[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 65 (Wednesday, May 20, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5219-S5221]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. CHAFEE (for himself, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. Lott, Mr. 
        Daschle, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Breaux, Mr. Graham, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
        Smith of New Hampshire, Mr. Sarbanes, Mr. Warner, Mr. Stevens, 
        Ms. Snowe, Ms. Collins, Mr. Bond, Mrs. Murray, and Mr. 
        Domenici):
  S. 2095. A bill to reauthorize and amend the National Fish and 
Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act; to the Committee on Environment 
and Public Works.


 national fish and wildlife foundation establishment act amendments of 
                                  1998

  Mr. CHAFEE. Mr. President, today I introduce legislation to 
reauthorize the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment Act 
of 1984. This legislation makes important changes in the Foundation's 
charter, changes that I believe will allow the Foundation to build on 
its fine record of providing funding for conservation of our nation's 
fish, wildlife, and plant resources.

[[Page S5220]]

  The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation was established in 1984, to 
bring together diverse groups to engage in conservation projects across 
America and, in some cases, around the world. Since its inception, the 
Foundation has made more than 2,300 grants totaling over $270 million. 
This is an impressive record of accomplishment. The Foundation has 
pioneered some notable conservation programs, including implementing 
the North American Waterfowl Management plan, Partners in Flight for 
neotropical birds, Bring Back the Natives Program, the Exxon Save the 
Tiger Fund, and the establishment of the Conservation Plan for Sterling 
Forest in New York and New Jersey, to name just a few.
  Mr. President, the Foundation has funded these programs by raising 
private funds to match federal appropriations on at least a 2 to 1 
basis. During this time of fiscal constraint this is an impressive 
record of leveraging federal dollars. Moreover, all of the Foundation's 
operating costs are raised privately, which means that federal and 
private dollars given for conservation is spent only on conservation 
projects.
  I am proud to count myself as one of the ``Founding Fathers'' of the 
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. In 1984, I, along with my 
colleagues Senators Howard Baker, George Mitchell, and John Breaux, saw 
the need to create a private, nonprofit group that could build public-
private partnerships and consensus, where previously there had only 
been acrimony and, many times, contentious litigation.
  The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has more than fulfilled the 
hopes of its original sponsors. It has helped to bring solutions to 
some difficult natural resource problems and is becoming widely 
recognized for its innovative approach to solving environmental 
problems. For example, when Atlantic salmon neared extinction in the 
U.S. due to overharvest in Greenland, the Foundation and its partners 
bought Greenland salmon quotas. I and many others in Congress want the 
Foundation to continue its important conservation efforts. So, today I 
am introducing amendments to the Foundation's charter that will allow 
it to do just that.
  Mr. President, this legislation is quite simple. It makes three key 
changes to current law. First, the bill would expand the Foundation's 
governing Board of Directors from 15 members to 25 members. This will 
allow a greater number of those with a strong interest in conservation 
to actively participate in, and contribute to, the Foundation's 
activities.
  The bill's second key feature authorizes the Foundation to work with 
other agencies within the Department of the Interior and the Department 
of Commerce, in addition to the Fish and Wildlife Service and the 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Mr. President, it is 
my view that the Foundation should continue to provide valuable 
assistance to government agencies within the Departments of the 
Interior and Commerce that may be faced with conservation issues. 
Finally, it would reauthorize appropriations to the Department of the 
Interior and the Department of Commerce through 2003.
  Mr. President, I believe that this legislation I introduce today will 
produce real conservation benefits and I strongly urge my colleagues to 
give the bill their support.
  Mr. KEMPTHORNE. Mr. President, nearly fourteen years ago President 
Reagan signed P.L. 98-244, an act to establish the National Fish and 
Wildlife Foundation as a charitable, nonprofit corporation of the 
United States specifically to further the conservation and management 
of the Nation's fish, wildlife, and plant resources. Since that time, 
the Foundation has funded more than 2,200 conservation projects through 
their partnership and challenge grant program.
  In the State of Idaho alone, the Foundation has funded nearly 100 
projects worth over $19,000,000. The good news is that they have done 
