[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 139 (Wednesday, October 7, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Page S11806]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT, S. 1677

 Mr. DeWINE. Mr. President, I rise today to offer my strong 
support for this bill offered by our distinguished colleague from Rhode 
Island. I want to thank Senator Chafee for all the work he has done, 
and especially his effort to addressing some of the concerns I had 
about the bill.
  The North American Wetlands Conservation Act, or NAWCA, is a 
blueprint for successful environmental protection--through voluntary 
cooperation among government agencies, private conservation 
organizations, and landowners. It is a matching fund which involves 
state, federal, and private partners in protecting and restoring 
wetlands across the country.
  Mr. President, this is very important for the environment. Wetlands 
serve a multitude of purposes. Obviously, they provide critical habitat 
and breeding grounds for migratory birds, fish and aquatic plants. But 
their benefit goes far beyond wildlife habitat. Wetlands are nature's 
sponges--absorbing heavy rains and minimizing the damaging effects of 
floods and erosion. Wetlands are also natural filters, trapping and 
isolating potentially damaging pollution and improving the quality of 
our lakes and rivers.
  Since 1990, there have been 9 NAWCA projects in Ohio which have 
protected almost 9,000 acres of critical wetlands. NAWCA has 
contributed $3.3 million towards these projects--and those funds were 
matched by $6.9 million from groups such as Ducks Unlimited and Ohio's 
Division of Wildlife.
  Last summer, I was able to visit one of these projects, Metzger Marsh 
in northwest Ohio. I was impressed, not only with the beauty and 
diversity of the wildlife at this marsh, but also with the cooperation 
among government, private agencies, and landowners that protected this 
area.
  While there are several partners working together on this effort, I 
would like to mention one organization in particular. Ducks Unlimited 
is a national nonprofit conservation organization with over 18,000 
members in Ohio alone. It has contributed over $80 million in matching 
funds to support NAWCA projects across the country. This is over three 
times the amount contributed by any other conservation organization. In 
light of the longstanding commitment of Ducks Unlimited to this 
project, I believe they should continue to serve on the NAWCA Council--
and I would like to thank Senators Chafee, Kempthorne, Inhofe and 
Hutchison for insuring that the organization's membership on this 
council will continue.
  Mr. President, this is a very important piece of environmental 
legislation, and I urge its adoption.

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