[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 105 (Tuesday, July 14, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H8052-H8056]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1500
        JOINT VENTURES FOR BIRD HABITAT CONSERVATION ACT OF 2009

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 2188) to authorize the Secretary

[[Page H8053]]

of the Interior, through the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 
to conduct a Joint Venture Program to protect, restore, enhance, and 
manage migratory bird populations, their habitats, and the ecosystems 
they rely on, through voluntary actions on public and private lands, 
and for other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2188

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLES.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Joint Ventures for Bird 
     Habitat Conservation Act of 2009''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds that--
       (1) migratory birds are of great ecological and economic 
     value to the Nation, contributing to biological diversity, 
     advancing the well-being of human communities through 
     pollination, seed dispersal, and other ecosystem services, 
     and bringing tremendous enjoyment to the tens of millions of 
     Americans who study, watch, feed, or hunt these birds;
       (2) sustainable populations of migratory birds depend on 
     the conservation, protection, restoration, and enhancement of 
     terrestrial, wetland, marine, and other aquatic habitats 
     throughout their ranges in the United States, as well as the 
     rest of North America, the Caribbean, and Central and South 
     America;
       (3) birds are good indicators of environmental health and 
     provide early warning of the impacts of environmental change, 
     helping to yield the most out of every dollar invested in 
     conservation;
       (4) human and environmental stressors are causing the 
     decline of populations of many migratory bird species, many 
     of them once common, and climate change will exacerbate the 
     impacts of these stressors on migratory bird populations;
       (5) the coordination of Federal, State, tribal, and local 
     government natural resource conservation efforts and the 
     formation of partnerships that include a diversity of 
     nongovernmental conservation organizations, private 
     landowners, and other relevant stakeholders is necessary to 
     accomplish the conservation of migratory bird populations, 
     their habitats, and the ecosystem functions they rely on;
       (6) hunters, through their purchase of Federal migratory 
     bird hunting stamps and State hunting licenses, have long 
     supported the conservation of migratory birds and their 
     habitats in the United States through the various State and 
     Federal programs that are supported by the fees charged for 
     such purchases;
       (7) the Department of the Interior, through the United 
     States Fish and Wildlife Service, is authorized under a 
     number of broad statutes to undertake many activities with 
     partners to conserve natural resources, including migratory 
     birds and their habitat;
       (8) through these authorities, the Service has created and 
     supported a number of joint ventures with diverse partners to 
     help protect, manage, enhance, and restore migratory bird 
     habitat throughout much of the United States and to conserve 
     migratory bird species;
       (9) the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, adopted 
     by the United States and Canada in 1986, with Mexico joining 
     as a signatory in 1994, was the first truly landscape-level 
     approach to conserving migratory game birds and the wetland 
     habitats on which they depend, and became the foundation for 
     the voluntary formation of Joint Ventures;
       (10) since the adoption of the North American Waterfowl 
     Management Plan, joint ventures have expanded their 
     application to all native birds and other wildlife species 
     that depend on wetlands and associated upland habitats, 
     resulting in significant conservation benefits over the last 
     twenty years;
       (11) States possess broad trustee and management authority 
     over fish and wildlife resources within their borders, and 
     have utilized their authorities to undertake conservation 
     programs to conserve resident and migratory birds and their 
     habitats;
       (12) consistent with applicable Federal and State laws, the 
     Federal Government and the States each have management 
     responsibilities affecting fish and wildlife resources, and 
     should work cooperatively in fulfilling these 
     responsibilities;
       (13) other domestic and international conservation projects 
     authorized under the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation 
     Act (16 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.) and the North American Wetlands 
     Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.), and additional 
     bird conservation projects authorized under other Federal 
     authorities, can expand and increase the effectiveness of the 
     joint ventures in protecting and enhancing migratory bird 
     habitats throughout the different ranges of species native to 
     the United States; and
       (14) the voluntary partnerships fostered by these joint 
     ventures have served as innovative models for cooperative and 
     effective landscape conservation, with far-reaching benefits 
     to other fish and wildlife populations, and similar joint 
     ventures should be authorized specifically to reinforce the 
     importance and multiple benefits of these models to encourage 
     adaptive resource management and the implementation of 
     flexible conservation strategies in the 21st century.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to establish a 
     program administered by the Director, in coordination with 
     other Federal agencies with management authority over fish 
     and wildlife resources and the States, to develop, implement, 
     and support innovative, voluntary, cooperative, and effective 
     conservation strategies and conservation actions to--
       (1) promote, primarily, sustainable populations of 
     migratory birds, and, secondarily, the fish and wildlife 
     species associated with their habitats;
       (2) encourage stakeholder and government partnerships 
     consistent with the goals of protecting, improving, and 
     restoring habitat;
       (3) establish, implement, and improve science-based 
     migratory bird conservation plans and promote and facilitate 
     broader landscape-level conservation of fish and wildlife 
     habitat; and
       (4) coordinate related conservation activities of the 
     Service and other Federal agencies to maximize the efficient 
     and effective use of funds appropriated or otherwise made 
     available to support projects and activities to enhance bird 
     populations and other populations of fish and wildlife and 
     their habitats.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Conservation action.--The term ``conservation action'' 
     means activities that--
       (A) support the protection, restoration, adaptive 
     management, conservation, or enhancement of migratory bird 
     populations, their terrestrial, wetland, marine, or other 
     habitats, and other wildlife species supported by those 
     habitats, including--
       (i) biological and geospatial planning;
       (ii) landscape and conservation design;
       (iii) habitat protection, enhancement, and restoration;
       (iv) monitoring and tracking;
       (v) applied research; and
       (vi) public outreach and education;
       (B) are conducted on lands or waters that--
       (i) are administered for the long-term conservation of such 
     lands or waters and the migratory birds thereon, including 
     the marine environment; or
       (ii) are not primarily held or managed for conservation but 
     provide habitat value for migratory birds; and
       (C) incorporate adaptive management and science-based 
     monitoring, where applicable, to improve outcomes and ensure 
     efficient and effective use of Federal funds.
       (2) Director.--The term ``Director'' means the Director of 
     the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.
       (3) Implementation plan.--The term ``Implementation Plan'' 
     means an Implementation Plan approved by the Director under 
     section 5.
       (4) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian tribe'' has the 
     meaning given that term in section 4 of the Indian Self-
     Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 450b).
       (5) Joint venture.--The term ``Joint Venture'' means a 
     self-directed, voluntary partnership, established and 
     conducted in accordance with section 5.
       (6) Management board.--The term ``Management Board'' means 
     a Joint Venture Management Board established in accordance 
     with section 5.
       (7) Migratory birds.--The term ``migratory birds'' means 
     those species included in the list of migratory birds that 
     appears in section 10.13 of title 50, Code of Federal 
     Regulations, under the authority of the Migratory Bird Treaty 
     Act.
       (8) Program.--The term ``Program'' means the Joint Ventures 
     Program conducted in accordance with this Act.
       (9) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary 
     of the Interior.
       (10) Service.--The term ``Service'' means the United States 
     Fish and Wildlife Service.
       (11) State.--The term ``State'' means--
       (A) any State of the United States, the District of 
     Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin 
     Islands, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern 
     Mariana Islands; and
       (B) one or more agencies of a State government responsible 
     under State law for managing fish or wildlife resources.

