For immediate release: July 23, 1998

Contact: Mike Gauldin, 202-208-6416

In a televised press conference today at 1 pm, Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt outlined what he called "shameful" attacks on the environment that were moving through Congressional Appropriations:
 

"Right now, more Americans are coming to National Parks. More families are hunting and fishing on national wildlife refuges and public lands. The demand is higher than ever in history. And the money to meet their needs is available. But as I speak, Congress is slashing funding for our environment and our natural heritage across the board. They have no excuse for this. None whatsoever.
 

"The leadership, is, after all, funding 28 transport planes costing $1.3 billion that the Air Force doesn't even want (benefitting, coincidentally, Mississippi and Georgia). I'd be happy to accept a little of that to fund the President's request on behalf of the rest of the nation's forests, parks and environment. "
 

"This is worse than 1995. Back then they tried to gut Clean Water Act, shut down National Parks, and eviscerate the Endangered Species Act. They failed. The American public rose up and stopped them cold. This time, they're trying to do the same thing by starving our parks, refuges, public lands, science, Indian schools and natural resources. And they're doing it quietly without any debate."
 

"Specifically, they have cut funds for Everglades restoration by 75 percent. They've cut land acquisition in half. They have still not released $700 million for protecting Yellowstone, the Mojave Desert, old growth Pacific redwoods, Teton Ranch in Montana, the Appalachian Trail, and Olympic National Park.
 

"On endangered species, we have been working closely with landowners on the ground, offering incentives like habitat plans, conservation agreements, Safe Harbors and no surprises. The demand for these has skyrocketed. But Congress eliminated these very incentives. We have also finally begun the process of delisting dozens of species like grey wolves, peregrine falcons and bald eagles that have recovered under the Act. Our progress on both would benefit states, landowners, the timber industry and wildlife officials. But Congress has cut funds for both recovery, for protection, for incentives and for delisting."
 

"The First Lady has been touring landmarks around the country, calling for the restoration of our heritage -- like the flag that flew over Ft. McHenry, Edison's home in New Jersey, and right here within sight of Capitol Hill, the Washington Monument. The public response has been enormous. Yet we are being forced to go out to the private sector, open handed, asking them to help pay for our crumbling, deteriorating national treasures because Congress won't, choosing instead to quietly starve them."
 

"You hear a lot of rhetoric in Congress about education. They have direct authority to help only two areas: military and tribes. But when it comes right down to it, they fail, miserably and shamefully, to provide even basic needs of Indian schools. I have seen these schools, the squalor. And there is no excuse for it."
 

During questions, Babbitt also attacked riders to punch roads through designated wilderness for the first time in American history, double the logging of old growth trees, land helicopters in wilderness areas, clearcut forests to keep them from burning, mandate commercial fishing in Glacier Bay National Park, and prevent collection of $70 million in royalties that the oil industry owes the American taxpayer.

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  U.S. Department of the Interior