[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 132 (Monday, September 28, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H9094-H9095]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
MIGRATORY BIRD HUNTING AND CONSERVATION STAMP PROMOTION ACT
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 4248) to authorize the use of receipts from the sale of the
Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamps to promote additional
stamp purchases, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 4248
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Migratory Bird Hunting and
Conservation Stamp Promotion Act''.
SEC. 2. PROMOTION OF STAMP SALES.
(a) In General.--Section 4 of the Act of March 16, 1934
(chapter 71; 16 U.S.C. 718d), popularly known as the
Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, is amended--
(1) in subsection (b) by striking ``subsection (c)'' and
inserting ``subsections (c) and (d)''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following:
``(d) Promotion of Stamp Sales.--(1) The Secretary of the
Interior may utilize funds from the sale of migratory-bird
hunting and conservation stamps, not to exceed $1,000,000 in
each of fiscal years 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003, for
the promotion of additional sales of those stamps, in
accordance with a Migratory Bird Conservation Commission-
approved annual marketing plan. Such promotion shall include
the preparation of reports, brochures, or other appropriate
materials to be made available to the public that describe
the benefits to wildlife derived from stamp sales.
``(2) The Secretary of the Interior shall include in each
annual report of the Commission under section 3 of the
Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715b) a
description of activities conducted under this subsection in
the year covered by the report.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey (Mr. Saxton) and the gentleman from American Samoa (Mr.
Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton).
{time} 1230
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 4248, the Migratory
Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Promotion Act. This bill was
introduced primarily by our colleague the gentleman from California
(Mr. Cunningham), who has done such a great job and has been such a
great advocate of the bill. He is the primary reason that we are here
today.
Joining him is of course the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell),
the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), and the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Weldon), who also were very, very hard workers on the
bill.
The bill was the subject of a subcommittee hearing on July 16th. At
that time, every witness testified in strong support of trying to
promote additional duck stamp purchases. In fact, the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service, which has endorsed the bill, testified that
additional opportunities to increase revenues to the Migratory Bird
Conservation Fund from increased duck stamp sales do exist, and this
bill is a good route to get that done.
Since Congress approved the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act of 1934,
every waterfowl hunter 16 years and older has been required to purchase
a valid Federal duck stamp. The cost of the stamp has increased from $1
to its present cost of $15. These funds, which exceed a total of $500
million, have been used to purchase some 5 million acres of prime
wildlife habitat. This habitat is essential to literally millions of
migratory birds.
Unfortunately, the sale of duck stamps has declined in recent years.
In fact, nearly 1 million less duck stamps were sold last year than two
decades ago.
H.R. 4248 is designed to reverse that trend. Under the terms of this
legislation, up to $1 million per year in duck stamp receipts would be
spent to create a promotional program to increase the sale of duck
stamps. This promotional program would be crafted to appeal to a
growing number of bird watchers, wildlife artists, stamp collectors,
and those Americans who simply enjoy wildlife.
If successful, this program will generate millions of dollars in new
revenues which would be used to buy additional waterfowl habitat in the
United States.
Mr. Speaker, this bill is strongly supported by many conservation
organizations, including Ducks Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League, and
the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America.
I urge an ``aye'' vote on the bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, again, my sincere thanks and appreciation to the
chairman of the Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and
Oceans, the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton) for bringing this
legislation to the floor. I also want to commend my good friend the
gentleman from California (Mr. Cunningham) for his primary sponsorship
of this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I might add, this does have bipartisan support,
especially friends from this side of the aisle, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Dingell) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner).
Mr. Speaker, the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp
Promotion Act is a sound piece of legislation. This bill will allow the
Fish and Wildlife Service to spend $1 million a year in revenues from
the migratory bird hunting stamp to promote sales of those stamps to a
broader range of users, including bird watchers, photographers, and
other conservationists.
