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STATEMENT OF MICHAEL DENNIS 



VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL 



THE NATURE CONSERVANCY 



BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 



U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 



JUNE 8, 1994 



Mr. Chairman, members of the Subcommittee, my name is 

 Michael Dennis. I am the General Counsel for The Nature 

 Conservancy' and an appointed member of the North American 

 Wetlands Conservation Council ("Council"). I have served as the 

 Nature Conservancy's representative on the Council since 1990. 



I am pleased to have the opportunity to testify today on the 

 reauthoriza-tion of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act 

 ("Act") . I would like first to address reauthorization of the 

 Act from the standpoint of the Council. As you know, the Council 

 is comprised of nine members: the Director of the Fish and 

 Wildlife Service; the Director of the Fish and Wildlife 

 Foundation; four flyway representatives; and three nonprofit 

 organizations . 



Although all nine of the Council members represent distinct 

 and separate entities the group is unanimous in its support for 

 continued authorization of the Act. As a group, the Council 

 agreed to recommend two changes to the Act. First, that the Act 

 be reauthorized through FY 2000, and second, that the amount of 

 money authorized to carry out the Act be increased. 



I am pleased to note that H.R. 4308, introduced by 

 Congressmen Dingell, Weldon, Studds arid Fields, currently 

 contains provisions that meet both of the Council's 

 recommendations . 



Having presented the Council's recommended changes to the 

 Act, I would now like to discuss, as a representative of The 

 Nature Conservancy, how the Act has been implemented and several 

 recommendations on how we believe the goals of the Act can better 

 be realized in the future. 



'The Nature Conservancy --is an international non-profit, land 

 conservation organization dedicated to the preservation of natural 

 diversity through the protection of threatened species and 

 ecosystems. Our membership includes more than 73 0,000 members and 

 over 1,100 Corporate Associates. 



