    [Senate Hearing 118-374]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]

                                                            S. Hrg. 118-374

                          IIJA INVESTMENTS IN HABITAT
                           AND ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION,
                      POLLINATORS, AND WILDLIFE CROSSINGS

    =======================================================================

                                    HEARING

                                   before the

                                  COMMITTEE ON
                          ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                              UNITED STATES SENATE

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                                   __________

                                DECEMBER 6, 2023

                                   __________

      Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works

      [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

            Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.govinfo.gov

                  U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE
    56-398 PDF            WASHINGTON : 2025

                   COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS

                        ONE HUNDRED EIGHTEENTH CONGRESS

                                 FIRST SESSION

                      THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware, Chairman
              SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia, Ranking Member

    BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland         KEVIN CRAMER, North Dakota
    BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont             CYNTHIA M. LUMMIS, Wyoming
    SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island     MARKWAYNE MULLIN, Oklahoma
    JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon                 PETE RICKETTS, Nebraska
    EDWARD J. MARKEY, Massachusetts      JOHN BOOZMAN, Arkansas
    DEBBIE STABENOW, Michigan            ROGER WICKER, Mississippi
    MARK KELLY, Arizona                  DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska
    ALEX PADILLA, California             LINDSEY O. GRAHAM, South Carolina
    JOHN FETTERMAN, Pennsylvania

                   Courtney Taylor, Democratic Staff Director
                   Adam Tomlinson, Republican Staff Director
                                C O N T E N T S

                                  ----------
                                                                       Page

                                DECEMBER 6, 2023
                               OPENING STATEMENTS

    Carper, Hon. Thomas R., U.S. Senator from the State of Delaware..     1
    Capito, Hon. Shelley Moore, U.S. Senator from the State of
      Virginia.......................................................     3

                                   WITNESSES

    Williams, Hon. Martha , Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.     5
        Prepared statement...........................................     8
        Responses to additional questions from Senators:
            Whitehouse...............................................    18
            Markley..................................................    19
    Fouch, Hon. Brian, P.E., Associate Administrator for Federal
      Lands, Federal Highway Administration..........................    21
        Prepared statement...........................................    23
        Responses to additional questions from Senators:
            Carper...................................................    27
            Markley..................................................    30

    IIJA INVESTMENTS IN HABITAT AND ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION, POLLINATORS, AND
                               WILDLIFE CROSSINGS

                                  ----------

                          WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2023

                                           U.S. Senate,
                     Committee on Environment and Public Works,
                                                        Washington, DC.
        U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works
    Washington, DC.
        The committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:01 a.m. in
    room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Thomas R. Carper
    (chairman of the committee) presiding.
        Present: Senators Carper, Capito, Whitehouse, Merkley,
    Kelly, Padilla, Ricketts, Boozman, and Sullivan.

              OPENNG STATEMENT OF HON. THOMAS R. CARPER,
                U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF DELAWARE

        Senator Carper. Good morning, everyone. We are pleased to
    call this hearing to order.
        As you know, we have gathered today to examine several of
    the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law's investments in habitat and
    ecosystem restoration. As we do so, we are privileged to have
    leaders from two key agencies join us to discuss our shared
    goals of supporting infrastructure development, while also
    protecting important wildlife habitat.
        With that, I want to begin by welcoming Martha Williams.
    Usually, we don't ask witnesses to testify under oath, but
    since it is your birthday today and we are interested in
    finding how old you are----
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. No, seriously, happy birthday and thank you
    for spending your birthday with all of us.
        I understand your parents are still alive. Tell your mom
    and dad we said thanks for bringing you into the world, raising
    you, and sharing you with our Nation.
        With that, I want to welcome Martha, Director of the U.S.
    Fish and Wildlife Service and Brian Fouch. You are the
    Associate Administrator for Federal Lands at the Federal
    Highway Administration, if I am not mistaken. Is that right?
    How long have you held that post?
        Mr. Fouch. Over 25 years.
        Senator Carper. You started right out of high school. We
    thank you both for taking time to join us today.
        Since helping to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, in
    large part, written literally in this room by Senator Capito
    and other colleagues and our staffs, since helping pass that
    law over 2 years ago, our committee has spent a fair amount of
    time analyzing its implementation.
        It is one thing to have hearings on the legislation. It is
    another thing to vote in committees and subcommittees. It is
    another thing to pass it in the House, the Senate, reconcile
    the differences, and get the President to sign it into law. The
    hard part sometimes is implementation. We have to continue to
    focus a lot on implementation of those pieces of legislation as
    we implement the transformational investments in our Nation's
    roads, highways and bridges, as well as our drinking water and
    wastewater infrastructure.
        Today, we will build on that earlier work by discussing
    some of our lesser known but meaningful investments in
    ecosystem restoration, wildlife crossings and pollinator
    habitat. I have long believed that we can grow our economy and
    support jobs while protecting our environment. That is a theme
    that you will hear voiced almost every time we meet in this
    committee.
        Programs that we are examining today and the fact that
    Congress is investing in them through the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law, I might add, with the encouragement of the
    current Administration, are proof that I am not alone in that
    belief. We are not alone in that belief.
        Specifically, in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we
    provided the Fish and Wildlife Service with $455 million to
    facilitate fish passage across our Nation to support four
    regional restoration initiatives, including the Delaware River
    Basin Program.
        Today, we look forward to hearing from Director Williams
    about how the Service is putting these dollars to work quickly
    and how these investments improve resiliency and leverage
    private investments.
        In the Delaware River Basin, we have seen first-hand how
    restoration activities oftentimes make our communities stronger
    while benefiting our economy. For example, we know that when we
    make our ecosystems more resilient, cleanup our drinking water,
    and conserve wildlife habitat, it makes Delaware a more
    attractive place to work, to play, and to live. I think that is
    true not just for the first State, but it is true for all
    States.
        As part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we also
    provided the Federal Highway Administration with $350 million
    to stand up a pilot program for wildlife crossings across the
    Country. In addition, we authorized $10 million over 5 years
    for the agency to support pollinator-friendly roadsides and
    highway rights-of-way.
        Why did we do that? Well, in addition to habitat
    fragmentation driving biodiversity loss, wildlife-vehicle
    collisions represent a serious safety issue for drivers. In
    fact, there are more than one million vehicle collisions
    involving wildlife each year in our Country. The good news is
    that by working together, the Federal Government, States, and
    other conservation partners, we are making progress to address
    both issues.
        Just yesterday, the Federal Highway Administration
    announced the first round of grants under the Wildlife
    Crossings Pilot Program. We applaud that. It is worth noting
    that the demand for this funding outweighed the available
    dollars by five times, demonstrating the clear demand and need
    for this important program.
        What is more, the pilot program is already catalyzing
    action at the State and local levels. For example, some States
    are now passing laws and setting aside funding to contribute to
    this work. We are encouraged by that.
        Some States have identified the Wildlife Crossings Pilot
    Program as a possible funding source in their planning
    documents. In the past 2 years, 12 States, including a couple
    of States represented here today, California, Utah,
    Massachusetts, and others, have passed legislation to support
    wildlife crossings and committed an estimated $240 million to
    fund habitat connectivity projects.
        Other States have been leading on wildlife crossings for
    some time and are creatively engaging the public in their
    efforts. For example, Wyoming sells wildlife conservation
    license plates that help fund the State's work to construct
    crossings. Businesses even provide discounts to customers who
    purchase these conservation license plates.
        Let me close by saying that the Federal Highway
    Administration has an incredible opportunity to partner with
    others as you work to implement the pilot program. That
    includes working with the Department of the Interior and its
    agencies, including the Fish and Wildlife Service, which we
    know have a wealth of expertise in prioritizing habitat
    connectivity.
        We are interested in learning more today about how the
    Federal Highway Administration is collaborating with the
    Service, with States, and other stakeholders to make the
    Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program as successful and impactful as
    possible.
        We also hope to hear more today about how the Federal
    Highway Administration is balancing the habitat connectivity
    needs of smaller species with larger species and how the agency
    is considering aquatic connectivity in this new program.
        With all of that in mind, we look forward to hearing from
    Associate Administrator Fouch today about his agency's
    experience getting the wildlife crossings program off the
    ground, both the challenges as well as the opportunities going
    forward.
        With that in mind, I want to turn to our Ranking Member,
    Senator Capito, whose State, my native State, has a great
    interest and has set a great example, I think, in many respects
    in this area.
        Thank you for your leadership, Senator Capito.

            OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO,
              U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF WEST VIRGINIA

        Senator Capito. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        I want to thank the witnesses for coming today and holding
    this hearing.
        Director Williams, it is always great to see you. Happy
    birthday. I want to thank you for being always just a phone
    call away and always eager and ready to help us and our State
    as we have navigated some issues throughout the last several
    years. Thank you. I am deeply appreciative of that.
        Mr. Fouch, I was happy to hear, and you and I talked
    briefly, that you spent some of your time working at the West
    Virginia Department of Transportation and living in my hometown
    city of Charleston, West Virginia. So that is five stars for
    me. Thank you for your continued public service.
        Today we are discussing, as the Chairman said, the wildlife
    provisions that were included in the Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Investment and Jobs Act, IIJA. I am pleased that the
    Committee's Surface Transportation Reauthorization was really
    the foundation of the IIJA. As he said, a lot of that was
    written right in this room.
        One of those provisions is the Wildlife Crossings Pilot
    Program. The pilot program provides grants for projects
    designed to reduce collisions between vehicles and wildlife.
        Last week, the Federal Highway Administration announced
    grant awards for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023. FHWA awarded 19
    grants at approximately $110 million. I am sure you will tell
    us more about that in your statement.
        I will be particularly interested in learning about FHWA's
    plan to expeditiously get those project grant agreements
    executed. It is one thing to say we are going to grant the
    money, but as we know, there is a pipeline then to move that
    money forward. We look forward to that.
        It is worth noting that the projects funded under the pilot
    program may also be eligible under some of the existing core
    highway formula programs, including the Highway Safety
    Improvement Program.
        Just a few weeks ago, our Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water,
    and Wildlife held a hearing on the challenges and the
    opportunities to improve migration corridors. At that hearing,
    we heard a lot about how wildlife crossings can facilitate the
    migration of big game species, particularly in our western
    States. We also learned that there are other Federal programs
    and partnerships between Federal agencies, States, and the
    private landowners to help address these challenges.
        A recent press release from West Virginia's Department of
    Transportation noted that according to insurance statistics, my
    State leads the Nation in deer strike accidents. I can attest
    to that since I have had at least two in my lifetime, and they
    are quite frequent.
        Recently, we spoke with Department staff about this issue.
    The challenges faced in West Virginia are due to the
    unpredictable nature of these deer strikes. We see increases in
    deer strikes during hunting season which goes from October
    through December. The Department posts signs and provides
    information to the public to increase their awareness about
    this issue. As a native West Virginian, I think we are all
    aware that this is always a possibility.
        The Department also balances addressing these collisions
    with other highway safety challenges in the State. As required
    by Federal law, the Department uses a data-driven process to
    develop a plan that guides its investments to improve highway
    safety.
        The Department also looks for opportunities to help with
    species conservation. For example, some of the bridges that
    were built as part of Corridor H project allow species to
    continue following their natural paths along the ravines.
        The IIJA also included a program that provides grants for
    activities that benefit pollinators along roadsides and highway
    rights-of-way. It is my understanding that FHWA hopes to
    announce a notice of opportunity for that program in the coming
    weeks.
        The supplemental appropriations portion of the IIJA also
    included funding for various regional programs administered by
    the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. I look forward to hearing
    from Director Williams on how implementation of these programs
    is going.
        Thank you again, Chairman Carper, and I look forward to the
    hearing.
        Senator Carper. Thank you so much.
        As the Ranking Member knows, my wife and I took a big road
    trip over Thanksgiving. Our sons are spread across the world,
    so we decided to go find other members of our family.
        Our trip took us through Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, back
    down to Ohio, through West Virginia and finally home. My wife
    is not a big music person but she somehow found something on
    Spotify, it was a countdown of the top 100 Beatle songs of all
    time selected by listeners which was great fun to hear.
        She also loves books on tape so we had an opportunity to
    listen to a book on tape by Steve Jobs who helped in the
    creation of Apple and served a couple tours there. Those were
    highlights of the trip. One of the sad things on the trip was
    we saw a number of dead animals on the side of the road. One
    was a very large deer, I think a doe, female deer.
        That still happens too often. It was a bit of a reminder,
    if you will, that this work is important and that there are
    real consequences to what we are doing here. Sometimes we focus
    just on the vehicular accidents that occur and maybe the
    injuries to drivers and passengers and so forth, but the ones
    who are dying are in many cases are God's creations. We have a
    moral responsibility to do everything we can to reduce that
    loss of life.
        With that, this is an important hearing. We are delighted
    to be able to hear from all of you, especially on a special day
    for Martha Williams. Go right ahead. Happy birthday. That is
    the last time I will mention your birthday.

       STATEMENT OF HON. MARTHA WILLIAMS, DIRECTOR U.S. FISH AND
                            WILDLIFE SERVICE

        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Chairman Carper. I would like to
    say I am celebrating my 50th along with the Endangered Species
    Act. But that may have passed just a couple of years ago.
        Good morning, Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and
    members of the Committee.
        Thank you for the opportunity to testify before you today
    on the Fish and Wildlife Service's implementation of the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law or as we affectionately call it,
    BIL. Through BIL, Congress provided $455 million in direct
    funding to the Service to support and implement conservation
    projects on landscapes across the Country. This funding is
    helping us tackle some of the biggest and most complex
    challenges facing fish, wildlife and their habitats.
        Not only are we making significant strides for
    conservation, but we are also making a real and positive impact
    for the people and the local communities that we serve. Through
    BIL, we are putting locally led collaborative conservation at
    the center of our work.
        By listening to communities, we are protecting people,
    infrastructure and wildlife habitat. All of this work supports
    good paying jobs today and makes investments that will pay out
    sustained economic and ecosystem dividends far down the road.
        An example is our National Fish Passage Program, which
    removes barriers for fish passage, including unused dams.
    Through this program, the Service has worked to reopen over
    64,000 miles of upstream habitat since its creation in 1999.
        As the Senator knows, I traveled to West Virginia, where
    removal of a low head dam will help species return while
    keeping recreationists safe and benefiting the local community.
    The BIL is helping transform and expand this important work.
        The Service is now chairing an Interagency Fish Passage
    Task Force that spans 13 agencies, helping to get $2 billion in
    combined funding, as well as technical expertise to projects on
    the ground. I am proud to share that the Task Force is hard at
    work coordinating these investments today in Charleston, South
    Carolina, as we meet. These resources allow us to support
    community-led fish passage projects and interagency
    coordination on a level we simply couldn't match before BIL.
        These transformational changes are not limited to the
    National Fish Passage Program, though. In the Klamath Basin, we
    have been working for decades with farmers, States and tribes
    to address water availability and improve conditions for people
    and fish.
        BIL's $162 million investment is allowing us to support
    large scale projects that local communities have wanted to see
    for years. We are installing pumps on wildlife refuges to
    improve water availability for 20,000 acres of habitat for
    migratory birds critical to the Pacific Flyway, while also
    freeing up water for farmers.
        We are investing tens of millions of dollars to build out
    Klamath Falls National Fish Hatchery to assist in the recovery
    of endangered suckers. And we are working with communities to
    restore areas previously hit by wildfires to improve stream
    conditions.
        At Lake Tahoe, using $17 million from BIL, we have
    partnered with the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency and the
    Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe to conduct the largest aquatic
    invasive species project in the Basin's history. That is on top
    of this basin being really the gold standard for aquatic
    invasive species intervention.
        Addressing invasive plants helps improve conditions for
    native fish, honors our commitment to working with tribes and
    preserves Lake Tahoe's recreational value.
        Chairman Carper, I have had the opportunity, the delightful
    opportunity, to work closely with you on the Delaware River
    Basin. BIL funding is supplementing the work we have been doing
    with communities since 2016 under the Delaware River Basin
    Conservation Act.
        In Wilmington, we are improving river health and wildlife
    habitat while reducing flood risks to nearby neighborhoods. On
    the coast, we are restoring habitat for Red Knots and Horseshoe
    Crabs, and we are improving public access to parks and trails
    up and down the basin.
        I am extremely proud of the Fish and Wildlife Service's
    implementation of BIL so far. This funding and the communities
    and the agencies we are partnering with has transformed how we
    tackle some of our biggest conservation challenges and has
    accelerated long lasting solutions.
        I am excited to see what we can accomplish together in the
    coming years. I appreciate the opportunity to testify before
    the committee today and I look forward to answering any
    questions that you may have. Thank you.
        [The prepared statement of Ms. Williams follows:]

    [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. I failed to actually read a very nice intro
    that was written by our staffs. Martha Williams is no stranger
    to our committee. Director Williams was sworn in as the 23d
    Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service I think in 2022
    after serving as Principal Deputy Director since 2021. Is that
    true? I think that is true.
        My introduction goes on to say that you bring extensive
    background to your role including some of the topics we are
    discussing today, having served as Director of the Montana
    Department of Fish and Wildlife and Parks from 2017 to 2020.
    Are you a native of Montana?
        Ms. Williams. I am a native of Maryland.
        Senator Carper. That is good. That is part of DelMarVa.
        You also served as the Deputy Solicitor for Parks and
    Wildlife at the Department of Interior. You are a lifelong
    outdoor enthusiast, an avid hunter and angler.
        Anything else you want to add?
        Ms. Williams. I hope to be able to add lots of stories I
    have learned from you throughout the questions.
        Senator Carper. Brian, you are up. Thank you.

     STATEMENT OF HON. BRIAN FOUCH, P.E., ASSOCIATE ADMINISTRATOR
           FOR FEDERAL LANDS, FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION

        Mr. Fouch. Chairman Carper, Ranking Member Capito, and
    members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to
    appear before you today to discuss implementation of the
    Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act's investments in
    ecosystem restoration, pollinator-friendly roadside practices,
    and wildlife crossings.
        I am pleased to be here today with Director Williams. I
    would like to thank Director Williams for the collaboration
    between FHWA and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
        The Wildlife Crossing Pilot program is a safety focused
    program with the goals of protecting motorists and wildlife by
    reducing the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions and, in
    carrying out that purpose, improving habitat connectivity for
    terrestrial and aquatic species.
        The program represents an unprecedented effort to make
    roads safer while protecting wildlife as it creates a dedicated
    source of funding for wildlife crossing projects. At DOT and
    FHWA we recognize the importance of wildlife crossing projects.
        Earlier this year, Secretary Buttigieg visited a wildlife
    crossing in New Mexico where they announced details for the new
    Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program. Earlier this week, FHWA was
    pleased to announce award selections for the first round of
    funding under this program, announcing $110 million in grants
    for 19 wildlife crossing projects in 17 States, including four
    Indian tribes.
        FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt was in Arizona yesterday
    to announce the award of $24 million to the Arizona Department
    of Transportation for the InterState 17 Munds Park to Kelly
    Canyon Wildlife Overpass Project. The project will reduce
    wildlife-vehicle collisions along I-17, while increasing
    habitat connectivity for local species, particularly the elk.
        Safety is FHWA's No. 1 priority. The Wildlife Crossings
    Pilot Program will improve the safety of our Nation's roadways
    by preventing dangerous wildlife-vehicle collisions, improving
    the overall safety of the traveling public and reducing the
    economic drain caused by these collisions while some
    simultaneously supporting species survival and improving
    habitat connectivity. The awards announced this week do just
    that.
        Roadways that cross wildlife habitats create a barrier for
    animals and if they try to cross the roadways, can result in
    wildlife-vehicle collisions. The Wildlife Crossings Pilot
    Program will provide more options for animals to cross busy
    roads without coming into conflict with traffic, improving
    habitat connectivity.
        As required by statute, the Wildlife Crossings Pilot
    Program projects will be administered by the State Departments
    of Transportation and also by the FHWA's Office of Federal
    Lands Highway for Tribes and Federal Land Management Agencies.
        FHWA has had a long history in supporting these
    stakeholders with project delivery through our Federal Aid
    Division offices and our Federal Lands Highway Division
    offices. This experience makes FHWA well-positioned to
    administer this important program, and FHWA looks forward to
    supporting the recipients.
        In addition to the new Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program,
    wildlife crossings are eligible under several Federal highway
    programs, and FHWA has looked for opportunities to highlight
    these eligibilities.
        Consistent with our longstanding practice of engaging with
    stakeholders, FHWA developed the Wildlife Crossings Pilot
    Program Notice of Funding Opportunity after considering input
    from wildlife conservation groups, foundations, tribal
    governments and other relevant Federal, State and local
    stakeholders. FHWA is also working with these stakeholders to
    develop guidance, matrices and best practices regarding
    wildlife crosses and habitat connectivity.
        FHWA is committed to continuing its robust consultation
    with the Transportation Wildlife Conservative community to
    maximize the impact of programs and activities established
    under BIL.
        The numerous programs FHWA is implementing also include the
    Pollinator Friendly Practices on Roadsides and Highway Rights
    of Way Program, a new program to provide grants to eligible
    entities for activities to benefit pollinators on roadsides and
    highways right-of-way, including the planting and seeding of
    native, locally appropriate grasses and wildflowers. Although
    not within my program area, I know that FHWA is working hard to
    implement this program.
        Thank you again for the opportunity to appear before you
    today. I would be happy to answer any questions you may have.
        [The prepared statement of Mr. Fouch follows:]
        [GRAPHIC NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT]