It is estimated that as many as 25 million Americans enjoy observing
birds and spend as much as $20 billion a year to do so. They travel to
see over 800 species of birds that reside in the United States. I might
add, Mr. Speaker, I invite all my fellow Americans and bird watchers of
America to come and observe the only bat that flies during the day like
a bird, and it is the flying fox in the Samoan Islands.
Many of these birds are undergoing serious conservation problems.
These problems are no less serious than the declines of game birds in
the 1920s which inspired hunters, conservationists and Federal
lawmakers to pass the Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1929. That
act, Mr. Speaker, authorized the duck stamp program.
Since that time, Mr. Speaker, the program has been enormously
successful and has helped protect some 5 million acres of land for
habitat. Many waterfowl populations have recovered tremendously.
Millions of acres of habitat have been protected. But even as duck
stamp sales to hunters have began to level off, the need to continue to
acquire and protect habitat for wildlife has increased tremendously.
Mr. Speaker, an amendment in this bill would encourage the Fish and
Wildlife Service to describe the benefits to wildlife which are derived
from the sales of these stamps. By demonstrating to bird watchers and
conservationists just how these funds contribute to the recovery and
relief of some of the many species of wildlife which continue to
decline, the Service can be assured of finding a growing number of
Americans who are willing to contribute to the protection of habitat
for their future.
I am confident that the Fish and Wildlife Service, Mr. Speaker, and
the conservation community can work together to make this bill a
success and continue to protect valuable habitat for all of those who
enjoy this Nation's natural resources.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and,
again, I commend my good friend, the gentleman from California, for his
prime sponsorship of this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve will balance of my time.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the
gentleman from San Diego, California (Mr. Cunningham) who has worked so
hard and in such a dedicated way to
[[Page H9095]]
sponsor this bill and bring it to the floor.
(Mr. CUNNINGHAM asked and was given permission to revise and extend
his remarks.)
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, I think if you take a look at what this
entire subcommittee and committee has done this year, it is very, very
noteworthy; from a disabled bill, to a tuna-dolphin bill, as well as
future legislation, in a bipartisan way. It is gratifying when we have
so many bad days, ``bad hair'' days here in Congress, that this
subcommittee and committee has ``good hair'' days for us, and I
appreciate it.
The gentleman from American Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega), see, that is
not bad for an Irish kid from northern L.A., but I would like to thank
him for his support for this.
Who I would really like to thank is a staffer named Tim Charters. Tim
has poured his life and his lifeblood into this. Here is a young man
that knew very little about conservation and the outdoors; and in the
last 2 years, I cannot keep him out of the woods, and I cannot keep him
out from looking and working in conservation programs. So I would like
to thank Tim Charters.
I thank the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Tanner), the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Dingell), and the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr.
Weldon), that have helped make this possible, and the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Gilchrest) in the full committee, along with the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone). It is gratifying.
But I will not reiterate some of the things that my colleague, the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton), chairman of the committee, has
said, but this money used from the duck stamp is basically used to buy
property for conservation.
In every State, we have lands where there is MSP or whether we are
trying to connect lands so that critters can grow and have a quarter to
prosper, there is never enough funds. With a dwindling of the duck
stamp, we are looking for new ways to generate revenue.
The duck stamp group had, there is precedence for this because what
they have done in the past is even made quilts and got a contract to
make quilts with the duck stamp on it and other images of it, and we
sell that to earn money to buy property for the environment and
conservation programs like this one.
So it is a good bill, and it is bipartisan. Very few people know that
this entire program started in 1934, the duck stamp. It has been
immensely popular and it has been successful and at the same time
responsible.
One supporter of this plan is Mr. James Mosher, a conservation
director for the Izaak Walton League, who says this legislation will
significantly increase revenue from duck sales, consequently leading to
the enhancement of habitat acquisition and migratory bird conservation.
We have some tremendous problems with migratory birds, for example,
the Salton Sea in which the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Bono) is
trying to save.
Migratory birds are at risk. We need to protect them. Some of our
wetlands are at risk. This bill helps that.
