National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2005

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry be authorized to conduct a hearing during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 10 a.m. in SR-328A, Russell Senate office building. The purpose of this hearing will be to review bio-security preparedness and efforts to address agroterrorism threats.

Mr. President, I would like to ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Environment and Public Works be authorized to meet to hold a Business Meeting on July 20, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. on the following agenda:

Resolutions: To authorize GSA's fiscal year 06 Capital Investment and Leasing Program; to authorize a lease prospectus for the General Services Administration headquarters; committee resolution on the Delaware River and its Tributaries, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania; committee resolution on the Beneficial Use of Dredged Material on the Delaware River, Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; committee resolution on the South Fork of the South Branch of the Chicago River, IL; and committee resolution on the Grand and Tiger Passes and Baptiste Collette Bayou, LA.

Nominations: Marcus A. Peacock, of Minnesota, to be Deputy Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency; and Granta Y. Nakayama, of Virginia, to be Assistant Administrator, Office of Enforcement & Compliance Assurance, Environmental Protection Agency.

Legislation: H.R. 1428 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act of 2005; S. 1250 Great Apes Bill; S. 1409 Alaska Native Villages reauthorization; S. 1265 Diesel Emissions Reduction Act of 2005; S. 1339 Duck Stamp bill; S. 1340 Pittman-Robertson extension; S. 158 Long Island Sound; S. 1410 Neotropical Birds reauthorization; S. 1415 Lacey Act technical correction; and S. 1400 Water Infrastructure Bill.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be authorized to meet during the session on Wednesday, July 20, 2005, at 10 a.m., in 215 Dirksen Senate Office Building, to consider the nominations of Robert M. Kimmitt, to be Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Randal Quarles, to be Under Secretary of the Treasury, Domestic Finance, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Sandra L. Pack, to be Assistant Secretary of the Treasury, Management, U.S. Department of the Treasury; Kevin I. Fromer, to be Deputy Under Secretary of the Treasury, Legislative Affairs, U.S. Department of the Treasury.

THE PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

committee on foreign relations

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 20, 2005, at 10:15 a.m. to hold a hearing on Accelerating Economic Progress in Iraq.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be authorized to meet in executive session during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. in SD-430.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be authorized to meet to conduct a hearing on Reporters' Privilege Legislation: Issues and Implications'' on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 9:30 a.m. in Dirksen Senate Office Building Room 226.

Panel I: The Honorable James Comey, Deputy Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC.

Panel II: Matthew Cooper, White House Correspondent, Time Magazine Inc., Washington, DC.

Norman Pearlstine, Editor-in-Chief, Time Inc., New York City, NY.

William Safire, Political Columnist, New York Times Company, New York City, NY.

Floyd Abrams, Partner, Cahill Gordon and Reindel LLP, New York City,

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Select Commmittee on Intelligence be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on July 20, 2005 at 2:30 p.m. to hold a briefing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Commmittee on Aging be authorized to meet Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 2:30 p.m.-5 p.m. in Dirksen 106 for the purpose of conducting a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Global Climate Change and Impacts be authorized to meet on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 10 a.m. on A Review of United States Climate Policy and the $5 Billion Budget Request for Climate Related Science and Technology in fiscal year 2006.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests be authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, July 20, 2005 at 2 p.m.

The purpose of the hearing is to receive testimony on S. 703, to provide for the conveyance of certain Bureau of Land Management land in the State of Nevada to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and for other purposes; S. 997, to direct the Secretary of Agriculture to convey certain land in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest, MT, to Jefferson County, MT, for use as a cemetery; S. 1131, to authorize the exchange of certain Federal land within the State of Idaho, and for other purposes; S. 1170, to establish the Fort Stanton-Snowy River National Cave Conservation area; S. 1238, to amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to provide for the conduct of projects that protect forests, and other purposes; and H.R. 1101, to revoke a public land order with respect to certain lands erroneously included in the Cibola National Wildlife Refuge, CA.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4957) to direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Tylersville division of the Lamar National Fish Hatchery and Fish Technology Center to the State of Pennsylvania, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

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

H.R. 4957 contains several important conservation titles. It would first convey the Tylersville National Fish Hatchery to the State of Pennsylvania, a provision authored by Congressman John Peterson and Senator Rick Santorum.

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has been operating this facility under a long-term lease agreement with the Fish and Wildlife Service. By all accounts they have operated this hatchery in a highly effective manner, producing adult trout for thousands of recreational fishermen and investing nearly $4 million in improvements. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has testified that this facility is not considered an active component of the Federal Fish Hatchery System.

