President Bush Signs Wetlands Conservation Act
Presidential Hall
Eisenhower Executive Office Building
9:30 A.M. EST
THE PRESIDENT: Please be seated. Thank you. Glad you're here.
Welcome to the White House.
Today, we're taking important action to conserve North America's
wetlands, which will help keep our water clean and help provide habitat
for hundreds of species of wildlife. Through this legislation, the
federal government will continue its partnership with landowners,
conservation groups, and states to save and improve millions of acres
of wetlands. The North American Wetlands Conservation Reauthorization
Act shows our concern for the environment and our respect for future
generations of Americans.
I appreciate two members of my Cabinet who are here today. I'm
honored the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton is with us, the
Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, thank you both for coming.
I appreciate the ambassador, Ambassador Kergin from Canada, for
being here as well. Mr. Ambassador, glad you're here. Thanks for
coming.
I want to thank Bob Smith, senator from New Hampshire, for being
here, and for his work on this bill. I want to thank Wayne Gilcrest
from Maryland -- he's got a big interest in wetlands as well as the
Chesapeake Bay -- for coming here. I appreciate so very much Robert
Underwood, ranking member from Guam for coming. I'm sorry that Jim
Hansen is not with us today. He was the Chairman of the House
Committee on Resources, who helped write and sponsor and get this
legislation passed through the Congress.
I appreciate Steve Williams, who is the director of the Fish and
Wildlife Service, for coming today. Where are you, Steve? There you
are. Thanks for coming.
And I want to thank the president of Ducks Unlimited, John Tomke,
thanks for coming, John. I'm glad you all are here. And I want to
thank you all for coming as well.
With this signature today, the North American Wetlands Conservation
Act will be reauthorized for five years. The law authorizes federal
money to match donations from sportsmen, state wildlife agencies,
conservationists and landowners. Since 1991, more than $462 million in
federal grants have helped to encourage $1.3 billion in contributions
from others.
Together these funds have restored streams and rivers,
re-established native plants and trees, acquired land that is home to
more than a third of America's threatened and endangered species.
Because about 75 percent of the wetlands are held privately, we need to
encourage cooperation with our landowners. This legislation shows that
when government and landowners and conservationists and others work
together, we can make dramatic progress in preserving the beauty and
the quality of our environment.
I want to thank the Congress for supporting this legislation. And
I ask the members of the Congress and the two Cabinet members who are
here today to join me as I sign this important piece of legislation.