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Talking Points Delivered
By The Honorable Gale Norton
Secretary of the Interior
August 26, 2004
Denver, Colorado
Cooperative Conservation Initiative

[You will be introduced by Russell George, Executive Director for the Colorado Department of Natural Resources.]

Introduction

  • As I go around the country, I see some of the best conservation resulting when landowners and communities work together. I want our federal agencies to support this culture of responsibility by being good neighbors and good partners.
  • President Bush and I convinced that citizen-stewards (like you) are best conservationists, the best guardians of the environment.

President's announcement: TR

  • Earlier today, the President signed an Executive order on Cooperative Conservation. He is a hunter and fisherman
  • The order affirms the administration's ethos of conservation though cooperation: It confirms the administration's dedication to advancing environmental protections through partnerships-pushing for innovative policies and respecting private property rights.
  • The order commits federal agencies to becoming a good neighbor and a good friend in conservation: Underscores that commitment by:
  • Ordering Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Administrator EPA to report annually to Chairman of Council on Environmental Quality on implementation of order.
  • Calling for a White House conference on Cooperative Conservation within one year.

Secretary's announcements

  • Over the next two days, I and my deputies at the Interior Department will announce an array of cooperative conservation grants which advance that executive order.
  • National Private Stewardship Grants: $7,000,000 in funding is going towards 97 projects in 39 states.
  • Tribal Landowner Incentive Program: Service has about $3 million for program, will fund 25 proposals, representing 24 tribes in 14 states
  • Tribal Wildlife Grants: about $6 million available, will fund 28 proposals representing 24 tribes in 14 states.

Colorado:

  • Tribal Landowner Incentive Program: A grant of more than $126,000 to the Southern Ute Indian Tribe [Steve Whiteman, of the Tribes' natural resource department will be in audience] "Stollsteimer Creek Restoration Project." Grant eliminated severe erosion of about 3,400 feet of the creek. Banks were replanted with native vegetation, restoring habitat for many wildlife species including wintering bald eagles, osprey and leopard frogs.
  • Grasslands: Private Lands Habitat Enhancement for Grassland Species at Risk grants. Grants total over $114,000 for six (6) projects. Applied for by the Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory.
  • Grants go to five (5) Colorado counties (Bent, Lincoln, Weld, Las Animas and Pueblo, and Custer County in South Dakota.
  • Counties, in partnership with the Observatory and landowners, will use the grants to restore shortgrass prairie rangelands. Of special benefit to declining grassland birds. Management plans vary by project.
  • Illustrates sprit of cooperation/partnership and innovative management encouraged by cooperative conservation.
  • Private stewardship grants 04'A grant of more than $17,000 to the Lasater Ranch Black-tailed Prairie Dog Project. Funds will establish a black-tailed prairie dog colony on native prairie-will also be useful to birds that thrive in such areas.
  • The black-tailed prairie dog illustrates how cooperative conservation working in Colorado

CCI is working in Colorado:

  • Earlier this month (Aug 12), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that the black-tailed prairie dog is not likely to become an endangered species and so removed it as a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act.
  • Mountain plover: This year, more than twenty (20) landowners have signed onto the innovative agreement made last fall between Colorado Department of Natural Resources and Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the bird. About a dozen (12) signed it last year.
  • How it works: Farmers/ranchers notify state before tilling and state biologists flag nests.
  • Wins: Birds prosper, farmers not prosecuted under Migratory Bird Treaty Act
  • Other partners in mountain plover protection: Rocky Mountain Bird Observatory's Prairie Partners program; High Plains Partnership; Nature Conservancy's "Prairie Wings" program

Accomplishments nationwide
Funds

  • $1.3 billion in grants at Department of Interior to states, tribes, local governments and private landowners: Includes Landowner Incentive Program, Private Stewardship Grant Program, cooperative conservation Challenge Cost-Share program.
  • $507 million for cooperative conservation in President's FY05' budget: Represents an increase of $371 million, 270% over 2000.
  • Using those funds, Interior will work with over 15,000 partners, leverage federal dollars with matching non-federal funds often at a 2:1 or better ratio.
  • President's Healthy Forests Initiative: In the three years since 2001, we have treated more than 10 million acres of land, the same amount as was treated in the eight years under the previous administration.
  • Conservation programs: For FY05', president requested $4.4 billion for conservation programs, including wetlands. Increase of 53% over 2001, emphasis on partnerships with states tribes, sportsmen/women, citizens.
  • Partnerships: Since 2001, restored more than 1.7 million acres of wetlands under two new programs, Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program and Coastal Program. Thousands landowners were partners.

Conclusion

Through his Executive Order on Cooperative Conservation, the President is:

  • Recognizing the achievements of partnerships
  • Encouraging cooperative problem solving
  • Fostering environmental innovations like the use of ultra-light aircraft to assist whooping cranes through their flyways; technological innovations in alternative energies; best-management practices within industries to reduce air emissions.