[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 81 (Wednesday, May 16, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1063-E1064]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        INTRODUCTION OF THE GLOBAL WARMING WILDLIFE SURVIVAL ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. NORMAN D. DICKS

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, May 16, 2007

  Mr. DICKS. Madam Speaker, as the chairman of the Interior 
Appropriations Subcommittee, I am very much aware of the need to take 
action to address global warming, and I recently held a hearing to 
examine the impact of climate change on many of the agencies and 
resources under my subcommittee's jurisdiction. At the beginning of 
that hearing, I stated my belief that climate change may be the 
emerging issue of our time. Climate change may alter the face of our 
planet in ways we cannot yet comprehend, and I believe it is our 
responsibility not only to do as much as possible to halt or slow it, 
but also to do everything in our power to protect the earth's resources 
from its impacts so that future generations will be able to benefit 
from them as we and past generations have done.
  Our Nation's wildlife is one critically important resource that is 
particularly vulnerable to climate change and is also a resource that 
is a fundamental part of America's history and character. Conservation 
of wildlife and wildlife habitat is a core value shared by all 
Americans.
  America's wildlife is vital to our Nation for many reasons. Wildlife 
conservation provides economic, social, educational, recreational, 
emotional, and spiritual benefits. The economic value of hunting, 
fishing, and wildlife-associated recreation alone is estimated to 
contribute $100 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Wildlife habitat, 
including forests, grasslands, riparian lands, wetlands, rivers and 
other water bodies, is an essential component of the American 
landscape, and is protected and valued by Federal, State, and local 
governments, tribes, private landowners, and conservation 
organizations.
  Unfortunately, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the effect 
of climate change on wildlife will be profound. The recently released 
reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC have 
made clear that global warming is occurring, that it is exacerbated by 
human activity, and that it will have devastating impacts on wildlife 
and wildlife habitat. Wildlife is already suffering from massive 
changes in habitat, particularly in the arctic, and shifts in ranges 
and timing of migration and breeding cycles. Continued global warming 
could lead to large-scale species extinctions. These impacts add to and 
compound the adverse effects wildlife and its habitat already suffer 
from land development, energy development, road construction, and other 
human activities, and from other threats such as invasive species and 
disease.
  According to the IPCC, global warming and associated sea level rise 
will continue for centuries due to the timescales associated with 
climate processes and feedbacks, even if greenhouse gas concentrations 
are stabilized now or in the very near future. I believe that, as a 
nation, we must craft responses and mechanisms now to help wildlife 
navigate the threats caused by global warming.
  To conserve wildlife in the face of the far-reaching effects of 
global warming, there is a need for a coordinated, national strategy 
based on sound scientific information to ensure that impacts on 
wildlife that span government jurisdictions are effectively addressed 
and to ensure that Federal funds are prudently committed. Ensuring 
strategic and efficient allocation of funding is something of 
particular interest to me as an appropriator.

  Today I am introducing the ``Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act'' 
as a first step in ensuring our Nation is using all possible means to 
help America's wildlife survive the impacts of global warming.
  The ``Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act'' has four elements:
  First, it includes a congressional declaration of national policy 
recognizing that global warming is having profound impacts on wildlife 
and its habitat and committing the Federal Government, in cooperation 
with State, tribal and local governments and other concerned 
organizations, to use all practicable means to assist wildlife in 
adapting to and surviving the effects of global warming.
  Second, the bill requires development of a national strategy for 
assisting wildlife impacted by global warming developed by the 
Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretaries of 
Agriculture and Commerce, States, tribes, local governments, 
conservation organizations and scientists, and coordinated with State 
wildlife action plans, the national fish habitat action plan, and other 
relevant wildlife conservation plans. A committee of scientists is 
established to advise the Secretary in development of the national 
strategy. The Secretaries of the Interior, Agriculture and Commerce are 
charged with implementing the national strategy on Federal lands and in 
conservation programs they administer.
  Third, the bill will support improved science capacity for Federal 
agencies to respond to global warming, including establishment of a 
National Global Warming and Wildlife Science Center in the United 
States Geological Survey, and enhanced science capacity in Federal land 
management and wildlife agencies.
  Finally, the bill directs strategic allocation of funding for 
implementation of the national strategy and State and tribal actions to 
enhance wildlife resilience to global warming. The Act allocates 
Federal funding to implement the National Strategy 45 percent to 
Federal land management agencies, 25 percent to federally funded and 
implemented fish and wildlife programs, and 30 percent to States. I am 
very pleased to say that the State and tribal funding allocated in the 
bill is made available through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants 
Program. The bill also authorizes the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants 
Program

[[Page E1064]]

which was created by our subcommittee in the fiscal year 2001 Interior 
appropriations bill as an upstream solution to help conserve species 
before they decline to the point where they need Endangered Species Act 
protection. Now this important program, and the comprehensive State 
wildlife action plans that were required for states to get funding, 
will be on the forefront of our Nation's efforts to help mitigate the 
impacts of global warming on wildlife.
  This bill will help ensure that the pressing needs that are faced by 
the agencies and programs under the Interior and Environment 
appropriations subcommittee to help wildlife and wildlife habitat are 
addressed strategically, based on a foundation of sound scientific 
information, and that funding is allocated among the Federal agencies 
and the States in the most efficient way possible.
  As I introduce this important bill, I also have one additional very 
significant point to make about funding to address impacts to wildlife 
from global warming. As Congress moves forward in considering 
comprehensive legislation to address global warming, it is possible 
that new sources of funding for the Federal Government will be 
generated. For example, in legislation to cap greenhouse gas emissions, 
it is likely that a system of emissions credits that can be traded 
would be created. In the process, there is an opportunity to auction 
some of these credits, producing substantial revenue for the Federal 
Treasury. Although the ``Global Warming Wildlife Survival Act'' as I am 
introducing it authorizes funding to implement the provisions of the 
bill, I believe that a portion of any revenues that will be generated 
by upcoming global warming legislation should be specifically dedicated 
to implement the provisions of the ``Global Warming Wildlife Survival 
Act.''
  The Interior and Environment appropriations subcommittee allocation 
is woefully stressed just dealing with the current needs of the 
agencies and programs under its jurisdiction. Our Federal land 
management agencies have tremendous backlogs for operations and 
maintenance of our national wildlife refuges, parks, forests and other 
public lands. This situation has been greatly exacerbated by the past 6 
years of Bush administration budgets and prior Congresses. Hundreds of 
important biologist positions have been cut, and the agencies' budgets 
are far below what they have needed just to keep up with inflation. 
These programs have been starved to the point where they are on life 
support. It became apparent in the recent hearing on global warming 
held by the subcommittee that the land management agencies are already 
seeing the results of climate change on the ground, but that they have 
few, if any, resources to deal with these changes. With the effects of 
global warming only expected to increase in severity in the coming 
years, I believe it is crucial to infuse dedicated new funding into our 
efforts to address this crisis, and I will work to make this happen.
  This is a great Nation with a unique and irreplaceable natural 
heritage. We must take steps now to protect our wonderful wildlife from 
the ravages of climate change.

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