[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 38, Number 49 (Monday, December 9, 2002)]
[Pages 2111-2112]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Signing the North American Wetlands Conservation 
Reauthorization Act

December 2, 2002

    The President. Please be seated. Thank you. Glad you're here. 
Welcome to the White House.
    Today we're taking important action to conserve North America's 
wetlands, which will help keep our water clean and help provide habitat 
for hundreds of species of wildlife. Through this legislation, the 
Federal Government will continue its partnership with landowners, 
conservation groups, and States to save and improve millions of acres of 
wetlands. The North American Wetlands Conservation Reauthorization Act 
shows our concern for the environment and our respect for future 
generations of Americans.
    I appreciate two members of my Cabinet who are here today. I'm 
honored the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, is with us, the 
Secretary of Agriculture, Ann Veneman; thank you both for coming.
    I appreciate the Ambassador, Ambassador Kergin from Canada, for 
being here as well. Mr. Ambassador, glad you're here. Thanks for coming.
    I want to thank Bob Smith, Senator from New Hampshire, for being 
here and for his work on this bill. I want to thank Wayne Gilchrest from 
Maryland--he's got a big interest in wetlands as well as the Chesapeake 
Bay--for coming here. I appreciate so very much Robert Underwood, 
ranking member from Guam, for coming. I'm sorry that Jim Hansen is not 
with us today. He was the chairman of the House Committee on Resources, 
who helped write and sponsor and get this legislation passed through the 
Congress.
    I appreciate Steve Williams, who is the director of the Fish and 
Wildlife Service, for coming today. Where are you, Steve? There you are. 
Thanks for coming.
    And I want to thank the president of Ducks Unlimited, John Tomke; 
thanks for coming, John. I'm glad you all are here. And I want to thank 
you all for coming as well.
    With this signature today, the North American Wetlands Conservation 
Act will be reauthorized for 5 years. The law authorizes Federal money 
to match donations from sportsmen, State wildlife agencies, 
conservationists, and landowners. Since 1991, more than $462 million in 
Federal grants have helped to encourage $1.3 billion in contributions 
from others.
    Together these funds have restored streams and rivers, reestablished 
native plants and trees, acquired land that is home to more than a third 
of America's threatened and endangered species. Because about 75 percent 
of the wetlands are held privately, we need to encourage cooperation 
with our landowners. This legislation shows that when Government and 
landowners and conservationists and others work together, we can make 
dramatic progress in preserving the beauty and the quality of our 
environment.
    I want to thank the Congress for supporting this legislation. And I 
ask the Members of the Congress and the two Cabinet members who are here 
today to join me as I sign this important piece of legislation.

[At this point, the President signed the bill.]

    The President. Thank you. Thank you.

Note: The President spoke at 9:30 a.m. in Presidential Hall in the 
Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building. In his remarks, he 
referred

[[Page 2112]]

to Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Kergin. H.R. 3908, approved 
December 2, was assigned Public Law No. 107-308.