NEWS RELEASE

Committee on Energy and Commerce
Rep. John D. Dingell, Chairman

Dingell, Sportsmen Organizations Release Climate Change Report

Washington, D.C. – Rep. John D. Dingell (D-MI), Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, joined the Wildlife Management Institute and eight of the nation’s leading hunting and fishing membership organizations as they released a report, Seasons’ End; Global Warming’s Threat to Hunting and Fishing. The report details the predicted impacts of climate change on the fish and wildlife habitat and the future of hunting and fishing in the United States.

Dingell’s comments from the press conference follow:

“I would like to start by thanking the Wildlife Management Institute for the “Seasons’ End” report. This report shows the clear threat that climate change poses for our forests and wetlands and the fish and wildlife supported by this habitat. Sportsmen bring a unique and valuable perspective to our national conversation on climate change.

“As a legislator and a sportsman myself, I believe we need to produce strong legislation that mitigates the effects of climate change on our nation’s wilderness. It is a fact that temperatures are rising and our ecosystem is suffering; there is no longer room for argument in this area.

“According to the “Seasons’ End” report, unless we take swift action, water levels in the Upper Great Lakes region could drop as much as eight feet, parching wetlands and leading to regional decline of up to 39 percent in the number of ducks by 2030.

“The prairie pothole region could lose up to 90 percent of its wetlands, reducing the number of breeding ducks by as much as 69 percent. Nationally, if current trends continue, up to 42 percent of our trout and salmon habitat could be lost before the end of the century. These are disturbing predictions and we will need to act swiftly to prevent them from becoming reality.

“The Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act both set strong examples of what we can accomplish when we put our heads together on behalf of the environment, but there is still much work to do.

“Last year, I was proud of the role the Committee on Energy and Commerce played in producing the Energy Independence and Security Act. That measure takes significant steps to reduce the emissions that harm the environment.

“The energy efficiency provisions included in the law will remove 10 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by 2030. That’s the equivalent of taking all cars, trucks, and planes off the road and out of the skies for five years. It’s a remarkable achievement, but we have more work to do.

“I intend to move legislation this year that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions 60 to 80 percent by the year 2050. This will be a challenging task, but one that we can accomplish if we work together. As the Committee moves forward to address climate change, I am committed to engaging diverse stakeholders in this debate – and I am pleased to see these prominent hunting and fishing organizations come together on this important issue.

“Sportsmen were among the first conservationists in our history. They have been leaders in creating national forests and parks and have been instrumental in protecting our fish and wildlife habitat. I encourage America’s sportsmen to continue on this course. Their involvement and contributions to this debate are a critical part of any solution to the problem of climate change.

“We all must be part of the solution so that many more generations of sportsmen may enjoy our nation’s diverse wilderness. Thank you.”

The report is available at www.seasonsend.org.

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