        Senator Carper. Thank you.
        Ms. Williams, you were originally from Montana or Maryland?
        Ms. Williams. Originally, Maryland. But I lived in Montana
    for over 30 years.
        Senator Carper. That is a long time.
        Where are you from?
        Mr. Fouch. I grew up in the southwestern part of Virginia
    in Richlands, Virginia.
        Senator Carper. How far is that from Danville?
        Mr. Fouch. From Danville, that is probably a two and a half
    hour trip.
        Senator Carper. My sister and I grew up there. When I heard
    your accent, I thought I had heard that one before as a kid
    growing up.
        You have been in your current role for a couple of months?
        Mr. Fouch. Yes.
        Senator Carper. Any first impressions?
        Mr. Fouch. It is a wonderful program at Federal Highways.
    Some of my first impressions are the great stakeholder
    relationships, we have with our Federal land management
    agencies like U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the National Park
    Service. Our collaboration and how we work together has been
    really impressive.
        Senator Carper. Tell us a little bit about what you were
    doing it FHWA for the last 25 years?
        Mr. Fouch. For the last 25 years, I have been involved with
    many programs with Federal Highways. My very first assignment
    with Federal Highways was with Federal Lands, where I had a
    project that I helped manage in Yellowstone National Park. You
    can imagine starting out in a program where your first
    assignment is to live in Yellowstone National Park for 6
    months.
        Senator Carper. A tough assignment.
        Mr. Fouch. That was something. That was a great experience.
        Senator Carper. That is great. Let me ask you a couple of
    other questions.
        How has the Federal Highway Administration consulted with
    other agencies and State experts in standing up the Wildlife
    Crossing Pilot Program? How does the Federal Highway
    Administration plan to continue leveraging this expertise going
    forward?
        Mr. Fouch. Thank you, Senator, for that question.
        We have hosted several webinars and listening sessions for
    the Wildlife Crossing Program with our stakeholders. We held
    two webinars. One was for the general public and one just for
    tribes to assist in applications, the application process, and
    answering questions that might be pertaining to the Notice of
    Funding Opportunity.
        We also held two listening sessions, one for the general
    public and one specifically for tribes as well, to capture
    feedback on the application process so that we can improve it
    in the next round when we have it in Fiscal Year 2024.
        As we have worked on these, we have collaborated with our
    stakeholders, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation
    groups. We actually received several letters from non-
    government organizations, conservation groups, hunting and
    angling groups, as well as letters from U.S. Fish and Wildlife
    on ways we can implement this program and meeting with them to
    have discussions about how best to implement these programs.
        We also have several other provisions in BIL we will be
    working on as well, including best practices, training and
    development for these programs. We will continue to collaborate
    with all these stakeholders as we move forward in working on
    these.
        Senator Carper. Good, thanks.
        Director Williams, would you take a couple of minutes to
    share with us some details about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
    Service's efforts to address habitat connectivity and any ideas
    that you might have for Federal Highway Administration as it
    continues to implement the pilot program?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you for that question, Chairman Carper.
    I think that connectivity corridors and these projects are all
    very important. Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, at
    the Fish and Wildlife Service, we have been very focused on
    ecosystem restoration and how that relates to connectivity.
        An example of that would be the Fish Passage Program that
    is really focused on connecting that fish habitat. By doing so,
    it is providing real impacts to communities, jobs, flood
    safety, water security, and recreational safety as well,
    including addressing fish.
        I bring the Fish Passage Program up as an example of
    connectivity because I believe that the work the Fish and
    Wildlife Service has done with the Fish Passage Program in
    coordinating with over 13 other agencies that are much larger
    than the Fish and Wildlife Service and have much larger
    budgets, we have found our superpower at the Fish and Wildlife
    Service of bringing together and coordinating with other
    agencies so that we all do better work on the ground and
    sequence that work.
        Translating then that to wildlife crossings, they are
    incredibly important. As you have learned through the hearing
    on corridors and migration, these crossings are critical to so
    many different species.
        Our work, in coordination with my colleague and our
    colleagues at Federal Highways, it is also important that we
    share our knowledge, our expertise, and we coordinate. In this
    instance, we did coordinate early on, but then also the Fish
    and Wildlife Service applied for one of these grants. We were
    very pleased to receive one at Laguna Auquishcocha National
    Wildlife Refuge for Ocelot Crossing. So the crossings,
    migration corridors and connectivity are all three very
    important to the work the Fish Wildlife Service does.
        Senator Carper. Thank you.
        Senator Capito.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Director Williams, I want to followup on that last
    question.
        My first question was going to be are wildlife crossings
    eligible under existing Interior programs. I think you answered
    that, but if you would just kind of flesh that out.
        Ms. Williams. Thank you for asking that, Senator Capito,
    because, wildlife crossings, this program through BIL, is
    incredibly important to the Fish and Wildlife Service and
    Interior for wildlife crossings because while we have other
    programs and can put money toward crossings, we use those
    programs for other services as well. The funding available is
    very small compared to what is available through this grant
    program that is specific to wildlife crossings only.
        Senator Capito. When we talked earlier in the week, I
    appreciate the phone call, and you mentioned it again, I
    expressed a lot of surprise that a Federal agency was getting a
    grant from another Federal agency. It sounds a little
    conflicted to me.
        How do you see that from your perspective? Do you review
    these applications or are they all reviewed over at Highways?
        Ms. Williams. That is a very good question, Senator Capito.
    Actually, after speaking with you, I looked into this further
    and had some similar questions.
        This is why we did not consult more with Federal Highways
    as you were putting the program together. We consulted some,
    but we did not sit in on the grant review process because we
    would not want to review where we have applications for the
    grants themselves.
        We helped coordinate early on, but after that, have been
    very careful to leave space between that and not seem like we
    are looking at our own grant proposals.
        Senator Capito. Mr. Fouch, let's talk about that. Were
    there other agencies, Federal agencies, that applied for these
    grants of the 19 or is that one of the 19 that you talked
    about?
        Mr. Fouch. These grants were available to all Federal land
    management agencies. So it was available to other agencies.
        Senator Capito. Did anybody else apply, any other Federal
    agencies, that you can recall or were they granted? Maybe that
    is a fairer question.
        Mr. Fouch. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife was the only grant
    for them, for a Federal agency. The National Park Service, I do
    recall there were some applications from the National Park
    Service, but none of those were awarded.
        Senator Capito. OK. Does that sound strange to you, a
    Federal agency giving grants to a Federal agency? As an
    appropriator, that sounds strange to me because I am like,
    well, why don't we just appropriate into the pocket that the
    director would use rather than have one Federal agency apply to
    another Federal agency?
        Senator Carper. If I could interrupt.
        I don't want to prolong this, but the idea of why this
    makes sense, my dad used to talk to me and my sister all the
    time, just use some common sense. May be this is a common sense
    situation. I think the Senator is raising a good point.
        Thank you.
        Senator Capito. We talked too about interagency
    coordination. Mr. Fouch, you mentioned a couple, Park Service,
    Forest Service, and somebody else that you coordinate with.
    What other agencies are you in a coordinating capacity with as
    you are moving through these programs so that we are not
    duplicating here?
        Mr. Fouch. Of course and thank you, Senator, for that
    question.
        We have sent out invitations to consult on developing our
    products with the Wildlife Crossing Program and with the
    transportation wildlife communities. We are talking about
    members of tribes, we have consulted with State DOTs, we have
    consulted with State fish and wildlife agencies. Again, we can
    give consultation back to them on the Notice of Funding, but
    the other products that we are working on that do not have the
    interest of them applying for a grant, and we work on those
    products with agencies like U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
        Also we are talking to colleges and universities as well to
    get feedback on this program, AASHTO is another organization we
    are working with, because best practices is a big part of this
    program as we move forward. Those are a few of the agencies we
    have been reaching out to.
        Senator Capito. In my opening statement, I mentioned the
    application projects and actually getting the projects out, not
    just out the door, but out the door and fully constructed. What
    are you doing to streamline that, the project grant agreements?
        Mr. Fouch. Thank you, Senator, for that question.
        As you know, yesterday we made the announcement for the
    awards. Some of the things we are doing there are that a lot of
    these projects are going to be administered by the State DOTs
    and so forth. So a lot of the award agreement templates we put
    together with these groups, we are streamlining those efforts
    to help us get those awards up to the work quicker.
        We have also established some programs within our agency.
    We have established a discretionary grant program team just to
    help us in administering these grants quicker as well. Those
    are just a few of the things that we have been doing to help
    streamline the process.
        Senator Capito. Is the accountability on the back end in
    terms of how long it has taken, were you able to do the project
    that you said you were going to do, all of that? I am sure you
    do that sort of accountability as the projects are finishing.
        Mr. Fouch. Yes, Senator, that is correct.
        Senator Capito. I have a deer that comes in my yard all the
    time and eats my hosta. Anything I can tell that deer to get
    out of my yard and cross back into the neighbor's yard, I
    really need.
        Thank you.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. Elizabeth Grace, sitting over my left
    shoulder, is a senior member of our staff on the Majority side.
    Her birthday was yesterday. She has written a note to me in
    response to the appropriate questions raised by Senator Capito
    in the last couple of minutes. I will just read directly what
    she has said.
        She said, ``There is a list of eligible applicants in the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.'' I see you are nodding your
    head, Martha. The note goes on to say Federal agencies are
    explicitly listed as eligible, explicitly listed in the law.
    This was strongly supported by stakeholders who view Federal
    land management agencies as critical partners.
        Thank you, Elizabeth Grace.
        With that, I would like to introduce the Senator from Rhode
    Island.
        Senator Whitehouse. Thank you, Chairman. Welcome to you
    both.
        Director Williams, thanks for bringing up the Red Knot and
    the Horseshoe Crab situation. I have traveled to Delaware to
    see the Red Knot land and the theory of their timing, that they
    get there in time for the Horseshoe Crabs to put billions of
    eggs into the water for them to feed on. It is quite a
    remarkable achievement. They fly direct from Brazil to Delaware
    Bay, which is a heck of a flight for a little bird.
        Senator Carper. It is nonstop.
        Senator Whitehouse. Yes, nonstop and then fuel up on the
    Horseshoe Crabs and then go on up to their Arctic breeding
    grounds. It is a remarkable little bird. The danger is that
    climate change dislocates the timing of their arrival and the
    Horseshoe Crabs so that when they get there, the food supply
    they need isn't there.
        I am glad that you mentioned it because it is a coastal
    issue. My experience has been that Federal Government agencies
    tend to favor upland, inland and freshwater projects over
    coastal projects. The Land and Water Conservation Fund sends
    considerably more funding per capita to non-coastal States than
    to coastal States. Within the money that is sent to coastal
    States, a great deal of that funding is for inland, upland and
    freshwater projects, not for coastal projects.
        For those of us, like me, from the Ocean State, what can
    you say to reassure us that coastal and saltwater projects will
    be treated fairly and not ignored in favor of inland, upland
    and freshwater projects?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you for that question, Senator
    Whitehouse.
        Since I have had the opportunity to testify before this
    committee, it is a topic that I have learned from you and that
    I have paid attention to, and traveled to your fair State of
    Rhode Island.
        Senator Whitehouse. I know you traveled around Sachuest
    Point, a beautiful place.
        Ms. Williams. It was beautiful. I was so pleased to see the
    project there of building an accessible viewpoint with the
    Great American Outdoors Act funding. It is an incredible place
