Committee on the Environment and Public Works
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife and Water
Statement for the Record
Senator Bob Graham
May 9, 2001
Mr. Chairman.
The Endangered
Species Act was historic when it was passed by a nearly unanimous Congress over
25 years ago. The Act remains important
in our efforts to balance human activities with the needs of imperiled wildlife. While this law is certainly not without its
share of controversy, I have witnessed success stories such as the recovery of
the American Alligator, a keystone species in the Everglades and vital to the
overall health of that ecosystem.
The State of Florida
is home to some 111 threatened or endangered species. We can boast, rather unfortunately, that this number is third
only to the states of Hawaii and California.
Included in this list is the Florida Manatee, which I consider a poster
child for the importance of the Endangered Species Act.
One of the strengths
of the Endangered Species Act is that it allows citizens the opportunity to
petition the Fish and Wildlife Service to list species that they have reason to
believe are critically important. Citizens
may also pursue legal recourse if they think that the Fish and Wildlife Service
has not acted to protect these species.
I appreciate the
fact that the Fish and Wildlife Service faces a severe listing and delisting
backlog. An estimated $80-120 million
is needed to eliminate this backlog. However,
I do not think that effectively cutting citizens out the process by limiting
the ability of the Fish and Wildlife Service to respond to court orders is the
most appropriate way to address this problem.
Most of our
environmental laws include a process for citizen enforcement and
oversight. Such opportunities for
citizen involvement are necessary to compensate for times when administrative
agencies are unable to fully implement the law.
I hope that today=s hearing will present us with some ideas for
solutions to eliminate the current backlog and address citizen and scientific
concerns in a prudent manner.
I will submit my
questions for the record.
Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and
Water
Talking Points
May 9, 2001
Mr.
Chairman.
$
The
Endangered Species Act was historic when it was passed by a nearly unanimous
Congress over 25 years ago.
$
The
Act remains important in our efforts to balance human activities with the needs
of imperiled wildlife.
$
While
this law is certainly not without its share of controversy, I have witnessed
success stories such as the recovery of the American Alligator, a keystone
species in the Everglades and vital to the overall health of that ecosystem.
$
The
State of Florida is home to some 111 threatened or endangered species.
$
this number is third only to the states of
Hawaii and California.
$
One
of the strengths of the Endangered Species Act is that it allows citizens the
opportunity to petition the Fish and Wildlife Service to list species that they
have reason to believe are critically important.
$
Citizens
may also pursue legal recourse if they think that the Fish and Wildlife Service
has not acted to protect these species.
$
I
appreciate the fact that the Fish and Wildlife Service faces a severe listing
and delisting backlog.
$
estimated
$80-120 million is needed to eliminate this backlog.
$
However,
limiting the ability of the Fish and Wildlife Service to respond to court
orders and effectively cutting citizens out of the process is not the most
appropriate way to address this problem.
$
Most
of our environmental laws include a process for citizen enforcement and
oversight.
$
Such
opportunities for citizen involvement are necessary to compensate for times
when administrative agencies are unable to fully implement the law.
$
I
hope that today=s hearing will present us
with some ideas for solutions to eliminate the current backlog and address
citizen and scientific concerns in a prudent manner.
Thank
you, Mr. Chairman.