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Wildlife Management Institute 



1101 14th Street, N.W. • Suite 801 • Washington, DC. 20005 

 Phone (202) 371-1808 • FAX (202) 408-5059 



Statement of 

 Donald F. McKenzie, Conservation Policy Coordinator 



H.R. 4289, the Waterways Restoration Act of 1994 



before the 



U.S. House of Representatives 



Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries 



Subcommittee on Environment and Natural Resources 



July 19, 1994. 



Mr. Chairman: 



The Wildlife Management Institute (WMJ) appreciates this opportunity to submit this testimony 

 on the Waterways Restoration Act of 1994. The Institute is a private, nonprofit scientific and educational 

 organization staffed by professional natural resource managers. It has been dedicated to the restoration 

 and improved management of wildlife and related natural resources since 1911. 



The watershed approach to managing natural resources conceptually is the best perspective from 

 which to identify water-related resource problems, as well as to plan and implement solutions. WMI 

 strongly believes that this concept can help focus funds and energies to address highest priority needs. 

 However, WMI believes equally strongly that the implementation of the Soil Conservation Service's (SCS) 

 Small Watershed Program has undermined the merits of the concept of watershed management. 



A Tradition of Subsidizing Marginal Agriculture at the Expense of Public Resources 



The Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Program (P.L. 83-566), more commonly known 

 as the Small Watershed Program, was created in 1954. It authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to 

 cooperate with states and local agencies in the planning and execution of water resource projects in 

 watersheds of less than 250,000 acres. 



The program has several sound elements that embody contemporary concepts of watershed 

 management It provides federal cost-share funds for matching by local governments. On average, local 

 sponsors pay about one-third of all project costs. The program provides federal technical assistance for 

 planning and implementation to those local governments. It fosters competitive bidding for funds, in 

 theory awarding funds to the best projects. 



However, it usually has been implemented in ways that are harmful to fisheries, wildlife and 

 aquatic ecosystems. WMI has been monitoring the Small Watershed Program for decades. Most of that 