     SEC. 4. JOINT VENTURES PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary shall conduct, through the 
     United States Fish and Wildlife Service, a Joint Ventures 
     Program administered by the Director. The Director, through 
     the Program, shall develop an administrative framework for 
     the approval and establishment and implementation of Joint 
     Ventures, that--
       (1) provides financial and technical assistance to support 
     regional migratory bird conservation partnerships;
       (2) develops and implements plans to protect and enhance 
     migratory bird populations throughout their range, that are 
     focused on regional landscapes and habitats that support 
     those populations;
       (3) complements and supports activities by the Secretary 
     and the Director to fulfill obligations under--
       (A) the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 701 et seq.);
       (B) the Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 715 et 
     seq.);
       (C) the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 
     U.S.C. 6101 et seq.);
       (D) the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 
     4401 et seq.);
       (E) the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act of 1980 (16 
     U.S.C. 2901 et seq.); and
       (F) the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act (16 U.S.C. 3771 
     et seq.); and
       (4) support the goals and objectives of--
       (A) the North American Waterfowl Management Plan;
       (B) the United States Shorebird Conservation Plan;
       (C) the North American Waterbird Conservation Plan;
       (D) the Partners in Flight North American Landbird 
     Conservation Plan; and
       (E) other treaties, conventions, agreements, or strategies 
     entered into by the United States and implemented by the 
     Secretary that promote the conservation of migratory bird 
     populations and their habitats.

