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CARA Update

By Sara Marinello

The Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA, H.R. 701/S. 25) continues to build momentum in Congress and now boasts a very bipartisan cosponsor list of 124 representatives and 22 senators. Additionally, 49 governors have officially supported CARA or its principles. In fact, in September, 40 governors signed on to a letter asking House and Senate leadership to support this legislation.
The bill would reinvest $3 billion in federal Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas revenue back into the environment through various federal, state and local conservation programs including state-level wildlife conservation, endangered species recovery, coastal and marine conservation and restoration, land conservation, outdoor recreation, and historic preservation.
Last spring, the House Resources Committee held four hearings on CARA and the Resources 2000 Act (HR 798, Rep. George Miller's bill). With cooperation signaled from all fronts, the hearings set the wheels in motion toward a positive bipartisan solution.
In particular, the House hearings exhibited a strong showing of support for wildlife. David Waller, president of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) and director of the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division testified on behalf of IAFWA and made a strong case for the need for wildlife conservation funding.
"This legislation will ensure that our wildlife is conserved for future generations of Americans to enjoy from their backyards to the backwoods" said Waller. "Our Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Funds dating to the 1930s and '50s have given us the ability to bring back wild turkey, white-tailed deer, wood duck, striped bass and pronghorn antelope. We're ready now to do what it takes to restore our vanishing songbirds and other declining wildlife species." State wildlife conservation funding needs have been estimated

to exceed $1 billion annually.
Several other witnesses testified on behalf of wildlife and focused their testimony on wildlife conservation portions of the bills including Reps. John Dingell (D-MI) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA, Vice Chair of the Budget Committee and Co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus), National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League of America, Safari Club International and Defenders of Wildlife.
While the wildlife conservation funding portion of the bill has enjoyed strong bipartisan support, one of the bill's greatest challenges has been to find a way to permanently fund another portion of the bill, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) that will keep property rights advocates, LWCF supporters and appropriators at the table.
Another challenge ahead is to find room in the federal budget for funding CARA and to make this funding a permanent indefinite appropriation. Currently, OCS revenue is being used for general spending and debt reduction. In order to make room for CARA, Congress has the option of using some of the federal surplus or cutting funding from other programs.
Since September, wildlife conservation interests have been encouraging House Resources Committee members to reach agreement on a joint bill and move the bill through the committee this fall. To that end, 50 state fish and wildlife directors signed a letter to key committee members, congressional leadership and President Clinton, asking for their support and action.
Earlier this month, Young and Miller reached general agreement on a draft bill that joins CARA and Resources 2000 together and announced the Resources Committee's intention to mark up this legislation on Wednesday, November 10, 1999. The results of the markup will be available at www.teaming.com.

Congress plans to recess between late November and late January. This will be an important time to gain more support for CARA and get maximum media coverage. When Congress returns to business in February, the Teaming with Wildlife coalition will hold a wildlife rally on Capitol Hill in order to raise awareness
What You Can Do to Help
While Congress recesses for the winter, you will have time to show your support in several ways:
1) Visit with your members of Congress while they are home. Let them know that you support CARA and what it will do to benefit your state's wildlife and other natural resources. Encourage them to become cosponsors of CARA.
2) Write positive opinion editorials to be placed in your state's newspapers.
3) Talk it up with newspaper reporters, columnists, editorial boards and radio stations.
4) Work on a public service announcement for television or radio.
For more information on CARA, visit the Teaming with Wildlife web site at www.teaming.com or contact IAFWA at teaming@sso.org or (202) 624-7890.

Editors note: CARA passed out of the House of Resources Committee 37 to 12 on November 10, with strong bipartisan support.

Winter 1999


CARA Update
By Sara Marinello
The Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA, H.R. 701/S. 25) continues to build momentum in Congress and now boasts a very bipartisan cosponsor list of 124 representatives and 22 senators. Additionally, 49 governors have officially supported CARA or its principles. In fact, in September, 40 governors signed on to a letter asking House and Senate leadership to support this legislation. The bill would reinvest $3 billion in federal Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas revenue back into the environment through various federal, state and local conservation programs including state-level wildlife conservation, endangered species recovery, coastal and marine conservation and restoration, land conservation, outdoor recreation, and historic preservation. Last spring, the House Resources Committee held four hearings on CARA and the Resources 2000 Act (HR 798, Rep. George Miller's bill). With cooperation signaled from all fronts, the hearings set the wheels in motion toward a positive bipartisan solution. In particular, the House hearings exhibited a strong showing of support for wildlife. David Waller, president of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (IAFWA) and director of the Georgia Wildlife Resources Division testified on behalf of IAFWA and made a strong case for the need for wildlife conservation funding. "This legislation will ensure that our wildlife is conserved for future generations of Americans to enjoy from their backyards to the backwoods" said Waller. "Our Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Funds dating to the 1930s and '50s have given us the ability to bring back wild turkey, white-tailed deer, wood duck, striped bass and pronghorn antelope. We're ready now to do what it takes to restore our vanishing songbirds and other declining wildlife species." State wildlife conservation funding needs have been estimated	to exceed $1 billion annually. Several other witnesses testified on behalf of wildlife and focused their testimony on wildlife conservation portions of the bills including Reps. John Dingell (D-MI) and Saxby Chambliss (R-GA, Vice Chair of the Budget Committee and Co-chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus), National Wildlife Federation, Izaak Walton League of America, Safari Club International and Defenders of Wildlife. While the wildlife conservation funding portion of the bill has enjoyed strong bipartisan support, one of the bill's greatest challenges has been to find a way to permanently fund another portion of the bill, the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) that will keep property rights advocates, LWCF supporters and appropriators at the table. Another challenge ahead is to find room in the federal budget for funding CARA and to make this funding a permanent indefinite appropriation. Currently, OCS revenue is being used for general spending and debt reduction. In order to make room for CARA, Congress has the option of using some of the federal surplus or cutting funding from other programs. Since September, wildlife conservation interests have been encouraging House Resources Committee members to reach agreement on a joint bill and move the bill through the committee this fall. To that end, 50 state fish and wildlife directors signed a letter to key committee members, congressional leadership and President Clinton, asking for their support and action. Earlier this month, Young and Miller reached general agreement on a draft bill that joins CARA and Resources 2000 together and announced the Resources Committee's intention to mark up this legislation on Wednesday, November 10, 1999. The results of the markup will be available at www.teaming.com.	Congress plans to recess between late November and late January. This will be an important time to gain more support for CARA and get maximum media coverage. When Congress returns to business in February, the Teaming with Wildlife coalition will hold a wildlife rally on Capitol Hill in order to raise awareness What You Can Do to Help While Congress recesses for the winter, you will have time to show your support in several ways: 1) Visit with your members of Congress while they are home. Let them know that you support CARA and what it will do to benefit your state's wildlife and other natural resources. Encourage them to become cosponsors of CARA. 2) Write positive opinion editorials to be placed in your state's newspapers. 3) Talk it up with newspaper reporters, columnists, editorial boards and radio stations. 4) Work on a public service announcement for television or radio. For more information on CARA, visit the Teaming with Wildlife web site at www.teaming.com or contact IAFWA at teaming@sso.org or (202) 624-7890. Editors note: CARA passed out of the House of Resources Committee 37 to 12 on November 10, with strong bipartisan support.
Winter 1999