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NFC: Fw: CARA Passes Out of Committee!!! (fwd)
To: CARA/TWW Supporters
From: Naomi Edelson, IAFWA
25 July 2000
Thanks to all of YOU and many others across the country, we passed a
major
milestone with the 13-7 vote on CARA in the Senate Energy and Natural
Resources Committee today. A special thanks and recognition to those
states with members on the committee, especially Illinois, Kentucky and
Oregon. Below is more information on today's committee deliberations
including the final vote count. Celebrate this great success (we will be
tonite) but shortly we will be in touch with you on action needed during
the August recess so we can be ready to a full Senate vote and
House/Senate
conference action in September.
Summary below provided by Nancy Ledbetter, Arkansas Game and Fish
Commission (and special thanks to her too for pitching in from the IAFWA
office during this critical stage!!).
CARA Passes Out of Committee!!!
Chairman Murkowski (R-AK) began the meeting of the Senate Energy and
Natural Resources Committee by pointing out that the committee had
already
spent nine and a half hours deliberating on CARA. He explained that
after
two more hours of meeting this morning that he wanted a motion to pass
CARA
out of committee by 11am.
Senator Bingaman, (D-NM), Ranking Member, introduced a technical
amendment
related to a tiny glitch in Title 1 of the bill. Basically, everywhere
that a lease is mentioned in the bill it specifically excluded moratorium
area. This had been left out in one place in the bill. The amendment was
unanimously agreed to.
Senator Thomas (R-WY) introduced a no net gain, no net loss amendment on
additional federal ownership of lands in states with more than 25%
federal
land. The amendment required that if the federal government wanted to
acquire more land (including interest in land) then an area of equal
value
would have to be disposed of by the Federal government. If the Governor
of
the state agreed to the acquisition then the 25% rule would not apply.
The
amendment failed 11-9.
Senator Gorton, (R-WA) introduced an amendment that he called putting
"first things first" which would not release any funds to any of the
Titles
of CARA until the deferred maintenance in National Parks was completed.
It
would require the National Park Service to certify the amount of deferred
maintenance remaining by early next year. Senator Murkowski asked for a
vote to table the amendment, which passed 11-9.
Senator Domenici (R-NM) proposed an amendment to change the length of the
bill from 15 years to 2 years. Rather than authorizing funding for the
bill for 15 years, he wanted the jurisdiction to be left in the Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee and authorized every two years.
The
amendment failed 13-7.
Another amendment introduced by Senator Domenici applied NEPA to land
acquisition to the same extent as it applies to land disposal. Senator
Bingaman pointed out that there has been an effort not to change the
application of NEPA and several expressed concerns about extending the
reach of NEPA. The amendment was defeated 13-7.
Senator Dorgan (D-ND) proposed an amendment that requires the U.S. Fish
and
Wildlife Service to map permanent easements within 48 months. Prior to
1976, there was no mapping, so for 80% of easements no mapping exists.
The
Appropriations Committee would have to appropriate funds for this. The
amendment passed with no objections.
Senator Nickles (R-OK) introduced an amendment to sunset CARA after 5
years
instead of 15 years. Senator Bingaman and others opposed, pointing out
that stable funding is needed, so that planning can be accomplished. The
amendment failed 11-9.
A second amendment proposed by Senator Nickles required that the owner of
property that the federal government purchases must be a willing seller
and
would strike the phrase "unless otherwise authorized by Congress" in the
current bill. Several opposed, pointing out that that amendment would
try
to limit what future Congresses could do. After accepting an amendment to
limit the application to future legislation, concern was still expressed
that it would limit the several formulations the Congress has used
recently
to limit acquisition. The amendment was defeated 12-8.
Senator Craig (R-ID) proposed an amendment on western water law although
he
did not have any final language. Senator Bingaman said that if the
intent
is that the bill did not enhance or diminish any express or implied water
rights that he could support it. The amendment passed with a voice vote
subject to the staff working out specific language to implement the
intent
of the Committee.
Senator Burns (R-MT) proposed an amendment on forest stewardship, but he
had no final language because the majority and minority staff had not
agreed on the amendment. Senator Murkowski says he will support this
amendment if it is offered on the Senate floor. The amendment was
withdrawn.
Chairman Murkowski calls for a final vote on CARA and it passed
13-7. Those voting for included Chairman Murkowski, Ranking Member
Bingaman, Senator Smith (R-OR), Senator Bunning (R-KY), Senator
Fitzgerald
(R-IL), Senator Akaka (D-HI), Senator Dorgan, Senator Graham (D-FL),
Senator Wyden (D-OR), Senator Johnson (D-SD), Senator Landrieu (D-LA),
Senator Bayh (D-IN), and Senator Lincoln (D-AR). Those voting against
were
Senator Domenici, Senator Nickles, Senator Craig, Senator Campbell,
Senator
Thomas, Senator Gorton, and Senator Burns.
******************************************************************
Naomi Edelson
International Assn. of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
444 N. Capitol St., NW
Suite 544
Washington DC 20001
tel: (202) 624-7890
fax: (202) 624-7891
IAFWA Website: http://www.sso.org/iafwa
Check out the Teaming with Wildlife web site: http://www.teaming.com