Pacific Salmon Recovery Act Hon. Adam Smith of Washington June 13, 2001 |
| Mr. Chairman, I would like to take this opportunity
to thank my colleague from California for his leadership in introducing
H.R. 1157, the Pacific Salmon Recovery Act. This bill will be an important
tool for the Pacific Northwest's efforts to preserve and protect our unique
salmon runs. Our region understands the importance of providing salmon
with the habitat they need to flourish, and our state and local governments
have developed valuable programs to recover salmon runs. This legislation
will allow those established programs to qualify for federal matching grants,
and provide the incentives needed to enable new organizations to participate
in salmon recovery.
For Washington state, that means that our Salmon Recovery Funding Board will have an additional revenue source. This board does a good job of getting the funds to programs that are instrumental in recovery efforts, but they need more funding and that is exactly what this bill will do. This bill could mean additional funds for restoration projects like those on the Hylebos Watershed, and the Green and Duwamish Rivers. The states and Indian tribes know what needs to be done to help salmon recover, but they need help from the federal government. This bill will allow existing programs to expand on their successes with the opportunity to qualify for further funding. This bill authorizes $200 million a year for three years for states and Indian tribes for salmon conservation and restoration projects in the coastal and upriver of Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Last year the House considered a similar bill, but it was never taken up in the Senate. I am hopeful that the House's early action on this bill will give the Senate ample time to consider this legislation so that the President can sign it. |
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