But one of the key things in our land-use law is compact growth, sometimes controversial.

So in this case we--you are far exceeding the minimum standard approach.

To come in and say now that a main highway or a parkway in Portland or a pick your street in any of those 232 cities in Oregon is now a salmon habitat is ridiculous.

There are some glimmers of hope and activity there.

It appears that we would then begin to model ourselves after the rest of the country.

Washington State, where our regional office of NMFS is based, was allowed to go with performance standards, but it is a State that does not have comprehensive, statewide land-use planning.

Now, don't you--didn't Biggert-Waters require an advisory committee for mapping?

Most of our development is now, by State law and State and local planning, focused on those downtown core areas, as Congressman DeFazio indicated, to avoid urban sprawl.

Well, I hope my colleagues from the other 49 United States are listening.

The National Flood Insurance Program is critical in many areas.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, first I would like to ask unanimous consent to put three letters in the record.

So many properties now that aren't required to have Federal flood insurance in order to obtain bank financing will be required to in the future.

And no net gain or---- substantial change. That is just extraordinary.

How are you going to overlay these new rules on top of our already strict land-use planning?

So then, arguably, perhaps your agency, in exceeding its authority to follow the directives of National Marine Fisheries and agreeing to adopt this RPA, is vulnerable to being sued.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thanks for holding this oversight hearing of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

I realize you have budgetary issues here, but here is my concern.

Do we have a timeline on when some conclusion is going to be reached?

I am very concerned about the age of the fleets being used, both by the Coast Guard and NOAA.

the Federal Government began occupying more leased than owned space, and in almost every case that is the more expensive way to go.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and thank you for putting scrutiny on this important issue, the costs and potential efficiencies that could be gained with enhanced leasing.

some idiot at OMB in 1990 promulgated a rule which we have been bound by which is restricting the Government's ability.

So the bill, H.R. 4487, does not really address the idiots at OMB.

this is a little bit nonsensical.

So it could be a useful tool.