[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 16]
[Senate]
[Page 23571]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



        REAUTHORIZING THE NATIONAL FISH AND WILDLIFE FOUNDATION

  Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of S. 
1653, which would reauthorize the National Fish and Wildlife 
Foundation. As an original cosponsor of this important legislation, I 
would like to applaud the excellent work of Senator Chafee and the 
Foundation to conserve the fish, wildlife, and plant resources of the 
United States.
  The Foundation was created by Congress in 1984 to promote improved 
conservation and sustainable use of our country's natural resources. 
Since then, it has awarded over 2,400 grants, using $101 million in 
federal funds, which it matched with $189 million in nonfederal funds, 
putting a total of over $290 million on the ground to promote 
environmental education, protect habitats, prevent species from 
becoming endangered, restore wetlands, improve riparian areas, and 
conserve native plants. The hallmark of this outstanding organization 
is forgoing partnerships between the public and private sectors--
involving the government, private citizens, and corporations--to 
address the root causes of environmental problems. This reauthorization 
will allow the Foundation to continue its valuable work throughout the 
country.
  Besides being an important link between groups with differing 
interests in natural resources, the Foundation is an extremely 
effective tool for stretching scarce federal dollars. The Foundation 
was created by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Establishment 
Act, which stipulates that the Foundation must match any federal money 
appropriated to it on a one-to-one basis. The Foundation does the Act 
one better. It has an internal policy of matching federal funds at 
least two-to-one with money from individuals, corporations, state and 
local governments, foundations, and nongovernmental organizations. 
Furthermore, all of the federal money appropriated to the Foundation 
supports on-the-ground conservation--its operating funds come strictly 
from private donations. The Foundation does not use federal funds for 
lobbying; nor does it support projects that entail political advocacy 
or litigation.
  In my home state of Maine, the Foundation has invested over $3.4 
million in federal funds in 109 projects, generating an additional $6.9 
million in matching funds from private, corporate, and other state 
sources. Most notably, the Foundation has funded projects in Maine to 
help fishermen cope with the collapse of traditional groundfish 
fisheries, build a program to preserve Maine's native Atlantic salmon, 
and protect habitat for breeding Neotropical migratory birds.
  Mr. President, I strongly support this bill to reauthorize the 
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Year after year, the Foundation 
consistently performs valuable conservation work, not only in my state, 
but throughout the country. Its ability to triple the power of federal 
funding for conservation is unique, making it one of the most effective 
means we have for preserving our natural resources. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting expeditious passage of this 
important measure.

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