Remarks Prepared for Delivery
The Hon. Gale Norton, Secretary of the Interior
North American Wildlife and Natural Resource Conference
Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, DC
March 19th, 2001, 10 a.m.

It's wonderful to be here this morning for the North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference.

The history and the bond between the Wildlife Management Institute and the Department of the Interior goes way back. The Institute was founded over a half century ago by Dr. Ira Gabrielson. Dr. Gabrielson was also the first director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; he was called "Mr. Conservation." Today, his legacy continues with Rollie Sparrowe. Dr. Sparrowe is also an Interior alum - serving as the Department's Chief of Wildlife Research and chief of the Migratory Bird Office.

This Wildlife Management Institute - and its conference attendees - are a fabulous role model. You've shown how diverse groups - including universities and wildlife agencies - can come together to create partnerships to save habitat and conserve wildlife.

And I intend to use this model at the Interior Department - to show how groups can communicate their ideas and come together to find solutions.

I've now served as Secretary of the Interior for all of seven weeks. Those seven weeks have been very busy, very exciting and - I hope and believe - very productive.

I've listened a lot. I've learned a lot. I've started learning the intricacies of the budget process. We celebrated the 98^th Anniversary of the Wildlife Refuge system.

And I've had the opportunity to take a quick journey back West - to prepare for possible forest fires when the dry season begins, and start preparation for the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Since the confirmation process, I've had the distinct privilege of sitting down and talking with many different people committed to conservation and environmental protection. People who - like me and really everyone at the Interior Department - care deeply about protecting and managing our national treasures and wild places and recovering endangered species. I've received tremendous feedback.

But not every group is like the Wildlife Management Institute. There's a real problem in Washington D.C. today - too often groups are pitted against each other.

Too often political conversation becomes bitter and divisive. Too often the unintended casualties of this culture of partisan conflict are the very creatures and places that both sides are seeking to defend.

President Bush campaigned on changing the tone in Washington. And he's made great strides in returning civility to our national political debate. People are at least starting to disagree - without being disagreeable.

As Secretary of the Interior, I will work to change the tone in which we talk about conserving and protecting our environment. I hope to foster a new culture of communication, cooperation, a culture of consultation - all to serve the cause of conservation.

It's easy for one-side to say let's just set huge swaths of the American landscape off-limits to all Americans. Or, at the other extreme, it's easy to say we'll exploit resources without worrying about the environment. I favor neither of these absolutist approaches.

I believe that we can be creative and innovative - that we can have a healthy environment - and utilize it, too. I believe there are good ideas all over America - and I believe in the value of developing partnerships and listening to people.

I have asked my Department to take up the challenge and chart a new path for environmental conversation. By reaching out to all people and working together, in partnership with the States and with organizations like the Wilder life Management Institute, we can achieve better environmental results.

Our experience demonstrates that when we work together in a cooperative way, we can protect and even recover species.

Today I'm glad to announce a success in the recovery of a species from the Endangered Species list. Biologists traced the decline of the Aleutian Canada goose as far back as 1750, when trappers introduced a non-native fox in the bird's nesting area along Alaska's Aleutian Islands.

The fox invasion hit its peak during the early 19th century, when fur demand was high. The foxes preyed heavily on the birds, which had no natural defenses against land predators.

The goose, known for its distinctive white neck-band and its small size, was first listed as an endangered species 34-years ago. In 1975 fewer than 800 birds remained.

An unprecedented partnership was formed between scientists, state governments, the Fish and Wildlife Service, private landowners and organizations.

Each group and person involved worked together. Biologists worked to eliminate introduced foxes from goose nesting grounds. The Fish and Wildlife Service partnered with California landowners to manage and protect wintering habitat on private land through title acquisition, easements and voluntary programs.

Today, after a collaborative conservation effort spanning over three decades, the population stands at over 37,000. And it is my honor to announce that the goose is once again flying high. Today the Aleutian Canada goose is being delisted. A rare success story, but one that shows that partnerships can work.

I am committed to applying these principles to the Department's implementation of the Endangered Species Act.

Those of you who are responsible for preserving wildlife in your States know that the ESA is not achieving our shared goal of recovering endangered species. Studies conducted by the Wildlife Management Institute confirm that we're not getting the job done - either for the species or for private landowners impacted by the Act.

I hope to hear from you - the States and groups like the Wilder life Management Institute that care about protecting our unique and special resources - about your experiences with the ESA and your ideas for how we can do a better job.

