Copyright 1999 The Times-Picayune Publishing Co.
The Times-Picayune
November 21, 1999 Sunday, ORLEANS
SECTION: SPORTS; Pg. C16
LENGTH: 678 words
HEADLINE:
HOUSE COMMITTEE GETS CREDIT FOR CONSERVATION BILL
BYLINE: By BOB MARSHALL, Outdoors editor
BODY:
Behavior modification is a powerful and
important tool in all areas of life. When a bad dog behaves, you should always
remember to toss it a bone. When a bully reforms, you make him a friend. And
when a politician does the right thing, you stand up and cheer.
So it's
time for anyone who cares about fish and wildlife to give a few hoorays to the
House Resources Committee. Last week the panel made one of the best votes of the
century for natural resources by passing CARA -- the Conservation and
Reinvestment Act (H.R. 701) -- 37-12.
Calling this landmark
legislation might be understatement; it's that good. This one sweeping bill
would undo years of national neglect for fish, wildlife, wetlands and parks.
Using funds generated by fees on offshore oil and gas activities, CARA would put
some $44 billion over the next 15 years into a pot to be distributed to state
and federal agencies.
Key uses:
* Provide $1 billion to coastal
states for mitigation of impact from oil and gas exploration. Louisiana would
receive nearly $285 million per year, vital funding for its battle against
coastal erosion.
* Provide state agencies with significant funding for
non-consumptive programs. Hunters and fishers no longer would be footing the
entire bill for these programs, which are dreadfully underfunded. Louisiana
would receive about $5.8 million a year.
* Put $900 million into the
long-ignored Land and Water Conservation Fund, used to purchase
critical fish and wildlife habitat, such as national wildlife refuges.
*
Provide almost $425 million for urban parks, historic preservation sites,
federal land restoration projects.
* Make $150 million available for
wildlife easement on private lands and species recovery programs.
CARA
grew out of a proposal first made almost 15 years ago to provide badly needed
funding for state agencies and outdoors recreation programs on federal lands.
The funding source proposed back then was an excise tax on outdoors gear such as
boots, backpacks, tents and the like. Hunters and fishers had been paying the
fish, wildlife and lands bills for 40 years with a similar tax on hunting and
fishing gear.
But outdoors gear manufacturers repeatedly balked.
Backpackers and bird-watchers didn't have the same sense of commitment as
hunters and fishers, it turned out. And Congress didn't like the idea of passing
a tax.
When the anti-tax, anti-fee Republicans gained control of
Congress, the idea looked dead. But if anything can pull politicians together,
it's money. When the idea was broached of using offshore mineral funds for a
nationwide program that could put dollars in the pots of every state, support
began to mount. It didn't hurt that the chairman of the key committee, Don
Young, happened to be from Alaska -- a state that figured to gain big-time.
Louisiana's delegation came through as well, especially Rep. Billy
Tauzin (R-Hackbay) and Chris John (R-Baton Rouge). Normally a fierce opponent of
anything that allows federal purchase of lands -- even from willing sellers --
Tauzin was able to put his ideology aside to bring badly needed millions to his
state. He and John had to convince others to do the same.
"They faced a
lot of opposition from western Republicans on the private property agenda, but
they exerted a lot of leadership for their state," said Naomi Edelson, of the
International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, a major lobby for CARA.
"There were some significant compromises made, and this became truly a
bi-partisan bill.
"I think it's important for people to recognize what
their representatives have done on this issue. We want to keep them with us."
That might seem like backward thinking to some. Why reward someone for
doing the right thing? Especially people who are listed as public servants?
But public resources ultimately are governed by politicians, and CARA
has a long way to go -- the House floor, the entire Senate. If the politicians
hear us cheering loudly enough, maybe they'll continue to do the right things.
It's worth the effort.
COLUMN: BOB MARSHALL
LOAD-DATE: November 21, 1999 
