Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has released a final 4(d) rule listing the northern long-eared bat as ``threatened'' under the Endangered Species Act.

While certain colonies of the species of bat have seen dramatic population losses in recent years, Fish and Wildlife has repeatedly asserted that the underlying fundamental cause is a fungal disease known as the white-nose syndrome.

White-nose syndrome does not directly kill or harm these bats. Rather, it wakes them out of hibernation, resulting in the bats burning through stored fat and leaving their hibernacula in search of food when none is often found or available.

I am pleased that the underlying legislation contains funding for white-nose syndrome research. Bats play a critical role in the ecosystem, and more needs to be done in order to restore colonies devastated by white-nose.

However, as we allow for necessary habitat conservation, we must also ensure that activities occurring in the bats' range are not unreasonably or unnecessarily impacted as a result of the Endangered Species Act listing.

Specifically, such a listing could have great impacts on forest management, forest products, agriculture, energy production, mining, and commercial development. Because this species of bat is found in 38 States and Washington, D.C., a listing under the Endangered Species Act would have significant impacts through this enormous geographical range.

My amendment is simple. It merely prohibits the Department of the Interior, for a period of 1 year, from considering any new rules beyond the final 4(d) rule or any action to treat the northern long-eared bat as endangered, which is the most restrictive form of ESA listing.

The intention is to ensure reasonable land use within the bats' range while Fish and Wildlife continues to research and work with the States on finding treatments for white-nose syndrome.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her perspectives. Certainly, a number of those points I agree with--the value of the bats--as chairman of the Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee. In agriculture, bats serve a very important purpose.

I also agree with her premise, although I think her interpretation of what the science is is somewhat misguided. The science is extremely important, and the science has shown, in fact, the agency responsible for oversight on the Endangered Species Act has publicly acknowledged, that any job-crushing restrictions on industries related to habitat under an endangered listing with these bats will not help the northern long-eared bats. The threat really is going to an endangered listing which would do that.

I would agree that the Fish and Wildlife Service needs resources and, quite frankly, they are getting those. Just last week they released $1 million toward studying the white-nose syndrome. Within this underlying bill, I believe there is an amount of $10 million to study the white-nose syndrome. It is a fungus. It is not habitat, and it is not the industries that work within those habitats.

And so, quite frankly, we need to give the Fish and Wildlife Service what they need, and that is the support that they have already, that they released last week through many grants throughout many States, and the underlying $10 million in this underlying bill.

I would just ask for support of my amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of Mr. Goodlatte's amendment.

Since 2009, I have been hearing directly from my constituents--many of who are small farmers--about the significant challenges and costs of the Chesapeake Bay total maximum daily load mandate. These significant concerns also extend to the State and local governments because of the billions of dollars in direct costs and new regulatory burdens that TMDL imposes. No doubt the Chesapeake Bay is a national treasure, but it is quickly becoming the national treasury with all these costs and taxes upon our States and local municipalities.

The Agriculture Committee's Conservation and Forestry Subcommittee, which I have the honor of chairing, has also heard directly from the stakeholders over the past few Congresses.

While each and every one of these witnesses wholeheartedly supports the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, there remains great concern over the lack of consistent models, the heavy-handed approach of TMDL, and the lack of needed flexibility while implementing the WIPs. This amendment is needed in order to allow for that flexibility at the State and local levels.

Pennsylvania has been very innovative in our efforts to do our part with the Bay restoration, and that innovation will continue into the future.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source