this work with only $5M of federal money. That is nearly a four to one 
contribution from the private sector. In addition, there have been many 
projects in adjacent States that benefit the Stat of Idaho.
  But the Foundation has had its share of controversy. A Foundation 
grant to the Pacific Rivers Council may have allowed the Pacific Rivers 
Council to use other resources to nearly shut down the economy of 
several counties in the State of Idaho. A federal judge shut down all 
permitted activities in our national forests when the Pacific Rivers 
Council brought suit against the United States Forest Service and the 
National Marine Fisheries Service for failure to consider cumulative 
impacts of permitted activities under the Endangered Species Act. The 
two agencies could not agree on the extent and nature of the 
consultations, so the Federal judge shut down all activities in our 
national forests until they were in compliance. Even the plaintiffs in 
the suit were surprised by the effect of their suit. They quickly 
joined the effort to reverse the injunction and to have the two Federal 
agencies agree on a solution.
  Since then the Foundation has implemented procedures into its grant 
contracts to prevent a recurrence of the devastating injunction 
triggered by the Pacific Rivers Council. The Foundation has repeatedly 
stated that ``it does not engage in lobbying or litigation and does not 
allow its grants to be used for those activities.''
  And, I recognize that the Foundation has provided grant monies to 
support studies of grizzly bears and wolves in the Pacific Northwest. 
However, in my review of those grants I am pleased to say that the 
grants have been used to discover basic biological information about 
these predators. The Foundation has produced educational materials, 
backed research on the impacts of human activities, improved sanitation 
and safety will bear-proof dumpsters, supported GIS mapping of bear 
habitats, and brought in non-federal partners.
  During the years I have been acquainted with the Foundation, I have 
found that they work with the entire spectrum of interests to leverage 
through private partners a limited amount of federal funding into 
significant monies for conservation.
  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, today Senator Chafee, chairman of the Senate 
Environment and Public Works Committee, has introduced legislation to 
reauthorize the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. I support the 
Foundation and the activities it undertakes to further conservation and 
management of our nation's fish and wildlife resources.
  Created by Congress in 1984, the Foundation has forged a strong 
relationship between government and corporate stakeholders, fostering 
cooperation and coordination. It has been successful in bringing 
private sector involvement, initiative and technology to bear in 
solving conservation problems. With this reauthorization, the 
Foundation's record of providing real on-the-ground conservation will 
continue.
  Mr. President, all federal money appropriated to the National Fish 
and Wildlife Foundation must be matched by contributions from non-
federal sources: corporations, State and local government agencies, 
foundations and individuals. The Foundation's operating policy is to 
raise a match of at least 2 to 1, to maximize leverage for our federal 
funds. With the financial assistance of the private sector and the 
technical knowledge of the States, the Foundation can be both effective 
and responsive to conservation needs.
  All of the Foundation's projects are peer reviewed by agency staff, 
state resource officials, and other professionals in the natural 
resource field. No project is undertaken without the input and support 
of the local community and state interests. The Foundation has also 
initiated a process to solicit comments from members of Congress 
concerning grants in a member's district or state.
  Mr. President, one of the things that distinguishes the Foundation 
from other conservation groups is its results in the field. The 
Foundation has worked with over 700 agencies, universities, businesses 
and conservation groups, both large and small, over the last decade. 
These relationships have helped the Foundation become one of the most 
effective conservation organizations in the nation.
  In Mississippi, for example, the Foundation has supported local 
habitat restoration projects to help private landowners install water 
control structures to provide wintering habitat for migratory 
waterfowl. Our farmers have learned that it also benefits weed control, 
seed-bed preparation, prevention

[[Page S5221]]

of erosion--all at a lower cost. The Foundation has provided grants to 
assist private landowners in restoring bottomland hardwood habitats 
critical to migrating neotropical songbirds and other water-dependant 
wildlife species. These efforts are helping to maintain the state's 
original wetlands habitats.
  Activities of the Foundation do produce real on-the-ground 
conservation benefits for the resources of our nation. I ask that my 
colleagues join me in supporting this legislation.
                                 ______