I would like to submit the rest of my statement for the Record, and
it is with gratification and much happiness that I support this bill,
ask my colleagues to support it and want to personally thank them for
all their help.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, will the gentleman yield?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. I yield to the gentleman from American Samoa.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I would like to again thank the
gentleman for his eloquent statement. Maybe something that our
colleagues here in the House and even the American public do not know,
but the fact is that watching birds is a $20 billion industry here in
America.
I want to say to my good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr.
Cunningham), for myself, who actually experienced seeing these terns
who come all the way from Alaska to Hawaii and even to my islands in
Samoa, just to watch these little birds, it is amazing how these little
birds can fly for such a tremendous distance.
I am sure that my good friend, who is an excellent jet fighter pilot,
can attest to the fact that it is amazing how nature and how these
migratory birds can fly for so far and yet be so small in form. It is
just amazing.
I think it is an excellent way to promote that we need more funds,
and I sincerely hope that this legislation will pass. Again, I want to
commend the gentleman for yielding to me.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Mr. Speaker, this is a private/public partnership in
which we engage, and I thank the gentleman.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Migratory Bird Hunting
and Conservation Stamp Promotion Act (H.R. 4248). I am proud to be
joined in this effort by my fellow Sportsmen's Caucus Co-Chairman John
Tanner and Migratory Bird Conservation Committee members,
Representative John Dingell and Representative Curt Weldon.
This legislation will allow the Federal Duck Stamp office to use
money from the Migratory Bird Conservation Fund (MBCF) to create an
advertising program for the promotion of the federal duck stamp. This
promotional program will be similar to the program used by the Postal
Service to promote its stamp sales and stamp collecting.
Since Congress created the Federal Duck Stamp in 1934, it has been
one of America's most successful conservation initiatives. It has
generated more than $500 million for the conservation of wildlife
habitat. This money has permanently protected more than 5 million acres
of prime wildlife habitat. This program is successful. It is also
responsible, because it focuses 98 percent of the program's revenue to
purchase habitat.
H.R. 4248 is important because in recent years duck stamp sales have
leveled off. Unless we find new ways to promote the Duck Stamp and
generate additional revenues, the MBCF will be unable to keep pace with
the increasing costs of purchasing land for conservation. By passing
this legislation, the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission will be
able to promote the benefits of the Federal Duck Stamp. In doing so,
they will sell more stamps and generate more funds for habitat
conservation.
One supporter of this plan is Mr. James Mosher, Conservation Director
for the Izaak Walton League, says this ``legislation will significantly
increase revenue from stamp sales, consequently leading to enhancement
of habitat acquisition and migratory bird conservation efforts.''
This legislation has some precedence. In 1984, Congress allowed the
Migratory Bird Conservation Committee to use MBCF funds to administer a
program to license the image of the Duck Stamp. Today the Duck Stamp
image is printed on products like throw rugs, T-shirts, ties, and other
items. These licensing agreements generated $65 thousand in 1997, and
more than $770 thousand since 1984. This additional funding has been
added to the MBCF and useed to protect and preserve habitat.
Mr. Chairman, one may ask whether money we use for the Duck Stamp
promotion program wouldn't be better invested in habitat conservation.
In fact, Ducks Unlimited, one of America's most prominent conservation
organizations, addressed that exact issue in its letter of support for
this legislation.
Quoting from Mr. Scott Sutherland and Mr. Fred Abraham's letter,
``While Ducks Unlimited is always concerned that the maximum amount of
funds raised actually go into protecting habitat in the refuge system,
we believe that this temporary set-aside for marketing will eventually
lead to more funds being available for the refuge system.''
This legislation is supported by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Federal Duck Stamp Office, Ducks Unlimited, the Wildlife Legislative
Fund of America, and the Izaak Walton League.
I urge my colleagues to join me and pass this legislation and
preserve more of our nation's wildlife habitat.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I also have no additional speakers, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Saxton) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 4248, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________