[[Page H8054]]

       (b) Guidelines.--Within 180 days after the date of 
     enactment of this Act the Secretary, through the Director, 
     shall publish in the Federal Register guidelines for the 
     implementation of this Act, including regarding requirements 
     for approval of proposed Joint Ventures and administration, 
     oversight, coordination among, and evaluation of approved 
     Joint Ventures.
       (c) Coordination With States.--In the administration of the 
     program authorized under this section, the Director shall 
     coordinate and cooperate with the States to fulfill the 
     purposes of this Act.

     SEC. 5. JOINT VENTURE ESTABLISHMENT AND ADMINISTRATION.

       (a) Establishment.--
       (1) In general.--The Director, through the Program, may 
     enter into an agreement with eligible partners described in 
     paragraph (2) to establish a Joint Venture to fulfill one or 
     more of the purposes set forth in paragraphs (1) through (3) 
     of section 2(b).
       (2) Eligible partners.--The eligible partners referred to 
     in paragraph (1) are the following:
       (A) Federal and State agencies with jurisdiction over 
     migratory bird resources, their habitats, or that implement 
     program activities that affect migratory bird habitats or the 
     ecosystems they rely on.
       (B) Affected regional, local, and tribal governments, 
     private landowners, land managers, and other private 
     stakeholders.
       (C) Nongovernmental organizations with expertise in bird 
     conservation or fish and wildlife conservation or natural 
     resource and landscape management generally.
       (D) Other relevant stakeholders.
       (b) Management Board.--
       (1) In general.--An agreement under this section for a 
     Joint Venture shall establish a Management Board in 
     accordance with this subsection.
       (2) Membership.--The Management Board shall include a 
     diversity of members representing stakeholder interests from 
     the appropriate geographic region, including, as appropriate, 
     representatives from the Service and other Federal agencies 
     that have management authority over fish and wildlife 
     resources on public lands or in the marine environment, or 
     that implement programs that affect migratory bird habitats, 
     and representatives from the States, and may include--
       (A) regional governments and Indian tribes;
       (B) academia or the scientific community;
       (C) nongovernmental landowners or land managers;
       (D) nonprofit conservation or other relevant organizations 
     with expertise in migratory bird conservation, or in fish and 
     wildlife conservation generally; and
       (E) private organizations with a dedicated interest in 
     conserving migratory birds and their habitats.
       (3) Functions and responsibilities.--
       (A) Organization and operations plan.--A Management Board, 
     in accordance with the guidelines published by the Director 
     under section 4 and in coordination with the Director, shall 
     develop, publish, and comply with a plan that specifies the 
     organizational structure of the Joint Venture and prescribes 
     its operational practices and procedures.
       (B) Administration.--Subject to applicable Federal and 
     State law, the Management Board shall manage the personnel 
     and operations of the Joint Venture, including--
       (i) by appointing a coordinator for the Joint Venture in 
     consultation with the Director, to manage the daily and long-
     term operations of the Joint Venture;
       (ii) approval of other full- or part-time administrative 
     and technical non-Federal employees as the Management Board 
     determines necessary to perform the functions of the Joint 
     Venture, meet objectives specified in the Implementation 
     Plan, and fulfill the purpose of this Act; and
       (iii) establishment of committees, steering groups, focus 
     groups, geographic or taxonomic groups, or other 
     organizational entities to assist in implementing the 
     relevant Implementation Plan.
       (4) Use of service and federal agency employees.--Subject 
     to the availability of appropriations and upon the request 
     from a Management Board, and after consultation with and 
     approval of the Director, the head of any Federal agency may 
     detail to the Management Board, on a reimbursable or 
     nonreimbursable basis, any agency personnel to assist the 
     Joint Venture in performing its functions under this Act.
       (c) Implementation Plan.--
       (1) Submission of plan to director.--Before the Director 
     enters into an agreement to establish a Joint Venture under 
     subsection (a), the Management Board for the Joint Venture 