    that demonstrates very much the value of our coasts and
    tidelands to resiliency with climate change moving forward.
        Senator Whitehouse. But smoothing out an existing trail and
    improving a small, existing wooden viewpoint kind of makes my
    point that we are really not getting much in coastal stuff, if
    that is the best we have to offer.
        Ms. Williams. Senator Whitehouse, it is fair asking that
    question. I have been paying attention to our coastal program
    and putting more resources and support into that program that,
    in some respects, mirrors the Partners for Fish and Wildlife
    Program that is more upland focused than the coastal program.
        So I have very much been focused on the coastal program and
    restoration in these tidal areas. But specifically, your point
    is well taken as far as specific projects in your State.
        But I can say that many of these BIL projects are focused
    on the coastal areas and resiliency there. Let's work together.
    I hope to do more in your State of Rhode Island.
        Senator Whitehouse. Yes, I hope you will keep an eye on the
    coastal versus inland imbalance because it is tiresome for
    those of us who are in coastal States.
        Ms. Williams. Thank you.
        Senator Whitehouse. My time is short, so let me ask these
    as two questions for the record. Methane leaks are a very
    significant contributor to climate change and extremely
    dangerous. The Biden Administration has set up a Methane Task
    Force led by the Department of Justice to allow for rapid
    response when methane leaks are detected. They have contracted
    with NASA so they can get real time data from satellites about
    where methane leaks are happening. I would like to find out
    about what your participation is in the Methane Task Force and
    where you see that leading.
        The second is the OMB, some weeks ago, announced that the
    social cost of carbon emerging from EPA through the methane
    regulation was to be applied throughout all the agencies of
    government, including your own. I would like to see what your
    plan is for implementing the social cost of carbon per the
    directive from OMB now that the EPA rule has been properly
    announced and is now regulatory law.
        With that, if you could get back to me in writing, since my
    time has expired, I would appreciate it.
        Ms. Williams. I look forward to doing that, Senator
    Whitehouse. Thank you.
        Senator Carper. Senator Whitehouse, thanks for keeping
    those Red Knots in mind. They are actually one of the wonders
    of nature, the way they do that.
        Senator Whitehouse. Aren't they? They really are.
        Senator Carper. It is amazing. Tiny little birds fly
    thousands and thousands of miles, stop for lunch in Delaware on
    those Horseshoe Crab eggs. Then they are on their way.
        Senator Whitehouse. They actually morph as they fly. It is
    astonishing.
        Senator Carper. Director Williams, I have a question or
    two, if I could, on Delaware River Basin Program. Congress
    authorized, as you know, the Delaware River Basin Program back
    in, I want to say, 2015 or 2016 and began providing
    appropriations about 5 years ago, I think in 2018.
        This non-regulatory ecosystem restoration program has been,
    by almost any standard, really a tremendous success. It brings
    Federal, State and local agencies together with conservation
    partners to implement priority restoration activities within
    the Delaware River Basin. These projects, among other things,
    improve water quality, conserve wildlife habitat, increase
    coastal resiliency, and they benefit our environment, they
    benefit our communities, and they benefit our economy as well.
        Director Williams, would you share with us your
    perspective, please, on why the Delaware River Basin program is
    such a great model for ecosystem restoration? How has the
    additional funding Congress provided through the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law enhanced the program's success?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Senator Carper, for that question.
    I hope that I learned from you in my time, so I will think
    about this and try to weave stories into my responses more than
    I may be used to.
        Senator Carper. I told you once, I asked Bill Clinton why
    he was such an effective communicator. I heard him speak while
    he was Governor many times. He said to me five, six, 7 years
    ago when he spoke, he said I tell stories. He said, I weave
    them together and then I use self-deprecating humor. I try to
    do that from time to time. Maybe too much. Go ahead.
        Ms. Williams. Well, thank you, Senator Carper. When I think
    about the Delaware River Basin and the Delaware River Basin
    Conservation Act, I think about a day when I visited Wilmington
    this past August.
        Senator Carper. Wilmington, Delaware, not North Carolina?
        Ms. Williams. Wilmington, Delaware, yes, in this instance.
    I took the train and when I arrived, I walked along the
    Wilmington waterfront with a member of my staff who I had not
    met before.
        Senator Carper. One of the proudest things we did when I
    was Governor was to transform industrial wasteland into the
    beautiful waterfront that it is today. So proud.
        Ms. Williams. I couldn't agree more. She commented about
    having grown up there and how much that revitalization has
    benefited that community and how much that meant to her.
        At the end of the walk, we walked to the DuPont
    Environmental Education Center, which showcased then the beauty
    of the natural marsh and the impact of restoration on that
    coastal resilience. We were there for a grant announcement and
    I saw first-hand how representatives from local government, a
    teacher, a number of teachers, an environmental group in the
    neighborhoods, how engaged they were in the process, in the
    grant making and the celebration of this grant.
        They themselves held up this program as an example of what
    the Federal Government can do when we strive for our mission of
    working in a collaborative way and having these real
    investments.
        Then the impact of the day didn't end there. We had the
    chance to take a boat ride on the Christina River and see the
    grant projects from the water and to see how the Riverfront
    Development Corporation had used the program to incorporate
    ecological benefits into their economic development planning
    and then to see that mix. Then also we saw pollinator gardens
    that were being installed by more than 20 interfaith
    congregations to increase wildlife habitat and pollinators, and
    access for recreation for their communities.
        What I saw, Chairman Carper, was the benefit of this
    program, but also the benefit of the investment of BIL in
    working to restore ecosystems that then also had real and
    tangible impacts to the health and safety of the local
    communities.
        What I learned in Wilmington that day, and in this area,
    was this also gives me hope for these Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Law investments elsewhere in the Country.
        Thank you.
        Senator Carper. Thank you for sharing that memory with us.
    I had been Governor about a month or two, and former Governors
    showed up on my schedule, and would come to visit me in the
    Wilmington office. They brought with them the former president
    of the University of Delaware. They brought a bunch of
    architect renderings of what an industrial wasteland could look
    like along the Christina River where the train station is. They
    said it could really be a marvelous, marvelous place.
        They showed me all these architect renderings and I was
    just blown away. It was beautiful. We used to have bodies, they
    found a couple of bodies in the river and other things, it was
    just badly polluted. During World War II, 10,000 people worked
    along the riverfront, not far from Biden Train Station. Mostly
    women building ships to help win the war. When the war was
    over, the place went to seed. People never even went down
    there. They didn't even know there was a river there.
        Former Governor Russ Peterson, a great environmentalist,
    later ended up heading up CEQ under I think President Nixon and
    President Ford, they presented this incredible transformation
    and the architect renderings. I was blown away.
        I said to Governor Peters, who is going to do this? Who is
    going to make this happen? They said, you are. I said, why me?
    He said, because you are the Governor and this is what
    Governors do. I said, well, you are going to help me and they
    did. It has been a great source of joy.
        Senator Capito, do you want to jump in here?
        Senator Capito. Yes. Thank you.
        I have one final question for Director Williams. We have
    talked a lot about the Elkins field office in West Virginia,
    but it is my understanding that they have a detailee from the
    U.S. Forest Service. Your staff has indicated that this has
    been very helpful in managing the backlog of Section VII
    consultations, but that the process to execute the Memorandum
    of Understanding to secure a detailee can be very lengthy and
    complex.
        I was wondering if you had any recommendations as to how
    those processes could be expedited.
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Senator Capito. I also want to
    just recognize my appreciation in working with you on these
    issues and your leadership. It has been very helpful in
    highlighting and bringing forth the challenges at the Fish and
    Wildlife Service where we have had declining capacity and staff
    and yet ever-increasing numbers of consultations coming in.
        We have tried to streamline through the IPAC System, which
    really has made an enormous difference. In some instances, 98
    percent of the consultations can go through IPAC, they can do
    it on the computer and move on.
        For the remaining consultations, which is your question,
    how do we streamline having the staff there, as you know, we
    have done that through a combination of ways. We would like
    transfer authority because that helps us with Federal agencies.
    That may have taken a little bit to get in place, but they can
    last longer.
        It also helps to have people from the agencies we are
    working with who then know the process. One way is through the
    transfer authority, which we are seeking. The other is through
    these reciprocal agreements which we have used often with
    external parties. Those are two tools we use.
        But I would say if we had better capacity within the Fish
    and Wildlife Service to have adequate staff or consultations,
    we could do more as well.
        Senator Capito. Let's talk about the transfer authority
    issue. Tell me how that works, the transfer authority within
    Fish and Wildlife. It is not working, I know, because you don't
    have the transfer authority now, but how would that work?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Senator Capito. I was smiling
    because I realize the challenge with moving money from one
    Federal agency to another.
        Senator Capito. Right.
        Ms. Williams. This would set up an agreement with another
    Federal agency where we have the agreement ahead of time to
    have staff working on consultations for that agency.
        Senator Capito. OK. Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chair.
        Senator Carper. I am being summoned to come to another
    meeting. We have other committees meeting at the same time. We
    all serve on a bunch of different committees. The Committee on
    Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is meeting right
    now. They are voting and need me to come vote. I will be back
    very shortly.
        Thank you, Senator Capito.
        Senator Capito.
        [Presiding.] Senator Padilla, you are up next.
        Senator Padilla. Thank you. I am glad to see this committee
    continuing important conversations for the benefit of our
    Nation's wildlife. As Ranking Member Senator Capito mentioned
    earlier, Senator Lummis and I held a hearing in our
    Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water and Wildlife last month. We
    had a chance to demonstrate the bipartisan and widespread
    support that there is for wildlife crossings, wildlife
    corridors, and efforts to restore habitat. I am glad to
    continue this conversation here at the full committee level.
        Before I get into questions, Director Williams, happy
    birthday.
        I appreciate you mentioning Lake Tahoe in your remarks
    earlier. I have a question on Lake Tahoe, but before I get to
    that, I wanted to talk about the Klamath River Basin.
        As you know well, Congress provided the Fish and Wildlife
    Service with $162 million for restoration activities in the
    Klamath Basin via the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This
    funding provides an opportunity to protect wildlife habitat and
    restore the precious basin ecosystem.
        Can you just spend a minute talking about how the service
    has holistically used these funds to maximize restoration and
    water resilience benefits?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you for that question, Senator Padilla,
    because I do believe the investment through the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law in the Klamath Basin is a perfect example of
    how it has allowed us to look at the more holistic challenges
    that occur in the Basin.
        So rather than being piecemeal as in the past, we are now
    able to look at the ecosystem restoration of the Klamath Basin
    as a whole so that we can develop ecosystem restoration that
    supports salmon, suckers, agriculture in the basin, and then
    also our refuges.
        Senator Padilla. Can you describe a little bit more how
    working with fellow Federal agencies, as well as State
    agencies, tribal leaders, and other stakeholders has ensured
    that our efforts are not piecemeal but part of a bigger vision?
        Ms. Williams. Indeed. Senator Padilla, one of the benefits
    of having this investment is that we have used it to pull
    together, absolutely working with the tribes in the Klamath
    Basin, often with very different interests. They are not a
    monolith. They each have their own concerns, and have been
    engaged in the Klamath, or have lived there for time
    immemorial.
        It has allowed us to pull the tribes together. We have
    worked very closely with the State, we worked very closely with
    irrigation districts, we worked very closely with local
    governments, et cetera. We have used this investment to convene
