72 



to, because they have gotten into bed, a lot of them, with the anti- 

 hunting group. And I have tracked this very closely. 



The next witness — and then I have to go vote — Dr. Inkley, Wet- 

 lands Team Leader, National Wildlife Federation. Do you work out 

 on Route 7? 



Mr. Inkley. No, I do not; I work in the downtown office of the 

 National Wildlife Federation. 



The Chairman. I was wondering; that is a beautiful location out 

 there. But go ahead. 



STATEMENT OF DOUGLAS B. INKLEY, WETLANDS TEAM LEAD- 

 ER, NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION, WASHINGTON, DC 



Mr. Inkley. Well, thank you, Mr. Chairman. We do appreciate 

 the opportunity to testify today. Before I get into the testimony and 

 the subject of this hearing, I would also like to make special men- 

 tion and to thank you for your efforts on behalf of the Sikes Act 

 reauthorization. That will certainly improve natural resources 

 management on military lands, and we support that. Thank you. 



I am Doug Inkley; I am not only a wetlands team leader for the 

 National Wildlife Federation, but I am also the director of our fish 

 and wildlife resources division. To put my comments into context, 

 it would be appropriate that I give you a little bit of information 

 about the National Wildlife Federation. We are the nation's largest 

 conservation education organization, with millions of members 

 across the country. In other words, we have a very broad and di- 

 verse constituency. We have affiliates in nearly every State, includ- 

 ing most members of this Committee. We determine our policies 

 through the annual consideration of resolutions by our affiliated or- 

 ganizations, so the policies that we take and that I expand upon 

 today were adopted by our affiliated organizations through a reso- 

 lution process. 



In 1991, we passed a resolution specifically endorsing properly 

 and professionally managed hunting, trapping and fishing. Indeed, 

 we have been supportive of that position throughout the entire 60- 

 year history of the National Wildlife Federation and I am sure will 

 be continuing that position for the next 60 years, hopefully. I have 

 included a copy of that resolution endorsing hunting and trapping 

 and fishing in the comments that we have provided for the record. 



Today's hearing is just one aspect of conservation, enforcement of 

 the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. I would be remiss to omit mention 

 of our other efforts related to waterfowl conservation. Some of 

 those efforts include support of the 1996 farm bill, which included 

 programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program and the Wet- 

 lands Reserve Programs. We also supported the North American 

 Wetlands Conservation Act because of the benefits to all wildlife 

 but especially to waterfowl, and we also support continued appro- 

 priations for our fish and wildlife conservation laws. 



Regarding the Migratory Bird Treaty Act enforcement, in March 

 of this year, the National Wildlife Federation passed a resolution 

 entitled "The Interpretation of Fish and Wildlife Laws." In that 

 resolution, we recognized the need for strong enforcement of our 

 fish and wildlife laws. Furthermore, we urged that fish and wildlife 

 conservation regulations be clear, concise, easily interpreted and 

 uniformly enforceable. To put all of that into just two words, we 