     shall submit to the Director a proposed Implementation Plan 
     that shall contain, at a minimum, the following elements:
       (A) A strategic framework for migratory bird conservation 
     that includes biological planning; conservation design; 
     habitat restoration, protection, and enhancement; applied 
     research; and monitoring and evaluation activities.
       (B) Provisions for effective communication among member 
     participants within the Joint Venture.
       (C) A long-term strategy to conduct public outreach and 
     education regarding the purposes and activities of the Joint 
     Venture and activities to regularly communicate to the 
     general public information generated by the Joint Venture.
       (D) Coordination with laws and conservation plans referred 
     to in section 4(a)(3) and (4) that are relevant to migratory 
     birds, and other relevant regional, national, or 
     international initiatives identified by the Director to 
     conserve migratory birds, their habitats, ecological 
     functions, and associated populations of fish and wildlife.
       (E) An organizational plan that--
       (i) identifies the initial membership of the Management 
     Board and establishes procedures for updating the membership 
     of the Management Board as appropriate;
       (ii) describes the organizational structure of the Joint 
     Venture, including proposed committees and subcommittees, and 
     procedures for revising and updating the structure, as 
     necessary; and
       (iii) provides a strategy to increase stakeholder 
     participation or membership in the Joint Venture.
       (F) Procedures to coordinate the development, 
     implementation, oversight, monitoring, tracking, and 
     reporting of conservation actions approved by the Management 
     Board and an evaluation process to determine overall 
     effectiveness of activities undertaken by the Joint Venture.
       (G) A strategy to encourage the contribution of non-Federal 
     financial resources, donations, gifts and in-kind 
     contributions to support the objectives of the Joint Venture 
     and fulfillment of the Implementation Plan.
       (2) Review.--The Director shall--
       (A) coordinate the review of a proposed Implementation Plan 
     submitted under this section; and
       (B) ensure that such plan is circulated for review for a 
     period not to exceed 90 days, to--
       (i) bureaus within the Service and other appropriate 
     bureaus or agencies within the Department of the Interior;
       (ii) appropriate regional migratory bird Flyway Councils;
       (iii) national and international boards that oversee bird 
     conservation initiatives under the plans specified in section 
     4(a)(4);
       (iv) relevant State agencies, regional governmental 
     entities, and Indian tribes;
       (v) nongovernmental conservation organizations, academic 
     institutions, or other stakeholders engaged in existing Joint 
     Ventures that have knowledge or expertise of the geographic 
     or ecological scope of the Joint Venture; and
       (vi) other relevant stakeholders considered necessary by 
     the Director to ensure a comprehensive review of the proposed 
     Implementation Plan.
       (3) Approval.--The Director shall approve an Implementation 
     Plan submitted by the Management Board for a Joint Venture if 
     the Director finds that--
       (A) the plan provides for implementation of conservation 
     actions to conserve waterfowl and other native migratory 
     birds and their habitats and ecosystems either--
       (i) in a specific geographic area of the United States; or
       (ii) across the range of a specific species or similar 
     group of like species;
       (B) the members of the Joint Venture--
       (i) accept the responsibility for implementation of 
     national or international bird conservation plans in the 
     region of the United States to which the plan applies; and
       (ii) have demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Director 
     the capacity to implement conservation actions identified in 
     the plan, including (I) the design, funding, monitoring, and 
     tracking of conservation projects that advance the objectives 
     of the Joint Venture; and (II) reporting and conduct of 
     public outreach regarding such projects; and
       (C) the plan maximizes, to the extent practicable, 
     coordination with other relevant and active conservation 
     plans or programs within the geographic scope of the Joint 
     Venture to conserve, protect, recover, or restore migratory 
     bird habitats and other fish and wildlife habitat within the 
     operating region of the Joint Venture.

