[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 65 (Thursday, April 30, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1025-E1026]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     CLIMATE CHANGE SAFEGUARDS FOR NATURAL RESOURCE PROTECTION ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. RAUL M. GRIJALVA

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 30, 2009

  Mr. GRIJALVA. Madam Speaker, today I am introducing the Climate 
Change Safeguards for Natural Resource Protection Act. I am pleased to 
be joined in sponsoring this measure by Chairman Nick Rahall as well as 
. . .
  Madam Speaker, in 1850, the estimated number of glaciers in what 
would become Glacier National Park was 150; today, it is 26. The Joshua 
Trees in Joshua Tree National Park are dying. Unless Congress and the 
Administration work together to combat climate change on Federal lands, 
these parks and others like them will need new names.
  Forests, wildlife refuges, national parks and other federally-owned 
land and water represent a 650-million-acre front in the battle against 
global climate change, but many Federal land and water management 
agencies have yet to take up the fight in earnest.
  The previous Administration pursued a ``don't-ask, don't-tell'' 
approach to climate change; scientific research was undermined and 
planning was discouraged through underfunding and censorship. As a 
result, the gap between what we know about climate change and what we 
are doing about it has widened.
  The legislation we are introducing today is intended to narrow that 
gap by providing Federal land, water, and ocean management agencies and 
the States, the tools they need to protect our fish, wildlife, oceans, 
plants and other resources from the impacts we know are coming.
  The bill requires establishment of a Natural Resources Climate Change 
Adaptation Panel made up of Federal agencies responsible for managing 
our Nation's natural resources. The Panel's mission will be to foster 
the kind of inter-agency cooperation and planning that is both critical 
in responding to climate change and, so far, sorely lacking.
  The Panel will be tasked with developing a comprehensive, national 
strategy for combating climate change. Once the national strategy is in 
place, each Federal agency with jurisdiction over natural resources 
will be tasked with translating that broader plan into a climate change 
response tailored specifically to their agency's programs and 
activities. Furthermore, funding will be authorized to assist states in 
developing similar state-wide adaptation plans that lead to concrete on 
the ground actions to address the impacts of climate change on the 
natural resources they manage.
  In addition, the bill will streamline, centralize and improve the 
collection and dissemination of climate-related scientific information. 
This provision will ensure that Federal climate research will be better 
funded, more aggressive and more easily available to land managers, 
policy-makers and the public.
  Finally, the bill will create a centralized database of geographic 
mapping information designed to identify significant wildlife migration 
corridors. Such corridors must be included in

[[Page E1026]]

any ecosystem level adaptation planning efforts.
  In developing this legislation, we have been privileged to work 
closely with our colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee, 
including Chairman Waxman and the Dean of the House of Representatives, 
John Dingell to include this bill in larger, so-called ``cap and 
trade'' legislation. We support having this measure included in the 
larger package and appreciate the support of the Energy and Commerce 
Committee in this effort.
  This legislation is the product of multiple oversight hearings and 
extensive negotiations in the Natural Resources Committee. A serious 
and sustained commitment to fighting climate change is a significant 
priority for the Members of our Committee and we ask our colleagues to 
join us in this effort.

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