40 



TESTIMONY BEFORE THE HOUSE MERCHANT MARINE 



AND FISHERIES COMMITTEE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON 



ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES, REGARDING H.R. 4308, 



REAUTHORIZATION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN WETLANDS CONSERVATION ACT 



Presented By 



R. Max Peterson, Executive Vice President 



International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies 



June 8, 1994 



Mr. Chairman and members of the Subcommittee, I am R. Max Peterson, Executive Vice 

 President of the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (lAFWA). The 

 lAFWA, founded in 1902, is a quasi-governmental organization of public agencies charged with 

 the protection and management of North America's fish and wildlife resources. The 

 Association's governmental members include the fish and wildlife agencies of the states, 

 provinces, and federal governments of the United States, Canada and Mexico. All 50 states are 

 members. The Association has been a key organization in promoting sound resource 

 management and strengthening federal, state and private cooperation in protecting and managing 

 fish and wildlife and their habitats in the public interest. The Association appreciates the 

 opportunity to share our perspectives with you on H.R. 4308. 



The lAFWA was an original supporter of both the North American Waterfowl 

 Management Plan (NAWMP) and the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA). 

 In fact, in fiscal year 1988 it was the states, as represented by the lAFWA, Ducks Unlimited 

 and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, that established the first international partnership 

 through the NAWMP to support wetland conservation efforts in Canada. At that time, the 

 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation provided $2 million, which was matched by $1 million 

 from Ducks Unlimited, Inc. and $1 million from the states. Four million dollars from the U.S. 

 was then matched by $4 million from Canada and, from that point, we have never looked back. 



Early efforts in implementing the NAWMP demonstrated how successfiil partnerships can 

 be, and provided important impetus for NAWCA, and the administrauon of funds provided by 

 it, bring together the vision and commitment of a broad array of conservationists dedicated to 

 reversing the decline in the loss of wetlands habitats and associated wildlife species in North 

 America. Non-regulatory and voluntary in nature, the fund encourages the establishment of 

 partnerships by making U.S. Federal funds available for high quality weUands projects when 

 matched by U.S. non-Federal sources. The Act recognizes that migratory birds depend on 

 healthy wetland ecosystems and do not respect political boundaries. In addition to supporting 

 projects in the U.S., it provides a unique opportunity to support projects in Canada and Mexico 

 that are vital to the he^th of migratory birds that the United States benefits from and enjoys. 



