TheWeekInCongress.com
Week Ending July 1, 2005
S 260 A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners to restore, enhance, and manage private land to improve fish and wildlife habitats through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
BRIEF
Bill text provided this explanation for the legislation: “Since 1987, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (`Service') has administered the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners to voluntarily restore wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitat on their land, making responsible stewardship possible and affordable for private landowners. Specifically, the Service provides landowners with biological information about their property, restoration designs, cost-sharing on materials and services, and construction supervision. To date, the program has operated without specific congressional authorization as a separate line-item under the Service's budget.
“On August 26, 2004, President Bush signed Executive Order 13352 (69 Fed.Reg. 52989 (2004)) promoting a new approach to conservation within the Federal Government's conservation and environmental departments. This Executive Order was offered to ensure that Federal agencies pursue cooperative conservation actions designed to involve private landowners.
“An exemplary model of this cooperative conservation initiative is the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The Service reports that the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is `[its] primary mechanism for delivering voluntary on-the-ground habitat improvement projects on private lands for the benefit of Federal trust species.' (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Fish and Wildlife Management and Habitat Restoration, Land Use Management Series, Part 640: Management of Non-Owned Lands, September 24, 2003). Through over 35,039 agreements with private landowners, the Partners Program has accomplished the restoration of over 722,500 acres of wetlands, 1,573,700 acres of prairie and native grasslands, and nearly 5,900 miles of riparian and in-stream habitat to date. Partners Program agreements are funded through contributions from the Service along with cash and in-kind contributions from participating private landowners.
The Partners Program leverages resources to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs for all of its projects. On average, the Service succeeds in leveraging resources approximately 3-to-1 (non-Service to Service resources).”
Sponsor: Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK)
Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent (June 26, 2005)
Cost to the taxpayers: CBO said $75 million yearly for 2006 through 2011. $45 million in 2006 and $350 million over the 2006-2010 period, with additional spending (of about $100 million) occurring in later years.
## All Rights Reserved. © 2005 TheWeekInCongress.com No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.
MORE INFORMATION
Section 1. Short title
This section provides that this Act may be cited as the `Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act.'
Sec. 2. Findings and purpose
This section enumerates congressional findings relevant to the Act and states the purpose of the Act.
Sec. 3. Definitions
This section provides definitions applicable in the Act.
Sec. 4. Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
This section directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide technical and financial assistance for habitat establishment, improvement, restoration, and enhancement to participating private landowners by voluntary agreements through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. This section also authorizes technical assistance through the Partners Program to other public and private entities.
Sec. 5. Authorization of appropriations
This section authorizes $75 million for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2011 for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
## All Rights Reserved. © 2005 TheWeekInCongress.com.
No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.
ical and financial assistance to private landowners to restore, enhance, and manage private land to improve fish and wildlife habitats through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
BRIEF
Bill text provided this explanation for the legislation: “Since 1987, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (`Service') has administered the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners to voluntarily restore wetlands and other fish and wildlife habitat on their land, making responsible stewardship possible and affordable for private landowners. Specifically, the Service provides landowners with biological information about their property, restoration designs, cost-sharing on materials and services, and construction supervision. To date, the program has operated without specific congressional authorization as a separate line-item under the Service's budget.
“On August 26, 2004, President Bush signed Executive Order 13352 (69 Fed.Reg. 52989 (2004)) promoting a new approach to conservation within the Federal Government's conservation and environmental departments. This Executive Order was offered to ensure that Federal agencies pursue cooperative conservation actions designed to involve private landowners.
“An exemplary model of this cooperative conservation initiative is the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. The Service reports that the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program is `[its] primary mechanism for delivering voluntary on-the-ground habitat improvement projects on private lands for the benefit of Federal trust species.' (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Division of Fish and Wildlife Management and Habitat Restoration, Land Use Management Series, Part 640: Management of Non-Owned Lands, September 24, 2003). Through over 35,039 agreements with private landowners, the Partners Program has accomplished the restoration of over 722,500 acres of wetlands, 1,573,700 acres of prairie and native grasslands, and nearly 5,900 miles of riparian and in-stream habitat to date. Partners Program agreements are funded through contributions from the Service along with cash and in-kind contributions from participating private landowners.
The Partners Program leverages resources to maximize the benefits and minimize the costs for all of its projects. On average, the Service succeeds in leveraging resources approximately 3-to-1 (non-Service to Service resources).”
Sponsor: Senator James M. Inhofe (R-OK)
Vote: Passed Senate by Unanimous Consent (June 26, 2005)
Cost to the taxpayers: CBO said $75 million yearly for 2006 through 2011. $45 million in 2006 and $350 million over the 2006-2010 period, with additional spending (of about $100 million) occurring in later years.
## All Rights Reserved. © 2005 TheWeekInCongress.com No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.
MORE INFORMATION
Section 1. Short title
This section provides that this Act may be cited as the `Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act.'
Sec. 2. Findings and purpose
This section enumerates congressional findings relevant to the Act and states the purpose of the Act.
Sec. 3. Definitions
This section provides definitions applicable in the Act.
Sec. 4. Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program
This section directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to provide technical and financial assistance for habitat establishment, improvement, restoration, and enhancement to participating private landowners by voluntary agreements through the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. This section also authorizes technical assistance through the Partners Program to other public and private entities.
Sec. 5. Authorization of appropriations
This section authorizes $75 million for each of fiscal years 2006 through 2011 for the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program.
## All Rights Reserved. © 2005 TheWeekInCongress.com.
No reproduction or distribution without written permission from TheWeekInCongress.com.