Ralph Lee Abraham: “the ``Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1998'' is designed to protect over 90 endangered species of bird…”

“the ``Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act of 1998'' is designed to protect over 90 endangered species of bird spending certain seasons in the United States and the rest of the year in other nations of the Western Hemisphere. In doing so, it will protect the environmental, economic, recreational, and aesthetic benefits these birds provide to the United States and to the Western Hemisphere as a whole. Every year approximately 25 million Americans travel to observe birds, and 60 million American adults watch and feed birds at home. Bird-watching is a source of great pleasure to many Americans, as well as a source of important revenue to states, like my own state of Michigan, which attract tourists to their scenes of natural beauty. Bird-watching and feeding generates fully $20 billion every year in revenue across America. Healthy bird populations also prevent hundreds of millions of dollars in economic losses each year to farming and timber interests. They help control insect populations, thereby preventing crop failures and infestations.”