     SEC. 6. GRANTS AND OTHER ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), and 
     subject to the availability of appropriations, the Director 
     may award grants of financial assistance to implement a Joint 
     Venture through--
       (1) support of the activities of the Management Board of 
     the Joint Venture and to pay for necessary administrative 
     costs and services, personnel, and meetings, travel, and 
     other business activities; and
       (2) support for specific conservation actions and other 
     activities necessary to carry out the Implementation Plan.
       (b) Limitation.--A Joint Venture is not eligible for 
     assistance or support authorized in this section unless the 
     Joint Venture is operating under an Implementation Plan 
     approved by the Director under section 5.
       (c) Conservation Action Grant Criteria.--The Secretary, 
     through the Director, within 180 days after date of enactment 
     of this Act and after consultation with representatives from 
     Management Boards and equivalent entities of joint ventures 
     referred to in section 8, shall publish guidelines for 
     determining funding allocations among joint ventures and 
     priorities for funding among conservation action proposals to 
     meet the purpose of this Act and respective Implementation 
     Plans.
       (d) Matching Requirements.--If a Management Board 
     determines that two or more proposed conservation actions are 
     of equal value toward fulfillment of the relevant 
     Implementation Plan, priority shall be given to the action or 
     actions for which there exist non-Federal matching 
     contributions that are equal to or exceed the amount of 
     Federal funds available for such action or actions.
       (e) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary, through the 
     Director, may provide technical and administrative assistance 
     for implementation of Joint Ventures and the expenditure of 
     financial assistance under this subsection.
       (f) Acceptance and Use of Donations.--The Secretary, 
     through the Director, may accept and use donations of funds, 
     gifts, and in-kind contributions to provide assistance under 
     this section.

     SEC. 7. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS.

       (a) Annual Reports by Management Boards.--

[[Page H8055]]

       (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director, shall--
       (A) require each Management Board to submit annual reports 
     for all approved Joint Ventures of the Management Board; and
       (B) publish within 180 days after the date of enactment of 
     this Act guidelines to implement this subsection.
       (2) Contents.--Each annual report shall include--
       (A) a description and justification of all conservation 
     actions approved and implemented by the Management Board 
     during the period covered by the report;
       (B) when appropriate based upon the goals and objectives of 
     an Implementation Plan, an estimate of the total number of 
     acres of migratory bird habitat either restored, protected, 
     or enhanced as a result of such conservation actions;
       (C) the amounts and sources of Federal and non-Federal 
     funding for such conservation actions;
       (D) the amounts and sources of funds expended for 
     administrative and other expenses of the Joint Venture of the 
     Management Board, including all donations, gifts, and in-kind 
     contributions provided for the Joint Venture;
       (E) the status of progress made in achieving the strategic 
     framework of the Implementation Plan of such Joint Venture 
     and fulfillment of the purpose of this Act; and
       (F) other elements considered necessary by the Director to 
     insure transparency and accountability by Management Boards 
     in the implementation of its responsibilities under this Act.
       (b) Joint Venture Program Five-Year Reviews.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director, shall at five years after the date of enactment of 
     this Act and at five-year intervals thereafter, complete an 
     objective and comprehensive review and evaluation of the 
     Program.
       (2) Review contents.--Each review under this subsection 
     shall include--
       (A) an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Program in 
     meeting the purpose of this Act specified in section 2(b);
       (B) an evaluation of all approved Implementation Plans, 
     especially the effectiveness of existing conservation 
     strategies, priorities, and methods to meet the objectives of 
     such plans and fulfill the purpose of this Act; and
       (C) recommendations to revise the Program or to amend or 
     otherwise revise Implementation Plans to ensure that 
     activities undertaken pursuant to this Act address the 
     effects of climate change on migratory bird populations and 
     their habitats, and fish and wildlife habitats, in general.
       (3) Consultation.--The Secretary, acting through the 
     Director, in the implementation of this subsection--
       (A) shall consult with other appropriate Federal agencies 
     with responsibility for the conservation or management of 
     fish and wildlife habitat and appropriate State agencies; and
       (B) may consult with appropriate, Indian tribes, Flyway 
     Councils, or regional conservation organizations, public and 
     private landowners, members of academia and the scientific 
     community, and other nonprofit conservation or private 
     stakeholders.
       (4) Public comment.--The Secretary, through the Director, 
     shall provide for adequate opportunities for general public 
     review and comment of the Program as part of the five-year 
     evaluations conducted pursuant to this subsection.

     SEC. 8. TREATMENT OF EXISTING JOINT VENTURES.

       For purposes of this Act, the Director--
       (1) shall treat as a Joint Venture any joint venture 
     recognized by the Director before the date of the enactment 
     of this Act in accordance with the United States Fish and 
     Wildlife Services manual (721FW6); and
       (2) shall treat as an Implementation Plan an implementation 
     plan adopted by the management board for such joint venture.