Title II of this bill is based on the text of H.R. 1428, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Reauthorization Act, as passed by the House. It will simply extend the existing authorization levels for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The foundation has funded more than 6,500 conservation projects and involved more than 1,800 conservation organizations.

The goal of those projects has been to increase resources for fish and wildlife conservation and develop innovative conservation solutions while respecting private property rights and sustaining healthy ecosystems.

Title III of the legislation will extend the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 2000, legislation which has already been passed by the House. This will allow the Secretary of the Interior to continue to approve grants for the conservation of the more than 800 species of neotropical birds that migrate and reside throughout North America.

Title IV incorporates the text of the Ed Fountain Park Expansion Act, approved by the other body on July 11. Under this provision, about 8 acres of Federal land would be conveyed from the Fish and Wildlife Service to the city of Las Vegas, Nevada. There, land was once used as the headquarters for the Desert National Wildlife Refuge, but the only remaining structure on the property is an abandoned storage building.

The city of Las Vegas would pay administrative transfer costs and the property would revert back to the Federal Government if not used for a park.

Title V incorporates the House-passed language of H.R. 4947, the Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act. The Cahaba River is the longest free-flowing river in the State of Alabama, and it may have the greatest fish biodiversity per mile of any river in the United States. This measure will modestly expand the boundaries of the existing refuge.

Title VI incorporates the House-passed text of H.R. 5232, the Cherry Valley National Wildlife Refuge Study Act. This legislation requires the Fish and Wildlife Service to evaluate the potential of creating a new national wildlife refuge in northeastern Pennsylvania.

Finally, there is an extension of existing authorization of appropriation levels for the Great Ape Conservation Act taken from S. 1250 which passed the Senate earlier this month.

For the past 6 years, about $1 million per year has been spent to stop great ape species from sliding toward extinction. The Fish and Wildlife Service has assisted endangered chimpanzees, gorillas and orangutans through 155 projects in dozens of range States and leveraged an additional $7.7 million in private matching funds.

Mr. Speaker, I urge an ``aye'' vote on this legislation.

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

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

I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, I support H.R. 4957, an omnibus package of fish, wildlife and conservation legislation. I thank Chairman Pombo and Ranking Member Nick Rahall of the Committee on Resources for bringing this legislation to the House floor.

Title I of H.R. 4957 is noncontroversial legislation sponsored by Representative John Peterson. It will direct the Secretary of the Interior to convey the Tylersville National Fish Hatchery to the State of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Speaker, also included in the omnibus legislation before us today are a number of other important conservation measures, all of which have previously passed either the House or the Senate.

Title II contains the text of H.R. 1428, legislation sponsored by Chairman Pombo. It will reauthorize the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation which has been a valuable resource in fostering private- public conservation partnerships.

Title III includes H.R. 158, legislation sponsored by Congressman Ron Kind, that would reauthorize and enhance the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act. Since 2000, $17.2 million of Federal funding under this act has supported 186 conservation projects in 42 U.S. States and 30 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

This investment has leveraged an additional $89.1 million in total partner contributions to conserve some 3.2 million acres of bird habitat. I applaud Congressman Kind for his dedication and leadership on this critical conservation issue.

Title IV includes H.R. 4345, legislation sponsored by our colleague from Nevada, Representative Shelley Berkley, which would transfer abandoned Federal property to the city of Las Vegas to enhance popular park and recreational programs. Both Representative Berkley and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada deserve credit for this initiative.

Title V includes H.R. 4947, a bill sponsored by Representative Bachus which would expand the Cahaba National Wildlife Refuge in Alabama.

Title VI includes H.R. 5232, a bill sponsored by Representative Kanjorski, which directs the Fish and Wildlife Service to complete its study for a new refuge in the Cherry Valley region of northeast Pennsylvania.

Representative Kanjorski has worked throughout the process to address the concerns of all stakeholders, and this study would be the catalyst towards achieving the long-term protection of this area.

Mr. Speaker, last but certainly not least, Title VII contains S. 1250, legislation sponsored by Senator Jeffords, that would reauthorize funding for the Great Ape Conservation Act.

I commend the sponsor of the House companion bill, H.R. 2693, and the author of the original act, Representative George Miller of California, for his continued leadership in international wildlife conservation, for raising awareness of the dire plight of great apes in Africa.

In closing, the fish and wildlife and conservation titles in this legislation are all worthy of our support. I urge adoption of H.R. 4957.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley).

