Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Advancement Act of 2003

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) for managing this bill on the floor this afternoon and the Committee on Education and the Workforce for bringing this bill forward, also the Committee on Resources represented today by the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) on the minority side. Both have worked to bring this bill to the floor, and I thank them for the support they have given to this.

I do rise in support of H.R. 421, Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Advancement Act of 2003. The bill has been explained by both the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) and the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall); and I will not go into more detail except to say that, of course, it does reauthorize for a period of years and provides funding for that same period of years for the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, which is part of the Morris K. Udall Foundation.

As we all know, Morris Udall was a beloved Member of this body for many years and devoted much of his life to natural resources and to environmental issues and to environmental conflict resolution. So I can think of nothing more appropriate than this organization and this institute which works to resolve these conflicts to have it named after Morris Udall.

The institute has been around since 1998 as an impartial, nonpartisan institution which provides professional expertise and services and resources to parties that are involved in environmental disputes. It assists in resolving those environmental and natural resources issues, public lands conflicts that involve the Federal Government and other governmental agencies. And it deals with conflicts on a nationwide basis.

In 5 years of operation the institute has been involved in more than 300 conflict resolution cases and projects. The gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Udall) referred to 100; but on an informal basis, they have been involved in at least a couple hundred more other than that. It does, as we have already heard, authorize $4 million, $1 million of which would be for a participation fund which would assist the stakeholders, communities' agricultural interests, resources users, tribes that are involved in environmental disputes with the Federal Government. And it would help them participate in alternative conflict resolution processes. The funds are intended to continue general services and provide assistance to the Federal and State agencies and tribal governments.

Mr. Speaker, this institute has already more than paid for itself. Literally countless numbers of disputes have been resolved in a way that have saved taxpayers millions of dollars by resolving them quickly and resolving them in a way that avoided litigation. The institute does work, and the reason it can do the work that it does is because its work is accepted by both sides, by all sides. It works in a nonpartisan fashion. If works in a fashion which brings the sides together to resolve the dispute. It is a model for what we should be using to resolve environmental disputes.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the passage of this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 421) to reauthorize the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, and for other purposes.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 421.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are here today to consider H.R. 421, the Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Advancement Act of 2003. H.R. 421 amends the Morris K. Udall Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental and Native American Policy Act of 1992 to reauthorize the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund.

Specifically, the bill authorizes the fund at $4 million and extends it through fiscal year 2008. The bill also stipulates how the funding is to be distributed: $3 million to pay for the operating costs of the Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, and $1 million for grants to encourage participation of non-Federal entities in Federal environmental disputes.

In 1998 the Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution was established as part of the National Environmental Foundation. The Foundation administers the Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund. The institute was created to assist in the resolution of Federal environmental, natural resources, and public lands conflicts and controversies through facilitated negotiation, mediation, and collaborative problem-solving. The Environmental Dispute Resolution Fund is maintained separately from the Udall Trust Fund and provides the financial support for the operation of the institute.

I want to thank my distinguished colleague, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), for introducing this legislation and for ensuring that it was brought before us today. I want also to urge my colleagues to join me in support of H.R. 421, the Environmental Policy and Conflict Resolution Advancement Act of 2003.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe), the author of the legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

(Mr. UDALL of Colorado asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of this bill which was introduced by our colleague and my good friend, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Kolbe). As a cosponsor of the bill, I want to thank the Committee on Resources chairman, the gentleman from California (Mr. Pombo) and the ranking member, the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. Rahall), as well as the Committee on Education and the Workforce chairman, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner) and the ranking member, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), for making it possible for the House to consider the bill today.

As my colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Greenwood) has explained, the bill would reauthorize the United States Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution. The institute is part of the Morris K. Udall Foundation, which is located at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Its purpose is to provide mediation and facilitation to help resolve environmental conflicts.

The bill would authorize appropriation of $4 million annually for the institute's work in fiscal years 2004 through 2008. The institute's projects involve a wide range of environmental natural resource and public lands issues. It provides impartial, nonpartisan expertise and services to all parties involved, and works with private individuals and organizations as well as with Federal, State, local agencies and Indian tribes.

Over the past 5 years, it has had requests for assistance in more than 100 cases across 30 States. And there is every indication that the number of requests will increase in the years ahead.

In short, Mr. Speaker, this is a noncontroversial bill that will reauthorize an important program that aims at resolving conflicts and reducing the need for litigation. I urge its approval.

Again, I want to thank the leaders of the Committee on Resources and the Committee on Education and the Workforce for bringing this important bill forward.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 421, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the bill be read the third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the table, and that any statements relating to the bill be printed in the Record.