[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 6]
[Senate]
[Page 7978]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-50. A joint memorial adopted by the Senate of the 
     Legislature of the State of Washington relative to the 
     conservation reserve enhancement program; to the Committee on 
     Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

                       Senate Joint Memorial 8019

       Whereas, The National Marine Fisheries Service and the 
     United States Department of Fish and Wildlife have listed 
     several species of salmonids as either threatened or 
     endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act; and
       Whereas, A number of water bodies throughout the state do 
     not currently comply with federally approved water quality 
     standards including temperature, turbidity, and other 
     parameters; and
       Whereas, The State of Washington and the United States 
     Department of Agriculture have entered into a memorandum of 
     agreement that establishes the conservation reserve 
     enhancement program to provide incentives to owners of 
     agricultural land in Washington State to restore and enhance 
     conditions in riparian areas by planting trees and shrubs for 
     the benefit of fishery habitat and water quality; and
       Whereas, The conservation reserve enhancement program is 
     available for a number of categories of agricultural lands 
     but is not available to lands that produce perennial 
     horticultural crops;
       Now, therefore, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that 
     the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture review the 
     department's policies regarding the conservation reserves 
     enhancement program and alter those policies to allow the 
     inclusion in the program of lands that are currently used to 
     produce perennial horticultural crops. Be it
       Resolved, That copies of this Memorial be immediately 
     transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the 
     United States, Ann Veneman, the Secretary of the United 
     States Department of Agriculture, the President of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, 
     and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.
                                  ____

       POM-51. A resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Missouri relative to the 
     Individuals with Disabilities Act; to the Committee on 
     Appropriations.

                               Resolution

       Whereas, the original passage of the federal Individuals 
     with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975 established a 
     program of free appropriate public education to better enable 
     students with disabilities to achieve their greatest 
     potential; and
       Whereas, IDEA also represented an advance in civil rights 
     for disabled children through equal protection; and
       Whereas, Missouri has demonstrated a strong commitment to 
     serving our children with disabilities through provision of 
     special education and related services to over 127,000 
     students (14.18 percent of public school enrollment); and
       Whereas, the original intent of the 94th Congress was to 
     fund IDEA at 40% of the average per pupil expenditures for 
     Part B of IDEA, but funding has never exceeded 13%; and
       Whereas, federal law requires school districts to meet 
     federal standards, but Congress has not provided the promised 
     funding necessary to achieve those standards; and
       Whereas, Missouri and several other states have legal 
     prohibitions on passing unfunded mandates to the local level 
     and therefore must either make up the shortfall or ask local 
     districts to do so and thereby risk litigation; and
       Whereas, local districts must then cover the mandated 
     expenses of special education and reduce funding for 
     teachers, textbooks and supplies, building maintenance and 
     repair, as well as meet the counterproductive reporting 
     burden which severely reduces teacher availability; Now 
     therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the members of the House of Representatives 
     of the Ninety-first General Assembly, First Regular Session, 
     the Senate concurring therein, hereby urge that before the 
     107th Congress considers any other education initiatives, 
     that IDEA receive prompt and full funding, and the reporting 
     requirements of IDEA be significantly reduced; and be it 
     further
       Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Missouri House of 
     Representatives be instructed to prepare properly inscribed 
     copies of this resolution for the President of the United 
     States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of 
     Representatives and every member of the Missouri 
     Congressional delegation.
                                  ____

       POM--52. A joint resolution adopted by the House of the 
     Legislature of the State of Maine relative to National Parks 
     in Maine's North Woods; to the Committee on Energy and 
     Natural Resources.

                            Joint Resolution

       Whereas, Maine residents and visitors enjoy the privilege 
     of using large tracts of private land in the north woods for 
     recreational uses such as snowmobiling, hunting, hiking, 
     fishing, white water rafting and other related functions; and
       Whereas, the future of that private land is of great 
     importance to the people of Maine and their outdoor heritage; 
     and
       Whereas, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and 
     Wildlife and many of the large landowners have or are 
     entering into cooperative wildlife management agreements that 
     ensure the future of critical wildlife population in the 
     north woods; and
       Whereas, state agencies and nonprofit organizations are 
     cooperating in an unprecedented effort to secure permanent 
     rights of access to the north woods and keep valuable 
     recreational property and natural habitat undeveloped through 
     conservation easements; and
       Whereas, federal ownership or control of the north woods 
     would create many problems including limitations on access 
     and use and loss of local and state control of these areas; 
     now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That We, your Memorialists, oppose the creation 
     of a national park in Maine's north woods and request that 
     the President of the United States and Secretary of the 
     Interior Gale A. Norton abandon plans to conduct a 
     feasibility study concerning establishing a national park in 
     Maine's north woods; and be it further
       Resolved, That suitable copies of this resolution, duly 
     authenticated by the Secretary of State, be transmitted to 
     the President of the United States, to the President of the 
     United States Senate, to the Speaker of the United States 
     House of Representatives, to the Secretary of the Interior 
     Gale A. Norton and to each member of the Maine Congressional 
     Delegation.

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