[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 109 (Tuesday, July 29, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1553]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     IMPROVING OPERATIONS OF FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE'S NATIONAL 
                              REPOSITORIES

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. DAVID E. SKAGGS

                              of colorado

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, July 29, 1997

  Mr. SKAGGS. Mr. Speaker, today I'm introducing a bill to improve the 
efficiency of already excellent work being done by the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service in Colorado and around the country.
  The Service is responsible for storage and disposal of fish and 
wildlife and parts thereof and many other items that have come into 
Federal ownership under a variety of laws related to activities 
involving fish, wildlife, or plants. Hundreds of thousands of these 
items are collected at two facilities in Commerce City, CO. Most are in 
the National Wildlife Property Repository, while dead eagles and eagle 
parts, including feathers, go to the National Eagle Repository.
  From the repositories, the Service makes many items available to 
museums, zoos, schools and colleges, and Federal agencies for 
scientific, educational, and official uses. In addition, eagles and 
eagle parts are made available to Native Americans for religious 
purposes. These distributions meet a real need: last year alone, the 
eagle repository filled more than 1,300 requests while between July 
1995 and February 1997 more than 5,706 items were shipped from the 
other repository to organizations around the Nation.
  While the Service has to retain some of the items that aren't 
distributed in these ways, still others can be sold--and that's where 
my new bill comes in.
  Under the current law, proceeds from sales of these items can be used 
for rewards and for some storage costs, but can't be used to defray the 
costs of the sales themselves. My bill would expand the list so that 
money the Service takes in from these sales could be used to cover the 
appraisals, auction expenses, and other costs of carrying out the sales 
themselves, as well as for processing and shipping of items. The result 
will be to make this program more self-supporting, cutting redtape and 
making it easier for the Service to carry out these very valuable 
activities.
  I think it's just good sense as well as good government, and is a 
bill that should receive prompt consideration and approval.

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