Rick Allen: “Though we appreciate the President coming to Maine on Earth Day, it really cannot hide the fact that his record on the…”

“Though we appreciate the President coming to Maine on Earth Day, it really cannot hide the fact that his record on the environment is one of probably the worst records of any President in my lifetime. Let me give a few examples. He went today to the Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve. It is very clear when you look at the budget that the President has proposed, in light of the need for more research funds for marine-related research, he came because his budget proposes to increase funding for this tiny $16 million National Estuarine Research System by 3 percent. That is a 3 percent increase. So, this small program gets a reasonable increase, but it is the exception. The reserve system is an important part of NOAA's Ocean and Coastal Management Program, which President Bush proposes to cut by 20 percent. The National Ocean Service is cut a whopping 35 percent. NOAA itself receives an overall 8 percent reduction. The President proposes to reduce the budget of the EPA, the Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service. He proposes to seriously underfund the National Park Service.”