The Honorable Robert C. Smith, Chairman
Committee on Environment and Public Works
SD-410 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Subject: Conservation and Reinvestment Act (CARA)

Dear Mr. Chairman:

The National Rifle Association (NRA) would appreciate having this letter placed in the record for the May 24, 2000 hearing held on CARA legislation by the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

The NRA supports CARA because of Title III - Wildlife Conservation and Restoration. A year ago, we submitted a statement in support of S. 25 when the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing on CARA. However, given the number of legislative days remaining, we encourage the Senate to take up H.R. 701, the version of CARA that recently passed the House of Representatives, although all the bills under consideration contain a Title III whose provisions are similar to each other.

Title III is of vital importance to our 3.5 million members who engage in recreational shooting and hunting because it amends the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act commonly referred to as the Pittman-Robertson Act or PR. When it was enacted in the 1930's, PR was an innovative and farsighted response to rapidly declining wildlife populations and their habitats. The highly successful and highly enviable trust fund created by the enactment of PR has provided the states with over $3 billion in its six-decade history. The required state matching share has boosted that figure to over $4 billion. It makes the greatest sense to channel new funds to the states for wildlife conservation purposes through this same trust fund, as Title III in all of its legislative versions specifically directs.

In a Board resolution adopted in 1996, the NRA agreed that in spite of the largess provided by PR and its partner, the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act, the states had insufficient funds to meet all of its wildlife management responsibilities, not only for game species but for nongame and threatened and endangered species as well. The NRA, therefore, supports CARA because it not only taps into a new source for funding much needed wildlife work, but it provides for a generous level of funding to assist the states in addressing the unmet needs of wildlife species. The NRA is pleased to be able to take a position in support of a proposal that increases wildlife revenue to the states. This was not the case with respect to the "Teaming with Wildlife" concept which Title III replaced. Although the NRA did not take a position on "Teaming with Wildlife" because the concept was never introduced into legislation, we nevertheless expressed serious concerns over the effect it would have on our members. The fact that CARA imposes no new excise taxes resolves those earlier concerns.

The NRA is in support of language in Title III that allows the OCS funds to be used for a "diverse array of species" and would strongly oppose having those funds earmarked exclusively for nongame wildlife, as some environmental groups have urged. With the infusion of OCS dollars, there is every expectation that all manner of wildlife will benefit. Indeed, Title III states that the funds should be used for "unmet" wildlife needs. CARA provides guidance because there is no reason to dictate to professional wildlife managers, who are in the best position to identify wildlife conservation priorities, how to spend these new funds. PR neither earmarks nor dictates the use of excise tax dollars that the states have received over the past sixty years and no reason has emerged to do otherwise.

Title III meets the desire of the hunting community to find additional funds to assist the states in addressing the needs of all wildlife, including nongame and threatened and endangered species. Title III provides relief to the hunter who has shouldered the responsibility for wildlife conservation and restoration for most of the last century and into the 21st century. Using PR as the vehicle for distributing these OCS funds to the state fish and wildlife agencies also acknowledges and protects the vital role that the hunter plays in the conservation of our nation's fish and wildlife resources. The NRA offers its assistance to the Chairman in helping to make the goals and objectives of CARA, especially Title III, a reality.

Sincerely,

Susan R. Lamson, Director
Conservation, Wildlife and Natural Resources
Institute for Legislation Action
National Rifle Association of America