HR 712 - 2.26.14

Statement for the Record

U.S. Department of the Interior

On

H.R. 712 To Extend the Authorization of the Highlands

Conservation Act Through Fiscal Year 2024

United States House of Representatives

Committee on Natural Resources

Subcommittee on

Public Lands and Environmental Regulation

February 26, 2014

The Department of the Interior appreciates the opportunity to provide the Administration's views on H.R. 712, a bill to extend the authorization of the Highlands Conservation Act through fiscal year 2024. While the Department supports the intent of the Highlands Conservation Act, we believe that pressing priority needs for land acquisition that is aligned with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's wildlife conservation mission requires us to focus the limited funding available for these purposes.

The Highlands Conservation Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture to work with states, local units of government, and private landowners in the conservation of lands and natural resources in the Highlands region of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania (Highlands states). The current authorizations of appropriation for the Act expire at the end of fiscal year 2014. H.R. 712 would extend the authorizations until 2024.

Section 4 of The Highlands Conservation Act authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to the Highland states to preserve and protect high priority conservation land in the Highlands region, and establishes requirements that the Highlands States must meet to be eligible to receive such assistance. Section 5 of the Act addresses programs of the Department of Agriculture. We defer to USDA for its views on those provisions.

The program has been administered in the Department by the FWS since funds were initially appropriated in fiscal year 2007. During this time, almost $14 million has been appropriated for the program and these funds have been leveraged with over $34 million in nonfederal funds to acquire important conservation lands in the natural resources-rich Highlands region. In Connecticut, 304 acres have been protected in fee and 442 acres have been protected through conservation easements. In New York and New Jersey, 2,584 and 1,254 acres, respectively, have been protected in fee. And in Pennsylvania, 554 acres have been protected with easements.

As previously noted, the Department supports the intent of the Highlands Conservation Act and recognizes that the Act provides important benefits to the Highlands states. However, given the limited funding available for land acquisition, the FWS must focus its land acquisition priorities on lands that are aligned with its wildlife conservation mission. As a result, the Administration's budget request for the FWS has not included a request for funding for this program for the past several fiscal years. With this in mind, we would appreciate the opportunity to work with the Committee and the bill's sponsors to address reauthorization and funding for this program within the larger context of reauthorization and funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Thank you for the opportunity to provide this statement.