Jack Fields: “I rise in support of S. 476, a bill to reauthorize and improve the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. I would note…”

“I rise in support of S. 476, a bill to reauthorize and improve the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. I would note that this bill was adopted by the House in November 1993. When legislation establishing the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation was adopted by this House almost a decade ago, we were all hopeful that the Foundation would be successful in forming partnerships to improve our country's ability to conserve our natural resources. I doubt any of us expected it to be as successful as it has been. The Foundation has done an outstanding job of combining federally appropriated funds with private contributions. Since its creation in 1984, the Foundation has achieved a match ratio of between $2 to $4 for every Federal dollar appropriated. This has resulted in more than 873 grants, worth more than $108 million, for conservation projects throughout the United States and in 16 other countries. We are all aware of the need to prioritize Federal spending. This legislation provides us with the opportunity to reauthorize a program that is exemplary in its use of Federal money and serves the valuable functions of promoting habitat conservation, environmental education, and natural resources management.”