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Congressional Support
From Congressman Jack Kingston (R-Ga.-1)
CONTACT: Robyn Ridgley (202) 225-5831 April 3, 2002 |
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1034 Longworth House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 |
FROGS, FACTS, & FUND$ Amphibian Decline and Mutation - Why I'm concerned |
![frog](images/frog.gif) |
[ For the past few years, Congressman Jack Kingston, R-Ga.-1, has been the lead member of Congress to bring forward
the issue of research into the amphibian decline. From his position as Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations
Interior Subcommittee, Kingston has been successful securing funding for research.]
This is a serious environmental problem that could have far-reaching effects on our own health.
Amphibians are disappearing and mutating for reasons unknown and, ultimately, there could be a risk for
human health. The problem is not only national, but global. When you have major species disappearing or
becoming deformed for unknown reasons, we all need to be concerned about it.
Although I didn't realize it at the time, my interest in the issue actually began when I was a boy. I
enjoyed camping, walking in nature and taking note of whatever I saw. One delight was going to the nearby
pond or creek and watching tadpoles in their various stages. Wherever I lived or visited relatives in various
states, there was always that watery area where we could collect reptiles and amphibians. When I became a
father, I wanted to share this with my children. But, something was different. In the usual places where frogs
should be, there were very few or none at all. It became more than coincidence and I when read about the
unusual disappearances, I began to look into it. To my dismay, I learned that the problem was real and it was
serious.
My concern as a Member of Congress is, what does this mean? We need to know why and we need to
know what to do about it. Before we jump off arbitrarily and say 'well, this is because of farming practices,
forestry practices, urban sprawl or something in our gasoline,' we need to know why, and hopefully bring these
species back before it's too late. I secured $2.7 million in the final FY02 Interior Appropriations bill for research,
an increase of $200,000 more than in 2001. The additional funds helped expand the geographic scope of
amphibian monitoring efforts, increased the number of sample sites, and provided for more state partnerships.
I have already requested funds for FY03. These continued research funds are essential to find out what's going
on and what we can do about it.
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