Norman D. Dicks: “this is a good bill, representing a fair compromise between the versions that were passed in each House. While I…”

“this is a good bill, representing a fair compromise between the versions that were passed in each House. While I certainly would have preferred a higher level of funding in some of the key programs of this bill, I am encouraged by many elements of the compromise. The conference report represents a fair effort to provide the necessary funds to maintain the National Park System and our federal land management agencies, to address tribal needs through the Bureau of Indian Affairs, to increase wildfire readiness, to encourage important energy research and conservation programs, and to offer the small--but important--cultural funding through the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. One of the most important aspects of this bill and of the conference report, I believe, was the decision to honor the commitment we made last year when we enacted the Conservation Spending Trust Fund. I am extremely pleased that both the House and Senate bills contained full funding of $1.32 billion for these conservation programs--a dramatic increase over the $1.2 billion that was provided in the current year and $637 million in Fiscal Year 2000. This six-year effort represents the most significant increase ever approved for conservation spending across federal environmental accounts that will boost land acquisition, maintenance and wildlife habitat protection in national parks, forests and refuge areas.”