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PRESIDENT BUSH AT WELLS ESTUARY RESERVE (Video Transcript)

April 22, 2004 — The Wells Reserve is an example of how committed people come together to not only protect, but to improve, the environment. It’s a good example of what I’m going to talk about here in a little bit.

And at that little estuary I saw the volunteers working on platforms that allow students and researchers to view the marsh, to understand the marsh, without harming the grasses or the shoreline. There are good people working together for this reserve, for the sake of wildlife, for the sake of understanding and knowledge, and for the sake of future generations of people who are fortunate enough to come here.

The work you’re doing here to preserve wetlands is an important part of a national commitment. For many years our nation has been working to prevent the net loss of wetlands. And there’s a reason why: America’s wetlands are the habitat for thousands of species of wildlife. Just hang out out in these wetlands out here, and you know what I’m talking about.

Up to half of all North American bird species nest or feed in wetlands. About half of all threatened and endangered species use wetlands. There’s some endangered species using the wetlands right here on this piece of property.

Our wetlands help to trap pollution. What I bet a lot of people don’t understand is the wetlands help to clean the water as well. They reduce the impact of floods. Wetlands stabilize shore areas. As well, wetlands provide recreational opportunities for guys like me who like to fish, and for people like my wife who like to watch birds.

Wetlands have been called the ‘nurseries of life.’ And their well-being is vital to the health of our environment.

Three decades the United States was losing almost 500,000 acres of wetlands each year. Americans understood that couldn’t be sustained, and so the nation began to take action. Our national commitment to wetlands is showing good progress—really better than good progress when you think about the fact that we were losing nearly half a million acres a year, not so many years ago.

We’re nearing a long-standing goal of actually restoring as many acres of wetlands that are lost. The figures show that on agricultural lands, we’ve seen some gains for the first time, which leads me to believe we can do a better job in the nation if we focus our attention. So today I’m committing our government to a new policy. We will move beyond a ‘no net loss’ of wetlands in America, to having an overall increase of Americans’ wetlands over the next five years.

[audience applauds]

We can achieve this goal. It is a realistic goal. To do so we will work to restore, and to improve, and to protect at least three million acres of wetlands over the next five years.

First we will restore at least – we will restore at least one million acres of wetlands that do not exist today…through expanded incentive and partnership measures, such as the Department of Ag’s Wetlands Reserve Program, and through the new grants under the Interior Department’s North American Wetlands Conservation Act.

[audience applauds]

There is a lot of things we can do through these programs. We can set streams back on their natural courses, allowing wetlands to return. We can provide incentives to our farmers and ranchers to stop cultivating areas that were once wetlands, and make them wetlands again. All these efforts will add to the beauty of our nation, and provide habitat for millions of birds and fish.

Second, we will improve the quality of another million acres of existing wetlands through expanded public private efforts, such as the Interior Department’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program. As well, we will use NOAA’s Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection, and Restoration Program.

I know we’ve also got NOAA representatives here, too. I thank you for coming, and thanks for your good work.

[audience applauds]

And finally, we will protect an additional one million acres of wetlands that are currently at risk by increasing grants for land protection programs, and by making it easier for farmers and other landowners to participate in these programs.

To meet the goal of wetland expansion, the government must commit money. And my administration is prepared to do so. The first thing we’ve done – in 2002 I signed the Farm Bill. And one of the most important aspects of the Farm Bill were the conservation titles. There was a significant expansion of federal money available to encourage people to expand areas of their farms and ranches, like wetlands.

And secondly, the budget I propose—or was sent to Congress, proposes to spend 349 million dollars on two key wetlands programs, which is an increase of more than 50% since I first took office. These monies will help. These monies will provide proper incentive for good conservation measures.

But the thing I think it’s very important to emphasize here, is that good conservation and good stewardship will happen when people say, “I’m just not gonna rely upon the government to be the solution to the problem.”

[audience applauds]

I’ve come here because this is a great example of people seizing the initiative, a great example of where the government can help, but not stand in the way of, common sense policies that will make a significant difference to the wetlands and the native species.

And it sends a clear signal to everybody else around our country that if you want to be a responsible citizen, do something about the quality of the life in the community in which you live.

[audience applauds]

It’s my honor to come here today to celebrate this fantastic project, to remind our fellow citizens that we all have got responsibilities, to declare that the federal government has set a new, important goal of increasing the wetlands all across America, and to ask God’s blessings on this beautiful part of the world and the people who live here.

Thank you all for coming.

[audience applauds]

END

Relevant Web Sites
Video of Presidential Visit to Wells Estuary in Wells, Maine

NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve

Media Contact:
Jordan St. John, NOAA, (202) 482-6090