Update: July 14, 2000
I.
NEW CARA BILL
II.
COMMITTEE NEEDS SUPPORT
I. Murkowski and Bingaman Release Compromise Bill
I just got back from our 1 p.m. briefing with Senate staff on the
compromise version of the Conservation and Reinvestment Act. We are
still reviewing the details of the new legislation, but I wanted to
give you a general sense of what it looks like. In general we are
pleased with most of the changes that have been made. In certain
areas, the bill looks quite different from what the House passed in
May, but in most cases the changes are good.
Some of the improvements that we see at this point are inclusion
of language that encourages states to use the wildlife funds for
species with the greatest conservation need and requires development
of a wildlife conservation strategy plan. In addition, the federal
side of the Land and Water Conservation Fund appears to have some
improvements made as well. There are some continuing concerns with
the coastal title that we are reviewing. On the whole, it appears
the bill has improved. As I said earlier, I will be developing new
materials over the weekend that will hopefully provide more details.
I will make sure that all of you get information as quickly as
possible.
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II. What Can You Do?
This is a big step forward, but mark-up, which is scheduled for
Tuesday 7/18 and Wednesday 7/19, will still be very difficult. The
property rights opponents to the legislation are already stepping up
their efforts to kill the bill. We expect the opponents in the
Committee to offer many amendments, most of which could tip the
carefully crafted balance that Murkowski and Bingaman have created.
The Chairman and Ranking Member have agreed not to support any
amendments unless they both agree to it. This will be helpful, but
we need to shore up the Committee members that we expect will
support CARA. Your help right now will be critical.
Members of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee need
to hear from you. If one or both of your Senators is one of the ENR
committee members listed below - CALL THEM, call multiple times, and
ask all of your friends and family to do the same. They are hearing
a lot from the opponents of this bill and need to know that passing
CARA out of committee is a good thing. Tell them to PASS CARA OUT OF
COMMITTEE AND DO NOT SUPPORT ANY AMENDMENTS THAT THE CHAIRMAN AND
RANKING MEMBER DO NOT AGREE ON!!!!
Republicans:
Murkowski (Alaska)
Campbell
(Colorado)
G. Smith (Oregon)
Bunning
(Kentucky)
Fitzgerald (Illinois)
Democrats:
Bingaman (New Mexico)
Akaka
(Hawaii)
Dorgan (North Dakota)
Graham (Florida)
Wyden
(Oregon)
Johnson (South Dakota)
Landrieu (Louisiana)
Bayh
(Indiana)
Lincoln (Arkansas)
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