Testimony of the Honorable John D. Dingell

On H.R. 289

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act

Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife, and Oceans

March 6, 2003

Chairman Gilchrest, Ranking Member Pallone and other distinguished Members of the Subcommittee, good morning. It is an honor and a pleasure for me to appear before you today to testify in support of H.R. 289, legislation that will expand the boundaries of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge to encompass important lands in Southeastern Michigan and Northern Ohio. I thank the Subcommittee, as well as the Chairman of the full Committee Richard Pombo, and Ranking Member, Nick Rahall, for their assistance and for holding this hearing. This legislation is of immense importance to the people of Southeast Michigan and our neighbors to the South, in Ohio.

Mr. Chairman, in 2001, thanks to this Committee, and to support from local grassroots organizations, conservation groups, state and local governments, as well as our Canadian neighbors, we were able to pass H.R. 1230, legislation that created the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge. This refuge is already demonstrating how – working as a team – federal, state, and local officials in the United States and Canada, can work with businesses, conservationists and private citizens to preserve our remaining resources along the River that is improving the quality of life for all our area residents. H.R. 289 builds on that success.

We passed H.R. 1230 because the Lower Detroit River is an area of tremendous bio-diversity, with unique geological features and a wide variety of plant life that attracts numerous species of fish, birds, and waterfowl. Like many rivers along the Great Lakes, the Detroit River has suffered the consequences of prolonged periods of unsound environmental practices –

more than 95 percent of its coastal wetland habitat have been lost.

In the Great Lakes region, there is a great urgency to protect our remaining high-quality habitats before they are lost to further development. We must also do our utmost to rehabilitate and enhance degraded habitat. This is essential to sustain the quality of life enjoyed by the people living along the Detroit River corridor. The Detroit River Wildlife Refuge was a good start, but more must be done. It is my hope that in time, much of the Great Lakes coastline will be protected using the same commonsense approach of H.R. 1230.

We are here this morning to discuss legislation introduced by my neighbor to the South, the Honorable Gentlewoman from Toledo, Marcy Kaptur. Ms. Kaptur’s bill, which has my complete support, will expand the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge to the Western basin on Lake Erie. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 289, and I applaud the efforts of my colleague and friend from Ohio for introducing this important bill.

The Western basin of Lake Erie is vitally important to the economic and environmental future of the United States. In the 1970’s and ‘80’s, the ecological health of Lake Erie was a running joke – Fisherman derisively renamed Lake Erie “the Dead Sea.” Water quality was poor, and fish and wildlife suffered as a result.

But in the past two decades, the citizens and governmental institutions of both the United States and Canada have devoted increasing attention and resources to the restoration of the water quality and the fisheries of the Great Lakes, including the Western basin. Numerous grassroots environmental and conservation organizations have worked dutifully to address environmental degradation in the region. I am happy to say that these efforts have been successful, though there is still much more that must be done.

The Great Lakes account for more than 90 percent of the surface freshwater in the nation. The Western basin receives approximately 90 percent of its flow from the Detroit River and only 10 percent from tributaries. The Western basin of Lake Erie is an important ecosystem that includes a number of distinct islands, channels, rivers, and shoals that support dense populations of fish, wildlife, and aquatic plants.

The coastal wetlands of Lake Erie support the largest diversity of plant and wildlife species in the Great Lakes. More than 320 species of birds and 43 species of fish have been identified in the aquatic and wetland habitats of the Western basin. The shallow Western basin is home to the largest concentration of marshes in Lake Erie, which makes it a major migratory bird corridor. Seventy percent of the Mississippi Flyway population of black ducks is concentrated in the Lake Erie marshes during fall migration.

The importance of Lake Erie is manifested in the United States congressional designation of the Ottawa and Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuges. Lake Erie has an international reputation for walleye, perch, and bass fishing, as well as duck hunting. On an economic basis, Lake Erie tourism accounts for an estimated $1,500,000,000 in retail sales and more than 50,000 jobs.

Coastal wetlands in the Western basin have been subjected to intense pressure for 150 years. In fact, 98 percent of the vast coastal wetlands systems that existed in Western Lake Erie in the early 1800's has been lost. What was once a system of 1,540 square miles today has been decreased to 38 square miles. Along the Michigan shoreline, coastal wetlands were reduced by 62 percent between 1916 and the early 1970s.

H.R. 289 is very similar in content to H.R. 1230, which this Committee approved in 2001. It aims to protect the remaining fish and wildlife habitats of the western Lake Erie, assist in international efforts to conserve and restore wildlife habitat, and facilitate partnerships between the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian national and provincial authorities, and a wide array of private and public sector entities.

In Michigan, the Refuge will run from the southern boundary of Sterling State Park to the eastern edge of Sandusky Bay, Ohio. The Secretary of Interior is authorized to acquire by donation, purchase with donated or appropriated funds, or grant conservation easements within the boundaries of the Refuge. Any and all acquisitions of lands are voluntary, and federal takings are strictly prohibited. I would note that the Secretary shall administer all federally owned lands, waters, and interests within the Refuge in accordance with the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act. Thus, the rights of sportsmen like myself will be fully protected.

It is because this bill is sensible, balanced and foresighted that it enjoys broad local support in Michigan, Ohio, Canada and beyond. I would note that H.R. 1230, the predecessor to H.R. 289, also enjoyed broad support from business and conservation groups, as well as from local governments.

Mr. Chairman, I again thank the Committee for their assistance. Ms. Kaptur’s bill is an important piece of legislation which will be of great benefit to the people of Michigan, Ohio, and Ontario, and represents a sound approach to protecting, preserving, and restoring the wildlife habitat of the Great Lakes.

Thank you again for the opportunity to testify before you today, and I would be happy to answer any of your questions or concern at this time.

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