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1084, a bill I introduced regarding a defining historical event for my State of New Hampshire, and indeed, all of the United States. The American Civil War was the deadliest war in all of American history with casualties totaling more than all other American Wars combined. The bloodiest day of the bloodiest war came on September 17, 1862 just outside the small town of Sharpsburg, Maryland. This battle involved 93,000 men and resulted in 23,000 American casualties on the fields surrounding Antietam Creek. The battle of Antietam, even today, is the single most deadly day in all of American history. Among the soldiers fighting that day were men of the Fifth, Sixth, and Ninth New Hampshire Volunteer Infantry Regiments and the First New Hampshire Light Artillery Battery. Unfortunately, these brave men who fought and died in the Battle of Antietam do not have a marker on the field to signify their sacrifice. Although there are over 400 monuments, tablets and markers on the field of battle, none are dedicated to the brave men who fought and died that early fall day. As the 150th anniversary of the Civil War is approaching, I ask that the House help correct an unfortunate oversight and bring deserving recognition to these soldiers.

In this effort, Congressman Bass and I have introduced H.R. 1084, which would authorize the establishment of a Memorial at Antietam National Battlefield for the New Hampshire soldiers who fought in the historic battle. Importantly, this bill does not authorize any Federal appropriations, nor require any local municipality in Maryland to help finance the costs of the construction or maintenance of the monument. Any monument built and maintained at the Antietam National Battlefield Park would be entirely paid for by private sources. Additionally, the design, size, and location of any monument authorized under this bill would be at the total discretion of the Secretary of the Interior and any proposals that do not meet their desires may be rejected. Citizens of New Hampshire have passionately expressed to me, through both direct conversations as well as State passed legislation, that they would relish the opportunity to at last place a deserving monument on the battleground at Antietam.

In closing, I would like to call to mind an excerpt from a report issued by a correspondent of the Manchester Daily Mirror on September 20, 1862, three days after the horrific battle:

For two hours there was never sharper musketry heard or

seen, and New Hampshire blood flowed freely in the contest.

The Ninth suffered terribly but never flinched, and every man

stood before the awful carnage without one thought of

yielding.

Mr. Speaker, these men exemplified the steadfast bravery that is a hallmark of American soldiers across generations. On behalf of the citizens of New Hampshire, I ask for the assistance of the House in helping to furnish a proper monument to these commendable Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this legislative package, which will reauthorize important international fish and wildlife conservation programs and will expand national parks and wildlife refuges.

In particular, I want to draw special attention to the Great Ape Conservation Act. The reauthorization that's before us today was introduced by Senator Jeffords last June, following a bill that I introduced in May 2005 with Rep. Baird.

It has now been more than 5 years since the Great Ape Conservation Act was signed into law. In that time, this program has helped protect threatened primates, including chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, orangutans, and gibbons. I'm very pleased that the House is now poised to pass this reauthorization, which is needed to continue progress in this important field.

As the Fish and Wildlife Service testified in the Resources Committee last June, ``Much of the success of the Great Ape Conservation Act has been a direct result of the unique small project focus on on-the-ground conservation projects in Africa and Asia.'' The funds provided by the Great Ape Conservation Act have gone to such diverse projects as: protecting chimpanzee habitat from logging operations; establishing anti-poaching enforcement units; starting conservation education programs; coordinating gibbon population surveys and threat assessments; and implementing ape health monitoring programs.

Like the other Multinational Species programs, Federal funds under the Great Ape Conservation Act are distributed as matching grants, meaning that the expense for these projects is shared between the Federal government and project partners. This match requirement has leveraged over $7.7 million in non-federal contributions over the period of 2001-2005 and has more than doubled the actual funding for conservation projects.

But despite the ongoing successes of the Act, the threats to these noble primates continue, and time is not on our side. Press accounts and reports from the field indicate that these species continue to be placed in jeopardy by habitat loss, poaching, logging, and the bush meat trade. The bill before us today specifically authorizes funding to address these root causes of threats to great apes.

The contributions of the Great Ape Conservation Act have been very important in the international efforts to protect and conserve the great apes of Africa and Asia, but there is much work yet to be done. Accordingly, today's bill extends the program's authorization through the year 2010.

As I said when I introduced the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000, the task ahead is daunting. But the ecological consequences of not acting are far more tragic if it means that great apes will cease to exist in the wild.

I want to thank the Resources Committee staff, especially Dave Jansen, for their work in shepherding this bill through the House, and I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.