     SEC. 9. RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER AUTHORITIES.

       (a) Authorities, etc. of Secretary.--Nothing in this Act 
     affects authorities, responsibilities, obligations, or powers 
     of the Secretary under any other Act.
       (b) State Authority.--Nothing in this Act preempts any 
     provision or enforcement of a State statute or regulation 
     relating to the management of fish and wildlife resources 
     within such State.

     SEC. 10. FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.

       The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall 
     not apply to any boards, committees, or other groups 
     established under this Act.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Guam (Ms. Bordallo) and the gentleman from South Carolina (Mr. Brown) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Guam.


                             General Leave

  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks 
and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Guam?
  There was no objection.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 2188, the Joint Ventures 
for Bird Habitat Conservation Act of 2009, sponsored by our colleague 
from Maryland, Representative Frank Kratovil. This bill seeks to 
highlight the critical importance that migratory birds have with our 
economy as well as their importance as a bellwether of the health of 
our environment. However, due to their wide distribution, the only way 
we can maintain this resource is to work cooperatively, creatively and 
purposefully with other nations and with all stakeholders to conserve 
migratory bird habitat.
  The gentleman from Maryland's legislation directs the Secretary of 
the Interior to conduct a program of voluntary Migratory Bird Joint 
Ventures to establish durable partnerships to conserve bird habitat 
over entire geographic regions, thereby developing effective long-term 
strategies to conserve our common migratory bird resource for the 
benefit of all. The bill is broadly supported by conservation and 
hunting interests, the States as well as the administration. With that, 
I commend Mr. Kratovil for his leadership on this issue, and I ask 
Members to support passage of this measure.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time 
as I may consume.
  H.R. 2188 would statutorily establish the existing Migratory Bird 
Joint Venture program. This program, which has been funded as an 
administrative line item in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service budget 
for over 20 years, has done a remarkable job of conserving some 15.7 
million acres of grasslands, forests, wetlands and riparian habitat 
throughout North America.
  By enacting this program into law, we will send a positive message to 
the international community that the United States is committed to its 
wildlife treaty obligations. We will also ensure that Congress has an 
opportunity to periodically examine this program to evaluate its 
ongoing effectiveness and whether it merits the further expenditure of 
our taxpayer money in the future.
  I would like to recognize the other three bipartisan sponsors of this 
legislation: Congressmen Frank Kratovil, Ron Kind, and Rob Wittman.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Kratovil).
  Mr. KRATOVIL. Mr. Speaker, the First Congressional District of 
Maryland is defined by a national treasure, the Chesapeake Bay and the 
surrounding watershed. During the winter the wetlands and surrounding 
habitat of the bay are home to a significant population of migratory 
waterfowl, including American black ducks, mallards, canvasbacks and 
Canada geese. However, too many of these birds and their habitats are 
at risk. Protecting these birds is vital because they play an integral 
role in the ecosystems across the country and serve as invaluable 
harbingers of environmental change. Protecting their habitats is also 
imperative to our constituents, who consider themselves passionate 
outdoorsmen and -women.
  Part of our culture and heritage on Maryland's Eastern Shore and 
elsewhere in the country includes activities such as bird-watching, 
hunting, hiking, kayaking and fishing. In fact, according to a 2006 
survey conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, 1.6 
million individuals participate in hunting and wildlife-watching 
activities across the State of Maryland, leading to a total of nearly 
$844 million in economic activity within the region. Waterfowl hunting 
alone was responsible for 726 jobs and nearly $10 million in State and 
Federal tax revenue in Maryland. Needless to say, birds in Maryland 
have a significant recreational, economic and ecological impact. 
However, for us to have an environment and wildlife that future 
generations can enjoy, it is essential that we support effective 
habitat conservation. Joint ventures are effective, voluntary, public-
private partnerships designed to protect, restore, enhance and manage 
migratory bird populations, their habitats and ecosystems.
  I was pleased to introduce H.R. 2188, as has already been mentioned 
by my colleague, along with colleagues Henry Brown of South Carolina, 
Representative Ron Kind of Wisconsin and Representative Rob Wittman of 
Virginia. The legislation establishes a voluntary joint venture 
program, administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service in coordination 
with other Federal agencies and the States to develop, implement and 
support cooperative and effective conservation strategies that promote 
sustainable bird populations, encourage

