Don Young: “as the author of H.R. 1141, I am pleased that we are considering this legislation to reauthorize and improve the…”

“as the author of H.R. 1141, I am pleased that we are considering this legislation to reauthorize and improve the effectiveness of the Sikes Act. Since coming to Congress in 1973, I have led the fight to enhance and conserve the vital fish and wildlife resources that exist on our military lands. The Department of Defense [DOD] manages nearly 25 million acres at approximately 900 military bases nationwide. These lands contain a wealth of plant and animal life, they provide vital habitat for thousands of migratory waterfowl, and they are home for nearly 100 federally listed species. The Department does a superb job of training our young men and women for combat. Regrettably, they often fail to do even an adequate job of comprehensive natural resource management planning. At far too many installations, management plans have never been written, are outdated, or are largely ignored. Furthermore, when these plans do exist, all too often they are not coordinated or integrated with other military activities. While H.R. 1141 will make a number of improvements in the Sikes Act, the bill does not undermine in any way the fundamental training mission of a military base.”