tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Section 2(b) of 

 the Foundation's organic act. 



With respect to the funding authority, we note over the past sev- 

 eral years appropriations have been at the level of $5 million. For 

 fiscal year 1994, our budget amendment to fund the National Bio- 

 logical Survey requested an additional $2.5 million for the Fish and 

 Wildlife Foundation, totaling $7.5 million for fiscal year 1994. The 

 Foundation appropriations are very cost-effective because they help 

 produce two or three times the appropriated amounts in private 

 sector dollars. With this in mind, we will carefully examine future 

 funding of the Foundation in the budget process for fiscal 1995 and 

 beyond. 



Attached to my statement are some examples of the kinds of pro- 

 grams and projects that have been supported by the Foundation 

 and have made it such a success. There are three important exam- 

 ples I would like to mention today. 



The first involves Secretary Babbitt's initiative with the Ever- 

 glades and Florida Bay. The Bay is a degenerating ecosystem, as 

 evidenced by a massive die-off of sea grasses and by algal blooms. 

 The cause of the problem is in dispute, but the lack of freshwater is 

 a strong possibility. In order to get beyond the controversy, the Sec- 

 retary asked the Fish and Wildlife Foundation to host a peer 

 review panel composed of eight top marine scientists to work with 

 the Department of the Interior to develop a plan of action. The 

 Foundation has provided the initial funding and coordination for 

 this effort. 



The second example I would like to cite is the North American 

 Waterfowl Management program through which important wet- 

 land habitats are being acquired, protected and restored across the 

 United States, Canada and Mexico. The Foundation has been in- 

 strumental in promoting partnerships under the plan by providing 

 matching grants for implementation of specific high-priority 

 projects in key areas. 



In short, the Foundation, we feel, has been essential for the plan 

 being a success today. Early and active involvement in the Founda- 

 tion's work has provided a model for involving all interested par- 

 ties, including States, Federal agencies and nonprofit organizations, 

 in cooperative partnerships with private landowners. 



The third and final example relates to Secretary Babbitt's initia- 

 tives to protect the gnatcatcher. 



Several years ago, the State of California approached the Foun- 

 dation for assistance in conserving biodiversity in the State. They 

 were impressed with the Gap Analysis project in Idaho, but, due to 

 the land use planning process in California, wanted a similar anal- 

 ysis stepped down to the county level in California. 



One particular problem was incompatible data bases, and the 

 Foundation provided a grant not only to integrate the data bases 

 across the State but to provide the additional detail needed at the 

 county level. 



Secretary Babbitt, in listing the gnatcatcher as "threatened" 

 under the Endangered Species Act, proposed a special rule that rec- 

 ognizes the regional conservation efforts in Southern California. 

 The Secretary believes this can serve as a model to the Nation in 

 order to work cooperatively in preserving ecosystems. 



