62 



Tribes are now being recognized as prominent fisheries and wild- 

 life management entities and are expecting full participation as 

 partners in national fisheries and wildlife initiatives. 



Tribes must be accorded full participation in these initiatives by 

 virtue of the extent of reservation land bases, but also, and more 

 important, because tribes are sovereign governments and must be 

 dealt with as such. Sovereignty is a very important aspect of tribal 

 governmental operations and must not be ignored or minimized. 



Indian tribes have been reasserting their treaty rights concern- 

 ing the management of fish and wildlife resources. As the demand 

 for fisheries and wildlife recreation in this country has increased, 

 pressure has increased on the fisheries and wildlife resources on 

 Indian reservations and other areas where tribes have jurisdiction 

 and/or co-management authority. 



Tribes across the coimtry now contribute significantly toward 

 meeting the demand for fisheries £ind wildlife recreational opportu- 

 nities. Unfortunately, recreational fisheries and wildlife funding op- 

 tions open to tribes have not kept pace with the expanding respon- 

 sibilities for management, authority, or the demand for rec- 

 reational opportunities by the tribal and non-tribal user. 



Over the years, the Society has requested proposals fi"om tribes 

 for fish and wildlife programs. I have brought along, as a visual 

 aid, a number of proposals the Society has collected in the last 

 three years of specific programs that have not been funded, and to 

 demonstrate the need for increased funding for fish and wildlife 

 management. 



Mr. Faleomavaega. Mr. Poynter, did you mean to provide that 

 as part of your testimony? 



Mr. Poynter. I did submit it with my 75 copies. You have it for 

 the record. 



Mr. Faleomavaega. Thank you. 



Mr. Poynter. As an example of the disparity in staffing levels, 

 currently, the U.S. Forest Service manages 190 million acres of 

 land for multiple use. They employ 1,320 fisheries and wildlife bi- 

 ologists and ecologists. 



In contrast, the combined tribal and BIA staffs equal about 300 

 for over 95 million acres, most of whom are employed in positions 

 of multiple duties, such as biologists/administrators. 



The Society feels that we're echoing some of the concerns here 

 this morning of tribes, specifically the Navajo, that tribes need to 

 participate mlly in the various federal aid programs. Specifically, 

 Dingell-Johnson and Pittman-Robertson and Wallop-Breaux. 



We are also advocating the development of a Native American 

 Fish and Wildlife Enhancement Act, that would create an addi- 

 tional ftmding source for fish and wildlife enhancement in Indicui 

 country. 



I will not read further fi*om my testimony, since you have that. 



But I would just like to conclude by saying that, in the future, 

 I would urge better coordination of these hearings, due to the lim- 

 ited fiinding that tribes have to operate with. It gets very escpensive 

 for them to send people here to Washington to participate in these 

 important forums. 



For example, next week, many different Indian organizations and 

 tribes will be in town for various meetings. It would be to every- 



