Mr. Chairman, when you became chairman of this committee there were some, and I think it is no secret, who felt deeply that you would take a meat axe to the Endangered Species Act. That you intended to ‘gut’ the ESA.

     I will tell you, I could not believe it when I heard such things. Amidst the hand wringing I told anyone who asked, sure, it would be far better to have a Democrat as chairman, but in the alternative, I think Chairman Pombo intends to take a much more deliberative approach to the ESA than past rhetoric may lead one to believe.

     To date, my assessment has been correct. While supporters of H.R. 2933 and myself have fundamental differences on how we view the Endangered Species Act, this bill represents a piecemeal effort to address what some view as problems with the statute.

     I have said for many years that I do not believe the ESA needs to be amended. Problems do exist with the Act’s implementation. That is not a function of the statute itself, but rather, lack of adequate funding, and the failure of the Fish and Wildlife Service to issue instructions to its managers outlining how the critical habitat management program should be run. I would note that the GAO twice recommended this.

     And I think some people confuse the situation. Because of real or perceived problems with certain aspects of the Act’s implementation due to a lack of funding, they may confuse the issue and believe that the Act itself is in need of reform.

     The Bush Administration’s fiscal year 2005 budget would cut ESA recovery programs by $10 million below current year levels. It would also slash about $2 million from the ESA consultation and habitat conservation planning program.

     These shortcomings are going to affect real people in the real world, including private property owners, developers, Federal agencies and local units of government.

     Take for instance Snowshoe Ski Resort in my Congressional District. Owned by a major corporation, Intrawest, the resort is an 11,000 acre facility. They are engaged in a Habitat Conservation Plan. And Lo and Behold, things are proceeding too slowly. Yet, Intrawest is not joining the chorus that the ESA is broken and must be amended. You know what their complaint is? The Elkins, West Virginia, Fish & Wildlife Service field office is overworked and underfunded. And they are right.

     The bottom line is that without critical habitat species will go extinct. And who are we to determine which species shall perish. As people of faith, as I am sure we all are, we should acknowledge these words from Ecclesiastes: "Man’s fate is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath."

     I will conclude by noting just how pleased I am to have a witness today who will bring the Christian perspective to this debate, Dr. Joseph Sheldon from Messiah College in Pennsylvania. And while he has been placed last on the witness list, the word of the faithful will refuse to be heard last in our deliberations on these matters.