[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 118 (Monday, July 23, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1598]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     FISCAL YEAR 2008 INTERIOR AND ENVIRONMENT APPROPRIATIONS BILL

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 23, 2007

  Ms. McCOLLUM of Minnesota. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express my 
strong support for H.R. 2643, the Fiscal Year 2008 Interior and 
Environment Appropriations bill. For the first time in years, the House 
is investing the resources needed to improve air and water quality, 
protect our pristine natural landscapes and historic structures, manage 
wildfires appropriately, and increase services for visitors to national 
parks, refuges and forests.
  H.R. 2643 provides $2,5 billion for our National Parks--$223 million 
above 2007 levels and $148 million above the President's request. This 
impressive commitment reverses years of chronic underfunding that has 
significantly weakened the system and represents a major step toward 
upgrading our parks in time for the centennial anniversary of the 
National Park Service in 2016. The bill also renews America's support 
for the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities by 
including $160 million for each program in Fiscal Year 2008. 
Significant increases over current funding levels will help arts and 
humanities programming across the country recover from a decade of deep 
cuts.
  In addition, I am very pleased the bill includes funding for 
critically important U.S. Forest Service International Programs. The 
U.S. Forest Service International Programs promote sustainable forest 
management in countries around the world and return important 
technologies and innovations to the United States. H.R. 2643 includes 
$8 million to support Forest Service efforts abroad--a much-needed $1.1 
million increase over the current level of funding.
  The hard work of Forest Service professionals abroad is not a luxury: 
it is essential to the mission of the Forest Service. These 
International Programs support vital national priorities that matter to 
our constituents, including federal efforts to combat global climate 
change; strengthen the U.S. timber industry and fight illegal logging; 
protect North American migratory bird habitat; stop invasive species 
before they enter the U.S.; and improve America's global image by 
working in close partnership with Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Indonesia, 
Mexico, Liberia and many other key U.S. partners.
  America's forests are part of a global forest ecosystem. Protecting 
and sustaining a healthy forest system in the U.S. requires the Forest 
Service to work with scientists and land managers in countries around 
the world. Consider the fight against invasive species. One invasive 
species alone--the Asian Longhorn Beetle--threatens to inflict losses 
up to $138 billion on the U.S. economy. By investing in efforts to 
identify and suppress invasive species abroad, we can save the hundreds 
of billions of dollars needed to deal with a widespread infestation in 
America. In addition to saving taxpayers money, Forest Service 
International programs leverage private funds from groups including 
Ducks Unlimited and the Nature Conservancy.
  Madam Speaker, this bill represents the values and priorities of the 
American people, from honoring our obligations to Native American 
communities to making critical investments in drinking water 
infrastructure. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the 
Fiscal Year 2008 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill.

                          ____________________