TESTIMONY OF BARRY STIEGLITZ, DEPUTY CHIEF, DIVISION OF CONSERVATION PLANNING AND POLICY, NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE SYSTEM, UNITED STATES FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES, WILDLIFE CONSERVATION AND OCEANS OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES, REGARDING H.R. 4722, THE LAKE ERIE BASIN INTERNATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE ESTABLISHMENT ACT



July 18, 2002

Mr. Chairman, and members of the subcommittee, I am Barry Stieglitz, Deputy Chief of the Division of Conservation Planning and Policy for the National Wildlife Refuge System. I appreciate this opportunity to provide the Administration's views on H.R. 4722, authorizing the establishment of the Lake Erie Basin International Wildlife Refuge. As discussed more fully below, the Administration cannot support this legislation.

I would like to begin by giving you a brief summary of Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) involvement in the Lake Erie region. Coastal wetlands within the western basin of Lake Erie are of significant importance to fish and wildlife trust resources. These wetlands provide spawning, nursery and rearing habitat for some 43 wetland-dependent fish species, 26 of which have significant recreational, commercial or prey value. More than 325 species of birds can be found in the western Lake Erie basin, and the area annually attracts hundreds of thousands of migrating waterfowl. The area is also an important staging area for migrant songbirds. Recognizing these important resources, the State of Ohio established numerous State Wildlife Areas, Nature Preserves, and Parks in this region.



The Service is active in efforts to protect/restore coastal wetlands within this geographic area and we realize the economic, public use and environmental benefits of protecting and restoring the coastal wetlands of Lake Erie. In fact, we have four existing refuges in the general area. These refuges are the Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), Ottawa NWR, West Sister Island NWR, and the recently established Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.



The National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997 requires the Service to develop a Comprehensive Conservation Plan (CCP) for each refuge in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The CCP describes the desired future conditions of a refuge and provides long-range guidance and management direction to achieve refuge purposes. It is during this process that expansion of a refuge is considered and recommended, if increasing the size will help fulfill the mission for which the refuge was established. Development of a CCP provides a forum for meaningful public participation and improved coordination with the states and local communities. It also affords local citizens an opportunity to help shape future management of a refuge, recognizing the important role of refuges in nearby communities.





We are now preparing a draft CCP for the newly established Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, which will include review of the Michigan portion of the proposed Lake Erie Basin International Wildlife Refuge.



In 1994 we proposed an expansion for the Ottawa NWR Complex, which includes Cedar Point, Ottawa and West Sister Island. After public review and comment, we adopted an increase in the size of the complex totaling 5,000 acres, by including high-priority wetland habitat areas in Lucas, Sandusky, Ottawa and Erie Counties, the same general geographic area as the Ohio portion of the proposed Lake Erie Basin International Wildlife Refuge.



In 2000, we completed a CCP for the Ottawa NWR Complex. After extensive public review and comment, this CCP did not propose an expansion for the Complex beyond the 5,000 acres previously approved.



In contrast to the 5,000-acre expansion included in the CCP, H.R. 4722 would commit the Service to a massive expansion of the Refuge System in the same area. The geographic scope of the proposal includes over 175 miles of coastline covering a hundred thousand acres or more.



The Administration is committed to taking better care of what we have, while ensuring that new acquisitions truly meet strategic needs of the Refuge System. There must be a balance between acquiring new lands and meeting the operational, maintenance and restoration requirements for the resources already in public ownership. Towards this end, the Service is currently developing a plan to guide future growth and land acquisition for the Refuge System.



Establishing new refuges, or significantly expanding existing ones requires shifting operation and maintenance funds from existing refuges. While the President's budget proposes a funding increase for the Refuge System of more than $56 million, that money is already committed to addressing high-priority critical mission operations and maintenance needs at existing refuges.



We have identified $1.1 billion in optimal refuge operational needs and $663 million in pending maintenance projects for the National Wildlife Refuge System. Currently, the Ottawa NWR, Cedar Point NWR, and Sister Point NWR have 100 deferred maintenance projects in our Maintenance Management System at a combined cost of $4.9 million and12 projects, totaling $1.5 million in our priority Tier 1 Refuge Operational Needs System.



We appreciate that Representative Kaptur and her constituents seek to have the Fish and Wildlife Service expand its role in the Lake Erie Basin. However, given our recent and impending reviews of habitat needs for Federal trust species in this area, we cannot support H.R. 4722.



In addition to the national priorities and funding constraints discussed above, we have already evaluated a major portion of this area, and are in the process of evaluating the remainder. After a careful review of the Ohio portion of the land covered by this bill, we have concluded, after two different public comment periods several years apart, that a 5,000-acre expansion of Refuge System holdings is all that is needed. We are now initiating such a review of the Michigan lands covered by this legislation through the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge CCP.



H.R. 4722, in contrast, would expand the Refuge System on a potentially massive scale. Given that we concluded less than two years ago that such a large-scale expansion in this area was not needed, we cannot support it now.



We note that other opportunities and tools beside including lands in the Refuge System exist for protecting resources in Lake Erie's Western Basin. Service programs such as Partners for Fish and Wildlife, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, the Landowner Incentive Program, and Private Stewardship Grants can be used in cooperation with State, local and private partners to restore and protect natural resources. The States of Ohio and Michigan also receive funds through the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration, Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration, and, if approved by Congress, Land and Water Conservation Fund Cooperative Conservation Initiative grants through the National Park Service which could be used towards this end if the States so chose.



This concludes my proposed statement. I would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have.