[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10831]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                SAFE ACT

  Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, from the beaches of Rhode Island to 
the glaciers of Montana, natural ecosystems provide us with life's 
essentials: clean air and water, crops and timber, recreation and lots 
of local pride.
  Rhode Island's oceans and coasts, for example, are spawning grounds, 
nurseries, and shelters for nutritious and profitable fish and 
shellfish. Their natural buffers protect our coastal communities from 
storms and filter our water. They even provide clean, renewable energy. 
And, of course, the coastline of the Ocean State boasts world-class 
beaches.
  But climate change threatens to rob us of these essentials. The 
Government Accountability Office confirms what Americans see with their 
own eyes: our Nation's ecosystems are at risk from ongoing changes, 
including--and I will quote GAO: ``increases in air and water 
temperatures, wildfires, and drought; forests stressed by drought 
becoming more vulnerable to insect infestations; rising sea levels; and 
reduced snow cover and retreating glaciers.''
  This warning comes from a report released last week on climate change 
adaptation efforts in Federal agencies. Senator Baucus and I requested 
this report because of the risk climate change poses to our natural 
resources and our national economy.
  Climate change is not something we can fix later, and it is not 
something that only will happen to future generations, although our 
children and grandchildren will surely pay a heavier price.
  Scientists tell us that the carbon pollution we have already emitted 
has locked in changes in the coming decades to our atmosphere, oceans, 
and weather. So while we must take up the challenge to reduce 
greenhouse gas emissions, we must also begin to adapt, and secure our 
natural resources against the changes we can no longer avoid.
  In this report, GAO examined the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the National Oceanic 
and Atmospheric Administration, and the Bureau of Land Management.
  It found that while planning for changes in resource conditions is a 
main part of the mission of these agencies, addressing the effects of 
climate change is not. In fact, BLM, which manages 245 million acres of 
land, has not yet established a climate change adaptation strategy.
  That is why Senator Baucus and I introduced the Safeguarding 
America's Future and the Environment Act, or SAFE Act.
  The Federal agencies that manage our natural resources are 
responsible for protecting, restoring, and conserving the natural 
resources that underpin our economy. The SAFE Act would require those 
agencies to adopt climate change adaptation plans that are consistent 
with the National Fish, Wildlife, and Plants Climate Adaptation 
Strategy released this year by the, administration.
  Adaptation--to shifting conditions, to catastrophic events, even to 
full ecosystem shifts--is not easy work, and resource managers are 
often constrained by existing laws and regulations. The SAFE Act puts 
all climate adaptation tools and approaches on the table, and includes 
State, local, and stakeholder participation.
  I want to thank Senator Baucus for working so hard to protect 
Montanans, Rhode Islanders, and all Americans.
  The SAFE Act has garnered broad support from sportsmen, the outdoor 
industry, and conservation groups, including American Forests, the 
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, Defenders of Wildlife, Earth 
Justice, the National Parks Conservation Association, Natural Resources 
Defense Council, the National Wildlife Federation, the Outdoor 
Alliance, Trout Unlimited, and The Wildlife Society.
  Noah Matson of Defenders of Wildlife said, ``This bill recognizes 
that responding to climate change isn't just about cutting carbon 
emissions. It also means ensuring our wildlife and ecosystems are 
resilient and can withstand the extreme weather and other climate 
change impacts we are already experiencing. The two go hand in hand for 
a safe, healthy environment for wildlife, people and future 
generations.''
  I hope the SAFE Act will also garner the support of our colleagues in 
Congress, and I look forward to working with Democrats and Republicans 
to pass this important legislation.

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