask unanimous consent to take the remaining time of the Senator from Arizona, which I believe is 4 minutes.

   Mr. BYRD. Would the distinguished Senator allow me to use 5 minutes of my time as the ranking member on the subcommittee?

   Mr. THOMAS. Go right ahead.

   The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from West Virginia.

   Mr. BYRD. I trust that the distinguished Senator will not leave the floor. I hope he will follow me immediately. If he is in great haste, I will be glad to yield to him.

   Mr. THOMAS. Go right ahead.

   Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, in the short time available before the Senate votes on final passage of the Interior appropriations conference report, I want to again urge my colleagues to support this measure. It is a good compromise that balances the needs of our parks, our forests, our wildlife refuges, and our trust responsibilities to American Indians, against the resources made available to us. That task--the task of reconciling identified needs with limited resources--is not easy.

   I am particularly pleased with the level of funding in this bill for fossil energy research. The new power plant improvement initiative, along with the other fossil energy research programs in the Department of Energy, are critical to this nation's energy security. Working to curtail our reliance on imported oil, and ensuring that our current fleet of power plants are efficient and environmentally sound, should be the cornerstone of the next administration's energy policy. I can assure the next president, whomever he may be, that I, for one, am ready to assist in that endeavor.

   Mr. President, I also wish to take a moment to thank the chairman of the full committee, Senator TED STEVENS, for his interest in this bill, for his continued support, and for his willingness to work with Senator GORTON and me to ensure that we were able to get to this point. In particular, I am grateful for his help in making additional resources available to the Interior subcommittee. Without those resources, we could not have crafted this bill.

   Finally, Mr. President, let me again thank my colleague, the subcommittee chairman, Senator GORTON. He and his staff have truly been a pleasure to work with.

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