No pictures of birds or bird habitat on _my_ property, you..., youuu,
you eco-pervert....!
Peter

>Date: Thu, 10 Aug 1995 12:29:01 +0600
>From: C7GAP at ttacs1.ttu.edu
>To: Multiple recipients of list <bene at straylight.tamu.edu>
>Subject: News on FY 96 NBS Appropriations (fwd)
>X-Comment: Biodiversity and Ecosystems NEtwork (BENE) Email ListServer

>An interesting thing happened in the Senate yesterday: an amendment was
>accepted by voice vote that would effectively prohibit new aerial surveys
>on private property without prior written permission permitting access.
>See below.....

>Joy Winckel
>c7gap at ttacs.ttu.edu

>
> The Senate approved the FY 96 interior and related agencies
> appropriations bill today. Included were provisions
> changing NBS' name to the Natural Resources Science Agency,
> placing the bureau under the Assistant Secretary for Water
> and Science and funding its activities at approximately $146
> million.
>
> At the end of the debate, Sen. Gorton offered amendments en
> bloc which were accepted by voice vote. They included a
> provision sponsored by Sen. Hutchison (TX) to prohibit
> new aerial surveys on private property without written
> permission. It is unclear how narrowly the definition of
> aerial surveys was intended to be drawn, but the language as
> it stands could prohibit many of the critical functions
> performed by NBS: GAP Analysis, waterfowl censuses,
> vegetation mapping. Many Senators have since expressed
> concern about the impact of this language, and have agreed to
> work in conference to modify if not delete this section.
>
> Conferees cannot officially be named until the House
> formally disagrees to the Senate version and requests a
> conference. The House Speaker and the Senate Majority
> Leader then name the conferees who are traditionally members
> of the Interior Appropriation Subcommittees. The Conference
> committee will then meet to work out differences between the
> two versions. While staff may accomplish some of this
> during the August recess (set to begin in the Senate August
> 11; the House has already recessed), the major disagreements
> will have to be negotiated when the House and the Senate
> reconvene in September.
>