[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 23935-23936]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                     NATURAL RESOURCE CONSERVATION

  Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, I am pleased to join my colleague from South 
Dakota, the minority leader, in submitting for the Record and 
acknowledging the importance of a letter we received last week from 40 
of our Nation's Governors. This letter is distinctly bipartisan and the 
signatories represent both coastal and inland states. It unequivocally 
demonstrates strong national support for reinvesting a substantial 
portion of federal outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and gas 
development revenues in coastal conservation and impact assistance; 
open space and farmland preservation; development and maintenance of 
federal, state and local parks and recreation areas; and wildlife 
conservation. The Governors also stressed the importance of recognizing 
the role of state and local governments in planning and implementing 
these conservation initiatives.
  Although the signatories to this letter did not identify specific 
legislation to which they are lending support, I believe that S. 25, 
the Conservation and Reinvestment Act of 1999, of which I am a 
cosponsor along with 20 other Senators, most nearly achieves the 
objectives outlined by the Governors. S. 25 has strong bipartisan 
support and offers Congress the best opportunity to pass legislation 
this year.
  I share the belief of these Governors that the 106th Congress has a 
historic opportunity to demonstrate our solid commitment to natural 
resource conservation for the benefit of future generations. I urge my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join hands in advancing this 
noble effort.
  I thank the Governors for their letter. I invite the attention of my 
colleagues to this very important area which is a win-win-win for those 
who live in the coastal regions as I do, but also inland Governors who 
will help us with conservation and preservation.
  I ask unanimous consent that this letter be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                               September 21, 1999.
     Hon. Trent Lott,
     Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
     Hon. Thomas Daschle,
     Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
     Hon. J. Dennis Hastert,
     Speaker of the House, House of Representatives, Washington, 
         DC.
     Hon. Richard Gephardt,
     Minority Leader, House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senators Lott and Daschle and Representatives Hastert 
     and Gephardt: The 106th Congress has an historic opportunity 
     to end this century with a major commitment to natural 
     resource conservation that will benefit future generations. 
     We encourage you to approve legislation this year that 
     reinvests a meaningful portion of the revenues from federal 
     outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and gas development in 
     coastal conservation and impact assistance, open space and 
     farmland preservation, federal, state and local parks and 
     recreation, and wildlife conservation including endangered 
     species prevention, protection and recovery costs.
       Since outer continental shelf revenues come from 
     nonrenewable resources, it makes sense to permanently 
     dedicate them to natural resource conservation rather than 
     dispersing them for general government purposes. Around the 
     nation, citizens have repeatedly affirmed their support for 
     conservation through numerous ballot initiatives and state 
     and local legislation. We applaud both the Senate Energy and 
     Natural Resources committee and the House Resources Committee 
     for conducting a bipartisan and inclusive process that 
     recognizes the unique role of state and local governments in 
     preserving and protecting natural resources.
       The legislation reported by the Committees should, to the 
     maximum extent possible, permanently appropriate these new 
     funds to the states, to be used in partnership with local 
     governments and non-profit organizations to implement the 
     various conservation initiatives. We urge the Congress to 
     give state and local governments maximum flexibility in 
     determining how to invest these funds. In this way, federal 
     funds can be tailored to complement state plans, priorities 
     and resources. State and local governments are in the best 
     position to apply these funds to necessary and unique 
     conservation efforts, such as preserving species, while 
     providing for the economic needs of communities. The 
     legislation should be neutral with regard to both existing 
     OCS moratoria and future offshore development, and should not 
     come at the expense of federally supported state programs.
       We recognize that dedicating funds over a number of years 
     to any specific use is a difficult budgetary decision. 
     Nevertheless, we believe that the time is right to make this 
     major commitment to conservation along the lines outlined in 
     this letter.
       We look forward to working with you to take advantage of 
     this unique opportunity and are available to help ensure that 
     this commitment is fiscally responsible. Thank you for your 
     consideration of these legislative principles as you proceed 
     to enact this important legislation.
           Sincerely,
         John A. Kitzhaber, Oregon; Mike Leavitt, Utah; Tom Ridge, 
           Pennsylvania; Mike Foster, Louisiana; John G. Rowland, 
           Connecticut; Parris N. Glendening, Maryland; Howard 
           Dean, Vermont; Thomas R. Carper, Delaware; Christine 
           Todd Whitman, New Jersey; James B. Hunt, Jr., North 
           Carolina; Roy B. Barnes, Georgia; Jim Hodges, South 
           Carolina; Lincoln Almond, Rhode Island; Angus S. King, 
           Jr., Maine; Gary Locke, Washington; Argeo Paul 
           Cellucci, Massachusetts; Cecil H. Underwood, West 
           Virginia; Marc Rancot, Montana; Don Siegelman, Alabama; 
           Gray Davis, California; Mel Carnahan, Missouri; 
           Benjamin J. Cayetano, Hawaii; Jane Dru Hull, Arizona; 
           Dirk Kempthorne, Idaho; Tony Knowles, Alaska; George H. 
           Ryan, Illinois; James S. Gilmore III, Virginia; Jeanne 
           Shabeen, New Hampshire; Bill Graves, Kansas; George E. 
           Pataki, New York; Paul E. Patton, Kentucky; Tommy G. 
           Thompson, Wisconsin; Bill Owens, Colorado; Mike 
           Huckabee, Arkansas; Frank Keating, Oklahoma; Jim 
           Geringer, Wyoming; Edward T. Schafer, North Dakota; 
           Frank O'Bannon, Indiana; Kirk Fordice, Mississippi; 
           William J. Janklow, South Dakota.


[[Page 23936]]

  Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I thank the majority leader. We recognize 
and applaud the desire of a number of groups and organizations in this 
country to take the proceeds from this non-renewable resource and 
reinvest a portion of these outer continental shelf revenues in the 
conservation and enhancement of our renewable resources.
  When the Land and Water Conservation Fund was created more than 
thirty years ago, the intention was for revenues from off-shore oil and 
gas drilling to be deposited into the fund, allowing federal and state 
governments to protect green space, improve wildlife habitat and 
purchase lands for conservation purposes.
  In my state of South Dakota this program has been particularly 
beneficial, helping local and state governments to purchase park lands 
and develop facilities in municipal and state parks throughout the 
state.
  Unfortunately, the Land and Water Conservation Fund has rarely 
received adequate funding.
  Congress has the opportunity this year to pass legislation that would 
finally ensure consistent funding for the Land and Water Conservation 
Fund and provide a permanent stream of revenue for conservation.
  We applaud the efforts of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources as well as the House Committee on Natural Resources for 
conducting the process thus far in a fair and bi-partisan manner.
  We encourage these committees to continue their progress so that 
Congress as a whole can debate and pass what may well be the most 
significant conservation effort of the century.

                          ____________________