Funds from each of these levels of government are needed, and must be reliable and adequate. In conclusion, I urge you to reinvigorate the HCP process in two major ways. First, pursue large scale, multiple species HCPs with the characteristics I have described above. These should be prioritized, and federal planning funds provided to local agencies. Secondly, the public sector must do its share financially.
Funding is needed for the federal government's fair share of the multiple species plans.
It is also needed for an expansion of the National Wildlife Refuge system, which is another way that biodiversity can be protected before the crisis point is reached. I want to tell you the sense of frustration people of all sides feel, people who have worked for years to produce potential solutions which will achieve national conservation objectives and also make their communities better places to live. We have been let down. However, if you fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, you will provide stakeholders the essential tool for HCP success, and allow our shared values for conservation to flourish. Thank you for allowing me to testify today.