67 



The other thing I would say is, when we talk about across-the- 

 board cuts, I don't mean to imply equal percentage cuts for each 

 program. We are talking about a range of 5-25 percent. What I 

 mean to imply is, every program is going to take some level of cuts, 

 but I am going to be highly selective in how I do this. When I say 

 "cut, not gut," what I mean to try to express by that is, we are not 

 going to sacrifice the long term for the short term, and we are not 

 going to single out fish and wildlife and conservation programs to 

 be the only programs that are going to be cut. 



Unless I miss my guess, our transmission program will probably 

 bear the single biggest share of the cuts of any of our programs. 

 The others will span somewhere in between that 5-25 percent 

 range with fish and wildlife probably being in the middle some- 

 where, but with making those reductions in areas like the 

 squawfish program and other things, where we frankly can and 

 should make them, but hopefully not sacrificing long-term objec- 

 tives. I appreciate your support in trying to do that. 



Mr. DeFazio. I will look forward to our series of hearings and 

 meetings over the year. In the future you won't have to carry the 

 entire burden yourself. We will have witnesses from the region, 

 utihties and other interested parties at the fiiture hearings, and I 

 am looking forward to that. 



Thank you. I appreciate it. 



Mr. Hardy. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 



Mr. DeFazio. The hearing is adjourned. 



[Whereupon, at 3:41 p.m., the task force was adjourned.] 