    partners to recognize what is before us.
        I think before now, we had to work on a year-by-year basis
    and plan out for that year. Now we are able to think longer
    term and to really address the water scarcity in the basin.
        Senator Padilla. Wonderful.
        I am also grateful to the Service for your commitment to
    restoring our beloved Lake Tahoe. In addition to protecting
    Lake Tahoe from the threat of wildfires, it has been a big
    focus and emphasis in recent years, but for many years,
    removing and preventing aquatic invasive species in the Lake
    has been one of the highest ecological priorities for the
    region.
        The Lake Tahoe Aquatic Invasive Species Program, which
    received $3 million in the Infrastructure Law, is a
    collaborative effort between the Service, the Washoe Tribe of
    California and Nevada, and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency.
        Similar to our conversation with the Klamath, can you speak
    to the benefits of meaningful collaboration among stakeholders,
    State, and tribal leaders on this particular program?
        Ms. Williams. Yes. Thank you for that question again.
        As I mentioned earlier in my opening statement, Lake Tahoe
    has often been held up as the gold standard in aquatic invasive
    species. However, this investment from the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law in Lake Tahoe has allowed us to really focus
    on aquatic invasive species prevention and we have done it.
        It is consistent with all of this BIL funding. We have used
    our role as support. We are not pushing a certain agenda other
    than ecosystem restoration. Instead, we have pulled the
    community together, including the tribes here, and the Tahoe
    Regional Authority and other partners to hear what they feel
    their immediate needs are and then support that going forward.
        In this instance, there are examples of permanent aquatic
    invasive species checkpoint stations, which is so helpful to
    know that they are there permanently and that the tribes are
    partnered in that. This is really important not only for the
    Lahontan cutthroat lake trout, but it is also important,
    obviously, for the economy of Lake Tahoe to keep these invasive
    species out or at least have early detection.
        Senator Padilla. Great. Thank you so much. I look forward
    to our continuing work.
        Thank you, Madam Chair.
        Senator Capito. Thank you.
        Senator Merkley.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you very much, Madam Chairman and
    welcome. To my colleague from California, thank you for sending
    me the article about it being peak time for counting the
    Monarchs on the Santa Cruz area of the California coast.
        I had a chance to go down to Pismo Beach, another location
    where Monarchs gather. The Western Monarch had declined to less
    than 1 percent of its traditional number some 20 to 30 years
    ago and were down to just a couple thousand several years ago,
    it is on the verge of extinction.
        Now we are now back up to a couple hundred thousand but
    still a tiny fraction of the traditional Monarchs. It is, in
    part, certainly a reflection of climate change, and in part,
    the much increased use of pesticides affecting the Monarchs and
    their long journey with multiple generations going north and a
    single generation going south.
        Back in June 2022, I partnered with the Fish and Wildlife
    Service to sponsor a Monarch summit for us to become aware of
    these different factors and bring all the experts together. One
    of the things that came up at that point was the Fish and
    Wildlife Service announcing the creation of the Center for
    Pollinator Conservation, which I strongly applaud. It now has a
    director, Nicole Alt, and it has been hosting a series of
    workshops, which are very much appreciated. I think there is
    one more next week. I wanted to express appreciation that this
    is underway, and ask if there are some early successes that you
    would like to highlight related to the Center for Pollinator
    Conservation.
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Senator Merkley, for your
    leadership on pollinators and helping us really put together
    these summits, but also the ensuing Center for Pollinator
    Conservation.
        As you mentioned, the leader, Nicole Alt, has been
    terrific. We are using the Center more and more. We are really
    learning how to build it out and build out how we use them. We
    need the Center.
        As you mentioned, the Pollinator Conservation Center is
    focused on three areas: applied science, and I say that
    purposely because it is applied science, not science for
    science sake, but learning how to apply it for pollinator
    conservation, collaboration and engagement.
        As you mentioned, we have been working with the Monarch
    Joint Venture and many others, but the next and last workshop I
    believe will be next week. From that, I am looking forward to
    what they are calling an action plan that will really finalize
    what steps we will take next and who will do them.
        In addition to that, I just convened a leadership summit
    for Monarchs in Minneapolis using the Center for Pollinator
    Conservation to pull it together and to recognize, in concert
    with the other Federal agencies, how do we really make a
    difference for pollinator conservation well beyond what the
    Fish and Wildlife Service can do alone. That center is very
    helpful in pulling those efforts together.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you. I will look forward to seeing
    what the action plan looks like. We are understanding better
    some of the challenges and some of the opportunities. One of
    the opportunities is to do a lot more planting pollinator-
    friendly plants, both for nectar in the case of Monarchs, and
    milkweed for the caterpillars.
        I wanted to turn to you, Administrator Fouch. In your
    testimony, you State that FHWA is working to implement a
    program as expeditiously as possible. The program we are
    referring to is the Pollinator Friendly Practices on Roadsides
    and Highway Right-of-Way.
        This began with a conversation I had with former Senator
    Lamar Alexander whose State had developed a pollinator plot
    program along its State highways. It seemed like what he did in
    his home State or what his State did, seems like we could
    replicate that. I first asked Administrator Bhatt about the
    status of this program in June in this very room. I was told it
    would be expeditiously stood up.
        And yet still no sign of progress. This isn't that
    complicated. Three million dollars was allocated. I think,
    under even a continuing resolution, we would have another $3
    million, grants limited to $150,000, to enable groups to
    establish significant pollinator-friendly plots along highways.
        Sometimes it is just unacceptably slow in terms of how
    quickly the gears of government turn and we are really facing a
    pollinator Armageddon. We have lost such a huge volume of
    insects over my lifetime.
        Many people will refer to it in different ways, but I know
    a number of folks have told me they can identify with the
    experience I had of when I drove with my family, when I was a
    little kid, every single stop we had to clean off massive
    amounts of insects off the windshield. Now, if there is one
    insect on the windshield, it is a surprise. We have lost a
    massive amount.
        Why can't we speed up this strategy of establishing
    pollinator plots along the highways? Or tell me that you are
    now happy to inform me that it is all in gear, it is all
    designed, it is going to be rolled out, you are taking action,
    and we will see results.
        Mr. Fouch. Thank you for that question, Senator. Yes, this
    is a very important program. FHWA has been working
    expeditiously to implement this program.
        We do expect to get the Notice of Funding out soon. That
    program is handled in our Environment and Planning office. That
    is outside of my office. But as far as the status and
    progressing forward, we can continue to provide you updates for
    that.
        Senator Merkley. It is a totally unacceptable answer. It is
    outside your jurisdiction. So in that sense, it is an
    acceptable answer. But you are evaluating what the other unit
    is doing, saying it is expeditious. It is not expeditious. And
    happy words about, someday, it is expeditious or something will
    happen soon, no. The type of answers we need are here are the
    five steps we have taken, here are what our remaining
    challenges are, and here is the timeline for getting them done.
        That is the type of answer we want to hear when we ask
    about the development of a program, not some vague, we are
    expeditiously working, we are sincerely undertaking, all those
    words. Those words mean nothing.
        Where are the action steps? Where do they stand? Why can't
    we see this rollout? Are there obstacles we need to solve? When
    it comes to programs like this, given that we have States that
    have undertaken programs like this, they should be able to get
    it done.
        So I want to send back, even though it is not your
    jurisdiction, I want to send back as strongly as possible that
    this is the type of program that can be implemented. Please,
    next time I hear about it, tell me the steps taken, the
    remaining steps being taken, the schedule to roll it out, when
    that is happening, or if there are obstacles, what are they so
    we can try to solve them.
        Mr. Fouch. We will be glad to get that information to your
    office.
        Senator Carper.
        [Presiding] Mr. Fouch, Senator Merkley was not in the room
    when I asked you how long you had been in your position. How
    long has it been?
        Mr. Fouch. In my current position, a month or so, since
    October.
        Senator Carper. A month or so. Next time, we will expect
    more.
        Senator Merkley. Point taken that this was outside your
    jurisdiction. I am really just sending back a message of
    general frustration.
        Mr. Fouch. I can do that.
        Senator Merkley. Thank you.
        Senator Carper. Good. Message sent.
        Senator Ricketts, good morning. How are you?
        Senator Ricketts. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Carper. Good to see you and you are recognized.
    Thank you for coming.
        Senator Ricketts. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for having this
    hearing, and Ranking Member Capito.
        The 30x30 Initiative by the Biden Administration aims to
    preserve 30 percent of the land and waters in the United States
    by the year 2030. This is far from a new or novel overreach.
    Since the Wilderness Act of 1968, Congress has passed 120 new
    laws, resulting in the creation of 803 wilderness areas
    totaling approximately 117 million acres.
        During the Obama-Biden Administration, a precedent was set
    for misuse of the national monument designations. The
    Antiquities Act was employed to unilaterally designate or
    expand 34 national monuments, covering an extensive 553,550,000
    acres of land and water.
        Building on this legacy, the Biden Administration has
    continued this effort. They have issued five new monument
    designations, and they have effectively locked up nearly 2
    million acres of land.
        Ms. Williams, the last time you were in front of this
    committee, you were unable to specify the congressional Act
    that authorizes the 30x30 egregious land grab. That is because
    there is no congressional authority. There is still no clear
    definition of conservation. It has led to uncertainty and
    instability for private landowners.
        The Administration has consistently neglected to specify
    whether working lands, conservation, multiple use and active
    management will be considered as part of the conservation
    criteria for 30x30. Numerous congressional oversight inquiries
    have gone unanswered. It has contributed to a State of
    confusion and uncertainty regarding the 30x30 Initiative.
        True conservation is sustaining land for working land
    purposes. It is my belief that private landowners are the best
    stewards of our lands. Nebraskans are a prime example of this.
    Nebraskans have demonstrated that landowners can effectively
    balance the productive use of their land with conservation
    efforts.
        Nebraska is a national leader for acres utilizing no till
    practices on farms. Our agricultural producers are voluntarily
    making decisions. They don't need the Federal Government coming
    in and telling them how to do their business. These
    stakeholders and communities should instead be utilized for
    their knowledge.
        Studies have shown that critical habitat designations can
    reduce land values by up to 30 percent. Landowners are then
    left with no compensation. Rural communities rely on land
    values for property taxes. These funds then support education,
    infrastructure and other essential services. But when you
    reduce that, obviously that reduces the ability of local
    communities to provide those services.
        A prime example of this is what has happened to communities
    following the listing of the Northern Spotted Owl as an
    endangered species by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The
    critical habitat designation was followed by declining timber
    sales. Because of Federal bureaucrats' unilateral action, rural
    counties saw their tax base was limited by the growing amount
    of Federal land. As a result, Congress had to pass the Secure
    Rural Schools Program.
        A portion of the Forest Service funds generated through
    grazing, timber production and other special use permits are
    distributed to eligible counties. These communities now rely on
    these funds to maintain local roads and schools, all because of
    Federal bureaucrats' action to cut their tax base. While
    programs like Secure Rural Schools provide important support
    for rural communities, the fact remains that this was a
    solution that had to be created because of a government
    fabricated problem.
        Inflation has hit rural communities harder than others. The
    Federal Government butting out and allowing them to responsibly
    manage their land and natural resources will allow communities
    to be more resilient in depressed economic times. These
    stakeholders and communities should be utilized for their
    knowledge and passion for land, not held to the fire by Federal
    oversight.
        Ms. Williams, how does the Service collaborate with private
