[CPEO-MEF] LCV Letter

[CPEO Moderator <cpeo@cpeo.org>]

The following letter was sent by Deb Callahan, President of the League 
of Conservation Voters.

It can be downloaded as a PDF document at:
http://www.cpeo.org/pubs/LCV%20Letter.pdf
___________________________________
LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS

May 19, 2003
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Re: Support Amendments to S. 1050 To Protect Endangered Wildlife

Dear Senator,

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the political voice of the 
national environmental community. Each year, LCV publishes the National 
Environmental Scorecard, which details the voting records of Members of 
Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to 
LCV members, concerned voters nationwide, and the press.

LCV urges you to support amendments to S. 1050, the Defense 
Authorization bill, to strike or improve language that would undermine 
our nation’s ability to protect imperiled fish and wildlife under the 
Endangered Species Act, undermine the role of states and local 
communities directly impacted by Department of Defense operations, and 
shift responsibility for habitat protection entirely to other federal 
agencies and the private sector.

Specifically, the bill blocks any designation of critical habitat under 
the Endangered Species Act on any lands owned or controlled by the 
military. Critical habitat provides a crucial safety net for species on 
the brink of extinction by identifying areas that are needed to help 
species survive and recover. This language would prevent the U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service from 
designating critical habitat and would thus do nothing to ensure that 
training activities are designed in a manner that avoids unnecessary 
destruction. This language would also effectively end dialogue between 
surrounding communities and military installations that are currently 
working together to manage these lands to protect wildlife.

Waiver provisions already exist in the Endangered Species Act for 
instances of national security. The DoD has never used these existing 
waiver provisions—a strong indication that compliance with the 
Endangered Species Act has not unduly burdened the agency.

The Senate Armed Services Committee rejected other exemption requests 
made by the DoD, a confirmation that existing laws already strike a 
proper balance between protection of public health and the environment 
and military readiness. Any additional concerns with the Endangered 
Species Act should be addressed through existing waiver provisions, 
advanced planning between the Department of Defense and environmental 
agencies, and through the process of cooperation and consultation that 
has been successful at many DoD sites. Sweeping exemptions, such as 
those proposed by the Pentagon, will only harm the environment and the 
credibility of federal agencies and will not meet the needs of the DoD.

For these reasons we urge you to support any amendments offered to 
strike or improve the ESA exemption provisions and to reject any 
amendments that would further extend blanket exemptions for the DoD, 
including any that apply to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act 
(RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability 
Act (CERCLA), the Clean Air Act, or the Marine Mammal Protection Act. 
LCV’s Political Advisory Committee will consider including votes on 
these issues in compiling LCV’s 2003 Scorecard. For more information, 
please call Betsy Loyless or Mary Minette at 202/785-8683.

Sincerely,

Deb Callahan, President

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~