And I know we can do a better job. Today, there are over 1200 listed species in the United States; yet, today's announcement was disappointingly rare. After massive efforts we have fully recovered only ten species since the law was first enacted in 1973. Seven more - the Santa Barbara sparrow, the Blue Pike and five other species - were delisted because they no longer exist.

At the same time, more and more private landowners have found themselves caught in the regulatory web of the ESA, making adversaries of the very people with whom we should be working to preserve habitat for species.

Farmers and ranchers are often the best stewards of the land. We can achieve more by working with them - and capitalizing on their intimate knowledge of the land they depend on - and the land they love. We are also failing to take advantage of the expertise and conservation efforts of the States.

I intend to bring the focus of the ESA back to actually recovering species, not just putting them on a list. To accomplish that, I intend to work in partnership with the States to coordinate our efforts; I will consult with landowners and seek opportunities to involve them as partners in the effort to save species; and I will welcome innovative ideas that achieve better conservation results.

While some have proposed legislative reforms of the ESA, I believe there are things the Department can do administratively to improve the implementation of the ESA.

I have asked the Fish and Wildlife Service to identify measures that we can implement under the existing law that can build on the reforms that were promoted by the last Administration - such as the no surprises policy, habitat conservation plans and safe harbor agreements. Those were good first steps.

Over the next two years, I want to change the tone and dynamics of the ESA debate to improve the protection of threatened and endangered species and their habitat.

I am not suggesting that we abandon the existing ESA program. But, rather, we should supplement it with incentive-based programs involving private landowners, conservation partnerships with the States, and other innovative programs that produce results.

I intend to work with the States to identify species at risk before they are listed. I will ask States to serve as the laboratories for workable solutions to species and habitat management issues. I will encourage landowners to become our partners in species preservation through habitat conservation plans and seek ways to make HCPs more accessible to a broader range of landowners, especially small landowners.

Our experience demonstrates that when we work together in a cooperative way, we can protect and even recover species.

The rainbow trout is another good example. When the trout population began to decline quickly due to a parasite that causes Whirling Disease, a group of local scientists, fisherman and other concerned citizens formed a non-profit group called the Whirling Disease Foundation.

The Foundation - with its partners: the Fish and Wildlife Service, Western Universities and members of Congress - worked together to determine how the parasite attacks and which waters the parasite prowls. The results: Trout populations have stabilized - and in many cases they're on the rebound. It's an example of local people, solving local problems with help from the federal government.

Whether it's saving the Aleutian Canada goose or trout in Montana, it is clear that there is no one easy solution to address species issues. The solutions have to be crafted at the local level, with local involvement expertise and common sense.

We need many kinds of partners and many kinds of ideas. The people in this room do not necessarily share the same views and perspectives on every question - and you each have different sources of knowledge and ideas. However, if we put our energies into working together, I believe we will have many more success stories to announce in the months and years ahead.

Obviously, an integral part of any collaborative effort to protect species and their habitat is ensuring that adequate resources are available to carry out the effort. The Federal government has a key role in that regard.

As I mentioned at the beginning, one of my first duties as Secretary involved putting together the Department's budget for fiscal year 2002. That budget reflects both the President's campaign commitments and my priorities. The budget includes substantial funding to eliminate the maintenance backlog and restore natural resources in our national parks.

It includes an additional $20 million for the Natural Resource Challenge to combat invasive species and improve scientific understanding of biological resources.

Significantly, the budget also includes full funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). A total of $900 million, with $450 million dedicated to the States. For the first time, we have proposed to give States greater flexibility in their use of LWCF funds. We are asking you, the States, to be our partners, while also providing the resources and flexibility for you to decide the most effective way to spend your conservation dollars.

For the private landowner who wants to play a part in the conservation of species and habitat, our budget fulfills President Bush's commitment to dedicate $60 million for landowner incentive programs that offer technical assistance and funding for private conservation efforts.

Through these and other programs, I believe we can jointly chart a new course, balancing the development of our nation's mineral and energy resources with the need to protect our natural resources and respect the rights of property owners.

I hope you'll join me in charting this new course. In opening up new lines of communication.

I truly believe that our success - the Federal government's success - in managing and protecting our nation's wild places, endangered species and precious resources depends on ability to develop partnerships with you, the States and groups like WMI, and involve you in our decision-making process.

We can benefit from your expertise and creativity, and we should take advantage of your ability to test innovative alternative approaches to conservation.

It will be challenging to move from our current system of conflict to one of cooperation - but with President Bush leading us - we can make it happen.

To each of you, I thank you. For your concern about the environment. For your passion in protecting species and their habitat And for your interest in furthering the kinds of partnerships that will make our environment stronger and better for future generations.

Thank you.