    landowners to incorporate those perspectives and local
    knowledge into conservation strategies rather than imposing
    top-down measures?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Senator Ricketts, for that
    question. This is work that I have long been engaged in, well
    before this position with the Fish and Wildlife Service. I can
    give an example with the Partners for Fish and Wildlife
    Program, where we work with ranchers and partners to hear what
    they want in their location, and then provide technical
    expertise to apply for grants that would work for them.
        There is an example of how we work with private landowners
    in your State of Nebraska where, through the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law, with the National Fish and Wildlife
    Foundation, we worked with the Nebraska Game and Parks
    Commission using $4 million in the Bipartisan Infrastructure
    Law grant funding to implement just what you have asked,
    voluntary, incentive-based programs to promote vibrant
    grasslands with ranching communities.
        I would answer that we have long understood that the best
    conservation is that that is locally led where we learn from
    the community, and when we are working with private landowners,
    absolutely voluntary and incentive based.
        Senator Ricketts. Thank you, Ms. Williams.
        Mr. Chairman, thank you.
        Senator Carper. Thank you for a good question and for a
    thoughtful answer. If you have another question, you are
    welcome. Thanks again for joining us today.
        I have a couple more questions. One or two of our members
    are trying to get here from other committee meetings. We will
    see if they can do that. I hope so.
        My next question deals with working with the National Fish
    and Wildlife Foundation. The Fish and Wildlife Service partners
    with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to administer
    some of its grant programs, including programs funded through
    the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
        We heard very positive feedback from stakeholders about
    working with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. My
    question, Director Williams, would be, how does partnering with
    the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation expedite the
    disbursement of grant funding, and how does it help leverage
    private investments to match those Federal dollars? Does the
    Fish and Wildlife Service still retain a role in grant
    administration when it is partnering with the Foundation?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Chairman Carper, for that
    question. I think this follows nicely from Senator Ricketts'
    question as well.
        The Fish and Wildlife Service has long partnered with the
    National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, a very important partner
    to us. The value that the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
    brings to the table is that they can coordinate with other
    Federal agencies and can have more one-stop shopping so that
    they are working with us.
        But also, these other Federal agencies bring in local
    partners and leverage money. Typically when we work with the
    National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, they are able to
    leverage the Federal money to get more conservation on the
    ground. They are very adept at working with local communities
    to build that collaborative conservation that we are all
    talking about.
        As an example, Senator, in your backyard for the Delaware
    River Basin, the Fish Wildlife Foundation has leveraged more
    than one to one for each Federal dollar that goes through them
    for these ecosystem restoration projects.
        Senator Carper. I am going to ask a related question. Not
    everyone who is in the room or may be watching this remotely
    knows about the Fish and Wildlife Foundation, it genesis, where
    did it come from, how long has it been around. For somebody who
    knows nothing about it, how would you describe it? Give us a
    little primer on it, please.
        Ms. Williams. Thank you. It is a statutorily created
    foundation to aid both the Fish and Wildlife Service and also
    the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, its two primary
    partners and they partner well beyond the Fish and Wildlife
    Service and NOAA. It was instrumental in working on the oil
    spill, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and building out the
    ecosystem restoration efforts in that area. They work across
    the Country and somewhat globally as well.
        I have the pleasure of sitting on the board and working
    with those board members. It is very well run, it is very
    efficient, and they have terrific expertise.
        Senator Carper. Good answer. Thanks very much. You serve on
    the board?
        Ms. Williams. I do, Chairman.
        Senator Carper. From day one in your job?
        Ms. Williams. Yes.
        Senator Carper. OK, good.
        I have a different kind of question, one that deals with
    threatened and endangered species. I am going to start off, Mr.
    Fouch, with you and ask you to respond to the question first.
    Then we will turn back to Ms. Williams. Maybe I will flip that
    and start with you, Director Wiliams.
        Your agency is tasked with recovering our Nation's
    threatened and endangered species, as we know. Mr. Fouch your
    agency reported, I think in 2008, about 15 years ago, that
    wildlife-vehicle collisions are a major threat to the survival
    of at least 21 species.
        Let me say that again. That is pretty eye opening. Your
    agency reported in 2008 that wildlife-vehicle collisions are a
    major threat to survival of at least 21 species.
        I am going to ask both of you, Ms. Williams, you can lead
    off if you want, but will you both share with us how the
    Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investments in ecosystem
    restoration and habitat connectivity will help imperiled
    species? Would you like to go first?
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Chairman Carper, for that
    question, in part because it is very nice to have an
    opportunity to highlight the real impact that the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law investments have made, not only in habitat
    connectivity for wildlife crossings and recovering species, but
    also for people in their communities.
        What BIL investment has done is allowed us to switch our
    approach to take more of a whole ecosystem approach to
    conservation rather than just individual projects. We are able
    to really address these longstanding issues.
        The examples for each of the areas of the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law money that comes through the Fish and
    Wildlife Service, whether it is the sagebrush ecosystem, the
    Klamath Basin, or the Fish Passage Program, it really has
    allowed us to work with tribes, States, and many other partners
    to make sure that we are bringing everyone together to address
    these longstanding issues like water availability that helps
    these ecosystem functions that then also helps the community
    with flooding and water availability.
        It has been transformative for the way in which the Service
    can address recovery of a species because we can better address
    the root causes in the habitat connectivity. That has been a
    game changer for us.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thank you.
        Before I turn to Senator Sullivan, I am going to ask Mr.
    Fouch to respond to the same question, if you would. How does
    the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investment in ecosystem
    restoration and habitat connectivity help with imperiled
    species?
        Mr. Fouch. Thank you, Senator, for that question. The
    report that you discussed as part of the BIL and our
    requirements under BIL, we will be expanding upon that report,
    taking a look at best practices, and things that we can expand
    upon.
        Also, in expanding that report, BIL is asking us to take a
    look at design and implementation guidelines and also to
    provide guidelines on wildlife fencing, underpasses, overpasses
    and so forth that will help that. In doing that, we will be
    collaborating with our stakeholders and talking about that as
    we complete that.
        Senator Carper. Good. Thanks. I may come back to this after
    Senator Sullivan asks his questions and I can followup on this
    a little bit more before we adjourn.
        Senator Sullivan, welcome.
        Senator Sullivan. Thanks, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for what you
    do.
        Mr. Fouch and Director Williams, thanks for being here.
    Director Williams, I appreciate the phone call yesterday.
        By the way, I don't know if it has been announced, maybe I
    shouldn't, but I hear it is a special day for you? Yes, is that
    true? This is your birthday present, you get to answer hard
    questions. Happy birthday.
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Senator Sullivan.
        Senator Sullivan. I hope in the next 5 minutes I don't ruin
    it.
        Senator Carper. A bipartisan happy birthday.
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Sullivan. There you go.
        Let me just very quickly kind of get a couple of
    commitments from you. These are easy ones from our conversation
    yesterday. First, can you just commit, yes or no, and I think
    these are all an easy yes. We will start the easy questioning.
        Can you commit to get together with the key stakeholders,
    Tlingit and Haida, other Native groups, and southeast fishermen
    to find consensus on this very longstanding, challenging issue
    on co-management standards for sea otters? Can we get your
    commitment to work with me on that and all of them
    collectively?
        Ms. Williams. Senator Sullivan, I was a bit worried at what
    your easy yes would be, but indeed, yes.
        Senator Sullivan. OK. Then, on the Migratory Bird Co-
    Management Council, the issue I raised with Alaska Native
    handicraft issues, can I get your commitment to work with me on
    that one, too?
        Ms. Williams. Yes.
        Senator Sullivan. And then the Wood Bison recovery plan and
    coordinating efforts more deeply with my office and more
    importantly than my office, the Alaska Department of Fish and
    Game?
        Ms. Williams. Yes.
        Senator Sullivan. OK, great.
        I have these charts I think I mentioned to you. Jake here
    is on my team. This is going to be a little tough, but this is
    a chart I gave to the President of the United States in a
    meeting I had with him a number of months ago. This is what is
    referred to as the last frontier lockup, 56 Executive Orders
    and Executive Actions from the Biden Administration singularly
    focused on Alaska, 56.
        Mr. Chairman, you know, I have raised this a lot. The
    Executive Orders and Actions keep growing. I just think it is
    completely unfair. I respectfully said it to the President. I
    was in the Oval Office and I am going to be respectful, but I
    said, Mr. President, if the Republican Administration came in
    and issued 56 Executive Orders and Executive Actions singularly
    focused on shutting down Delaware's economy and access to
    lands, none of these we want, right? Very few we were consulted
    on. I said, with all due respect, sir, you would be on the
    Senate floor raising hell every damn day.
        I am not going to raise hell here, but this is an outrage.
    It needs to stop, Mr. Chairman. Maybe someday we can have a
    hearing on this.
        Director Williams, I did compliment you on your use of
    indigenous knowledge on the Southeast Alaska Wolf Endangered
    Species Act decision. I want to thank you for that.
        But what I am concerned about is the lack of consultation
    with Alaska Natives, particularly Alaska Natives who live in
    the area. I am talking about North Slope Borough, National
    Petroleum Reserve, Alaska, ANWR.
        As you and I discussed, there has been no consultation with
    these great Americans on huge issues. They have tried to meet
    with Secretary Haaland seven times. She doesn't meet with them.
    These are the borough-elected representatives, the tribal
    representatives, and the Alaska Native Corporation
    representatives. Look, it is an insult, it is an outrage. You
    and I had a long discussion about this. They were in town 2
    weeks ago and held a big press conference. Their voices are
    being canceled.
        They listen to the lower 48 environmental groups, what our
    Alaska Native people call the eco-colonialists, meaning these
    lower 48 groups come up, condescendingly pat the Alaska Native
    people who have been living in Alaska for thousands of years on
    the head, and tell them what is good for them. It is an
    outrage. Those people get listened to, but the people who live
    there don't.
        Can you commit to me to doing a much better job on
    consultation before decisions are made? It is your job. It is
    in the law. It is unequivocally not happening, as you and I
    discussed.
        Ms. Williams. Senator Sullivan, I can commit to
    consultations before decisions are made. Where we don't agree,
    I believe that we have changed in the State of Alaska in my
    choosing Sara Boario as our Regional Director, as I have
    traveled to the Village of Kaktovik and also met with the North
    Slope Borough, have been to King Cove, and spent the night at a
    fish camp on the Yukon River this summer.
        I can do more and more. We will always strive to do it. But
    indeed, we are really trying to pay attention to the voices of
    Alaskans.
        Senator Sullivan. OK. Mr. Chairman, sorry. I am going to go
    over my time a little bit. This is really important to me and
    more importantly, to my constituents.
        I think you need to give special consideration to the
    people who live in the region in which you are taking these
    dramatic actions. Would you agree with that? That is a pretty
    easy question. The people who live in the region, who are going
    to be impacted the most deserve special consideration. Would
    you agree with that?
        Ms. Williams. Senator, I would say they absolutely deserve
    consideration and their considerations are different. I get
    asked this all the time. I cannot just say one voice matters
    more than another. I need to listen to all voices. But they
    have a special perspective, absolutely.
        Senator Sullivan. I think they matter more and, you know,
    remarkably, you guys aren't listening to them at all. You
    listen to New York City environmental groups, but not the
    people who live there.