[[Page H8056]]

stakeholder and government partnerships, implement science-driven, 
landscape-level bird conservation strategies and coordinate related 
conservation activities. Joint ventures have already leveraged funds 
and science-based data to protect, restore or enhance over 13 million 
acres of habitat across this country. Joint ventures falling under the 
North American Waterfowl Management Plan have invested $4.5 billion to 
conserve 15.7 million acres of waterfowl habitat. The Atlantic Coast 
Joint Venture, of which Maryland is a member, focuses on bird habitat 
in the Atlantic Flyway. The efforts of this joint venture have 
positively impacted over 280,000 acres across Maryland. Joint ventures 
successfully coordinate the activities of various stakeholders to 
protect migratory birds and conserve their habitats. Joint ventures, in 
sum, are an exemplary model that enjoy strong bipartisan support.
  I encourage my colleagues to support this legislation on behalf of 
all of their constituents who seek to preserve and enjoy both these 
migratory birds and their habitats.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the 
gentleman from Georgia, Dr. Price.
  Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend from 
South Carolina for his leadership on this issue and for allowing me to 
speak for a few moments. This is clearly a bill that is supported on a 
bipartisan basis and something that ought to move forward. It's 
something that many care about. I would suggest, however, that what the 
American people mainly care about right now are the economy and jobs. 
The economy, spending, borrowing, the national debt.
  The national debt, as of June 30, stood at $11,545,275,346,431. Mr. 
Speaker, I know that's hard to believe; but that's $37,609.23 for every 
man, woman and child in America. And over the last month, our national 
debt has increased by $223.7 billion, a remarkable amount of increase. 
Since the Democrats took control of Congress in January of 2007, the 
national debt has increased $2.9 trillion. That's over $9,300 a person. 
At the end of April, the U.S. Government owed China $763.5 billion. 
This year alone our debt to China has increased by over $36 billion. So 
the economy is front and center for the American people. It is what is 
causing them the greatest amount of heartache and the greatest amount 
of concern. It's what moms and dads across this land are worried about 
when they tuck their kids in at night. The American people are hurting. 
Millions of Americans are out of work, and hundreds of thousands 
continue to lose their jobs each and every month.
  Now the present administration, the Obama administration, and the 
Democrats in charge here in Congress promised that their trillion-
dollar ``stimulus'' package would create jobs immediately, they said, 
and unemployment wouldn't rise over 8 percent if their program was 
adopted. President Obama, in fact, said recently that the stimulus bill 
had ``done its job'' and is ``working exactly as we anticipated.'' 
Well, Mr. Speaker, I know that comes as a surprise to the American 
people, as 1.96 million Americans have lost their jobs since the 
stimulus was enacted. I'm not quite certain that they believe the 
stimulus has ``done its job'' and worked exactly as they anticipated. 
In June alone almost 500,000 jobs were lost, increasing unemployment to 
9.5 percent, the highest level in 26 years. So it's clear that the 
trillion-dollar stimulus package isn't working, Mr. Speaker; and the 
American people have a right to know, where are the jobs, where are the 
jobs?
  Now the good news is that Republicans have a real plan, a real plan 
for a real recovery--fiscal discipline here in Washington; tax relief 
for working families, small businesses and family farms, the job 
creation engine of our Nation. So the American people deserve a 
recovery plan. They do, indeed. They deserve a plan that puts Americans 
back to work. No more borrowing, no more spending, no more 
unemployment. Mr. Speaker, the good news is that Republicans have a 
positive plan, positive solutions for the economy, for jobs, for energy 
self-sufficiency and, yes, for health reform. So whether it's the 
economy and jobs that the American people are concerned about, whether 
it's being able to put gasoline in their cars so they can get to work 
for their second or third job, trying to make ends meet at home, 
whether it's providing health care for themselves and their families, 
positive solutions do exist. The American people want us, as a 
Congress, to embrace those positive solutions, and I urge the Congress 
to act in a positive way.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I have no additional requests for time and 
would inquire of the minority if they have any additional speakers.
  Mr. BROWN of South Carolina. I have no further speakers and yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Ms. BORDALLO. Again, I urge Members to support this bill.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentlewoman from Guam (Ms. Bordallo) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2188, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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