        Let me just ask two final questions. We talked about the
    Vietnam Veterans, Alaska Native Vietnam Veteran legislation.
    The career staff at Fish and Wildlife Service codified
    available refuge lands to extend this ability for these great
    Vietnam Vets, heroic, who weren't treated well, you and I
    talked about this, when they came home from Vietnam.
        Can I get your commitment that if the legislation I
    introduced has the very lands that your staff proposed to get
    your support on that?
        Ms. Williams. Senator Sullivan, I would be happy to work
    with you on that.
        Senator Sullivan. OK.
        Then finally, give me and this committee an update, if you
    wouldn't mind, on the King Cove Road. Mr. Chairman, I think you
    are aware that we have been trying to get an 11-mile, single
    lane dirt road. Mr. Fouch, this impacts you guys too. It would
    save lives in the Native community. Everybody in the community,
    900 people, everybody wants it.
        Thirty years we have been trying to get this done. It won't
    hurt the wildlife there. Can you give me an update on that,
    Director Williams? It is something that is enormously
    important, not just to the people of King Cove, but the entire
    State of Alaska is watching this issue.
        Ms. Williams. Senator Sullivan, yes. I appreciate the
    enormity of this and have had very clear direction from the
    Secretary that this is important to her and that the safety of
    the members of the community in King Cove, that this is
    important to them.
        The comment period closed for the Notice of Intent, closed
    this summer. We are working with a contractor on a Supplemental
    EIS, and we are expediting that as quickly as we can. I have
    put resources into this matter to be able to get that out by
    the spring. I know that we are on a short timeframe. I commit
    to supporting the Secretary's commitment in this community. I
    appreciate its importance.
        Senator Sullivan. So, spring is what you are shooting for
    as a target, spring of 2024?
        Ms. Williams. To get the Supplemental EIS out.
        Senator Sullivan. OK. Thank you.
        Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
        Senator Carper. You bet.
        Senator Sullivan. And Go Navy, beat Army. I am going to the
    game. Are you going to the game?
        [Laughter.]
        Senator Carper. Whenever I run into retired Marine, retired
    Navy, I am the last Vietnam Veteran serving in the U.S. Senate,
    but whenever I come across the other veterans, I always salute
    them, if they have a hat or shirt on or something else. I will
    say Navy salutes Air Force, Marines, whatever. We have a great
    time. But I salute retired Army folks, saying Navy salutes
    Army, I say except on 1 day of the year, and that is the Army-
    Navy game.
        Senator Sullivan. Are you going?
        Senator Carper. I don't know. We are trying to work it out.
    We will see.
        Senator Sullivan. Well, I will see you there if you are
    there. Thank you.
        Senato Carper. Thanks so much. I was talking earlier about
    the countdown of Beatles songs. One of my favorite Johnny Cash
    songs is ``I've Been Everywhere, Man, I've Been Everywhere.''
    And you have been maybe not everywhere, but you have been to a
    lot of places. And that is noticed and appreciated by me and I
    am sure by Senator Sullivan, Senator Capito and others.
        We are close to the end, and I have another question or two
    I would like to share, one for Mr. Fouch and maybe one more for
    you, Ms. Williams.
        With respect to balancing the needs of small and large
    species, Mr. Fouch, vehicles, as we know, pose a major threat
    to many smaller wildlife species. Some experts believe that
    over 300 million birds, amphibians and other small animals are
    killed on the road each year. These collisions are much harder
    to track, as you know.
        While our roads and highways pose just as great a risk for
    these smaller species as they do for larger species, the
    habitat connectivity needs of smaller species are quite often
    overlooked as being less expensive to address.
        My question is how did the Federal Highway Administration
    balance the needs of small species with the needs of large
    species when selecting grant recipients?
        Mr. Fouch. Thank you, Senator, for that question. The
    Wildlife Crossing Program is focused on wildlife and vehicle
    collisions. Safety is a priority of that program and one of the
    major priorities for that. But what we also see with the larger
    animal wildlife crossings, which you mentioned as well, is that
    animals will use it, all animals will use those crossings when
    we put those in.
        Even though the crossings may be very focused on preventing
    wildlife-vehicle collisions and the safety of motorists, as
    well as connectivity of habitat, these crossings can also
    provide crossings for the smaller habitat as well.
        Senator Carper. All right, thanks. I have one more question
    for you dealing with the demand for funding. I believe you
    shared in your testimony, and I mentioned in my earlier
    statement the demand for the wildlife crossing pilot program
    exceeded the available funding by five times.
        How is the Federal Highway Administration leveraging other
    funding sources? That would include States, foundations and
    maybe other Federal programs. How are you encouraging grant
    applications to do the same?
        Mr. Fouch. Thank you, Senator, for that question. Yes, the
    Wildlife Crossing Program is eligible under several programs.
    Some of those include the Highway Safety Improvement Program,
    the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, our
    Transportation Alternatives Program, the Federal Lands Access
    Program, and our Federal Lands Transportation Program, as well
    as in certain instances our Bridge Investment Program and the
    National Culvert Removal Program.
        A lot of our programs have taken into account these
    wildlife crossings and have made them eligible under those
    programs and we promote that. As you mentioned, the success we
    have had was with the Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program and
    through the Notice of Funding getting in our first round five
    times the amount of what we offered, we see the opportunities
    of taking advantage of these other Federal programs too.
        Senator Carper. Good. Do you expect the demand for these
    dollars will continue to grow? What might we do here in the
    legislative branch, in the Congress, what could we do in terms
    of how to address the unmet need?
        Mr. Fouch. As you know, Senator, it was a very popular
    program. Again, hence five times the amount. I think one thing
    that is very certain to us all is that this is very popular and
    it is a great need. The funding is just part of that and it is
    five times the amount in the first go around.
        Senator Carper. Thank you.
        I have exhausted my list of questions that I had for you. I
    want to give each of you a couple of minutes, if you would like
    to take advantage of it, to share with us any other thoughts
    you have that may have come to mind as you sat there and
    listened to questions and answered questions. Ms. Williams, why
    don't you share with us anything you want? Maybe you can tell
    us what you wish you had been asked but were not asked. Maybe
    you could do that. Any closing thoughts you have, we would
    welcome those.
        Ms. Williams. Thank you, Chairman Carper. I can't think of
    a question I wish I had been asked, other than appreciating the
    opportunity to highlight the value of the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law investment and my hope that it can continue
    into the future.
        It has absolutely changed the game for the Fish and
    Wildlife Service because it has allowed us to leverage our
    partnerships and bring really larger entities to the table to
    coordinate and solve the complex conservation challenges before
    us. It has allowed us to really get to the to the fundamental
    issues, whether in the Klamath Basin, improving water
    availability for fish, people, and migratory birds in Lake
    Tahoe, working with partners and tribes to combat aquatic
    invasive species in the largest functioning wetland in the
    Basin, and that it also protects fish populations and the
    thriving outdoor recreation economy in Lake Tahoe.
        Whether it is I didn't talk enough about the Sagebrush
    Ecosystem and our investments there, working with States,
    tribes and private landowners to manage invasive grasses,
    keeping water on the landscape for longer that helps keep
    people on the landscape and then helps the communities, and
    reduces flood risks as well, and revitalize burgeoning
    communities and economies.
        Then it is tying all of these landscapes together through
    the Fish Passage Program. Really, I would love to be able to
    amplify their work and how they have pulled people together for
    all these really valuable resources, I think even in Appalachia
    going forward in these biodiversity hotspots.
        So I guess it is an opportunity to say that we really are
    impacting people in their everyday lives. It is that resilience
    for the future that we have not had this type of investment in
    before. We take it very seriously, to get the money out the
    door, to be efficient and demonstrate why this investment was
    worth it and that we hope to have it going forward.
        I would end by saying it has demonstrated in spades that
    when you give nature a chance, it has a remarkable ability to
    heal. But we have to give it a chance. The Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law has allowed us to do that. Thank you.
        Senator Carper. Thank you. One of the other songs on the
    top 100 Beatle list was ``Give Peace A Chance.'' There you go.
        Mr. Fouch, you get the next to last word. Is there anything
    you wish might have been asked or any closing thoughts? Go
    ahead.
        Mr. Fouch. Thank you, Senator. No questions I wish had been
    asked.
        Senator Carper. Any questions you wish hadn't been asked?
        [Laughter.]
        Mr. Fouch. No questions I wish I hadn't been asked. I do
    want to say that I do appreciate the collaboration we have had
    with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, particularly on the Wildlife
    Crossing Program and the things we are learning there.
        We look forward to implementing that project and to
    continue to implement that project. We understand the
    importance of the Wildlife Crossing Program and also the
    importance to local, States and communities out there in
    providing these projects. We will continue to support this
    program and work collaboratively with our Federal and State
    partners.
        Senator Carper. Good. I will close on a musical note. We
    opened on a musical note in respect to your birthday. One of
    the songs that made the top 100 list of the Beatles greatest
    hits was ``When I'm 64.'' You are not there yet, but someday
    you will be.
        When I turned 64, that was like last year, not really, a
    little further back, but we have some good music venues in
    Wilmington. One is the Grand Opera House. The other is the
    Queen Theater. We had a thousand more people who gathered at
    the Queen Theater, and the last thing we did was have like
    three rock and roll, great, best rock and roll bands in
    Delaware to close out the evening. Folks were kind enough to
    sing to me When I'm 64 which was a real treat.
        Some day you will be 64. We are just glad you are here,
    glad you are both alive and you are doing the work that you are
    doing.
        Mr. Fouch, you have not been in this post for very long,
    but it is a hugely important post.
        I jotted down some notes so I could read the theme songs
    for this committee. One is ``We Can Work It Out,'' a song you
    may have heard a time or two, this committee works it out. We
    work it out. We cannot always work everything out but we work
    really hard for the money. We try to find common ground and
    believe bipartisan solutions are lasting solutions. We
    appreciate the chance to work with one another, especially with
    Senator Capito and her team.
        Another thought is ``Come Together,'' and another
    Blackbirds song, ``In the Middle of the Night,'' is another
    song. I mention them because they are part of our DNA, part of
    our culture in this Country and I think on the planet is to say
    that we care. We want to work to make sure this planet will be
    around not just for us, not just for our children and
    grandchildren, but for another million years.
        I will not be on this committee then but I hope people will
    look back in the future and say we really made a difference
    with the work we are discussing here today. Thank you.
        We are God's creatures. As turns out all the wildlife we
    are talking about, the birds, animals, the deer, are God's
    creatures as well. We have a moral obligation to protect human
    beings and their lives and I think other creatures and
    creations on this planet.
        With that, I get to do a close. I want to thank both of
    you, Mr. Fouch and Director Williams, for joining us today. We
    thank you for your service to our Nation. We appreciate very
    much your work to implement the provisions of the Bipartisan
    Infrastructure Law that are making a real difference for our
    wildlife, for our communities, and our economy. I can't tell
    you how proud I am of the work that Senator Capito, myself, our
    staffs, and bipartisan members of this committee, the work that
    was done on that major piece of legislation and good that flows
    from it.
        Before we adjourn, a bit of housekeeping. Senators are
    going to be allowed to submit written questions for the record
    through the close of business on Wednesday, December 20th,
    which is, I think, 2 weeks from your birthday today.
        We will compile those questions, will send them to our
    witnesses, and ask you to apply by Wednesday, January the 10th.
        We wouldn't have these hearings and they would not be
    nearly as valuable without the great work of our staffs. I like
    to think that the members work well together, and rightly so do
    our staffs. If they didn't, we wouldn't get much done. So a big
    thanks to them.
        To everyone, to all of you, and to your families, best
    wishes for a happy holiday season and a great New Year.
        Thank you so much. With that, this hearing is adjourned.
        [Whereupon, at 11:46 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.]