POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, OFFICE OF THE SOLICITOR, Washington 25, D. C., March 23, 1955. Chairman, Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, United States Senate. DEAR MR. CHAIRMAN: Reference is made to your request for a report on S. 757, a bill to amend the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act of March 16, 1934 (48 Stat. 451; 16 U. S. C. 718), as amended. The provisions of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act which would be amended by this measure relate to the disposition of moneys received from the sale of such stamps. The provisions relating to the reimbursement of this Department for services rendered in connection with the sale of the stamps are retained, and the measure, if enacted, will not affect postal expenditures. In view of the foregoing, this Department has no recommendations to make with respect to the enactment of this legislation. The Bureau of the Budget has advised that there would be no objection to the submission of this report to the Committee. Alaska Sportsmens Council strongly favors S. 756 and S. 1172 and requests full participation of Alaska in division of surplus Pittman-Robertson fund also favors passage of S. 757. ALASKA SPORTSMENS COUNCIL. LITTLE ROCK, ARK., May 2, 1955. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman, Subcommittee Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Will appreciate every consideration S. 756 as release of Pittman-Robertson surplus funds of extreme importance to Arkansas and Nation. W. M. APPLE, Secretary, Arkansas Wildlife Federation. CARMICHAEL, CALIF., May 5, 1955. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: Washington, D. C.: Six hundred sportsmen organizations California Wildlife Federation support Bible bill S. 756 and urge your committee recommend passage. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, GEORGE D. DIFANI. DENVER, COLO., April 30, 1955. United States Capitol, Washington, D. C. We wish to let you and your committee know the members of the Colorado Wildlife Federation are in favor Bible bill S. 756 and S. 757. We hope your committee will give a favorable recommendation to these bills as we feel they are of benefit to our wildlife and fisheries future. COLORADO WILDLIFE FEDERATION, BOISE, IDAHO, May 2, 1955. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, The Idaho Wildlife Federation opposes Murray bill S. 1172 and endorses Bibl bill S. 756 and duck-stamp earmarking bill S. 757. THEO. H. WEGENER, President. LANSING, MICH., May 2, 1955. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman, Subcommittee Merchant Marine and Fisheries, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. Strongly urge favorable action to make approximately 13%1⁄2 million unappropriated Pittman-Robertson fund available to the States proposed by Senator Bible of Nevada in S. 759. Greatly prefer this method to that proposed by Senator Murray of Montana in S. 1172. The rapid encroachment by agriculture and industry on wetlands makes positive action necessary to insure greater use of the duck-stamp fund for water fowl land acquisition. We favor duck-stamp changes along the lines proposed in the S. 757 by Senator Bible and by several others in the House. GERALD E. EDDY, Director, Michigan Department of Conservation. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., May 5, 1955. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman, Senate Subcommittee Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. Conservation Federation of Missouri, statewide organization of 14,000 members strongly urges your committee approve Bible bill, S. 756, to make available to States surplus P. R. funds and also approve S. 757 to earmark duck stamp money for refuge acquisition. ED STEGNER, Executive Secretary, Conservation Federation of Missouri. Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., May 2, 1955. Chairman, Senate Subcommittee Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. Missouri Conservation Commission urgently requests favorable committee action on S. 756 and the defeat of S. 1172. We desire to restate our support of bills S. 756 and S. 757 and strongly oppose bill S. 1172. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, ALBUQUERQUE, N. MEX., May 2, 1955. Chairman, Senate Subcommittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: The New Mexico Game Protective Association, representing the sportsmen of New Mexico, endorse provisions of Bible bill, S. 756 as best plan for disbursement of Pittman-Robertson surplus fund. We also endorse S. 757 to provide funds for acquisition of waterfowl areas. Respectfully urge favorable action on these bills by your committee. We disapprove provisions of Murray bill, S. 1172, which would amend Pittman-Robertson Act. Request this message be presented to your committee at hearing May 4 and 5. ROGER NEILL, Executive Secretary. WALLA WALLA, WASH., May 3, 1955. Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Chairman, Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C.: The Oregon Wildlife Federation endorses Bible bill S. 756 and Price bill H. R. 162 on Pittman-Robertson surplus fund; also bills S. 757 and H. R. 37 on earmarking duck stamp money. CARL B. RAMSEY, President, Oregon Wildlife Federation. WISCONSIN FEDERATION OF CONSERVATION CLUBS, Senator WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Senator ALEXANDER WILEY, Senate Office Building. Congressman FRANK BOYKIN, House Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN: This organization would like to have you recognize the great demand for an equitable distribution of the Pittman-Robertson surplus funds which were built up during the war years. It is our belief that these funds should be returned to the States without matching requirements over a 5-year period for use in projects which would normally be approved for other Pittman-Robertson project funds. It should be in addition to the normally disbursed Pittman-Robertson funds and should not just postpone the payment of regular funds for 1 year, and no gain would be apparent in actual wildlife work that would be permissible under such a plan. We favor the Bible bill, S. 756, on Pittman-Robertson surplus fund and the Price bill, H. R. 162, on the same surplus fund. We are also very much in favor of bills S. 757 and H. R. 37 earmarking 40 percent of duck stamp money for purchase of wetlands for management for ducks. This is a much needed change, especially since we now hold only 31⁄2 million acres, and it has taken us 20 years to acquire that, and the Fish and Wildlife Service maintains that we will need a minimum of 11 million acres to maintain present duck population levels. That means we must acquire those other 71% million acres in less than a third of the time we have spent on the lands now in public ownership, which is going to have to be accomplished by compelling the purchase of these lands so that they will not be diverted to other uses before it is possible to purchase them under the present program. Sincerely, LES WOERPEL, Executive Secretary. Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, STATE OF COlorado, DEPARTMENT OF GAME AND FISH, Denver, Colo., May 5 1955. Chairman, Subcommittee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR MAGNUSON: I would appreciate having this letter made a part of the public hearings which were scheduled for May 4 and 5 with reference to the allocation of $13,500,000 of reserve Pittman-Robertson funds, now held by the Federal Treasury, and the earmarking of 40 percent of the revenue derived from the sale of the duck stamps for the acquisition of migratory waterfowl refuges. Speaking on behalf of the Colorado Game and Fish Department, which is most directly concerned with the allocation of the Federal-aid funds, we would like to urge the passage of the provisions contained in H. R. 162 or H. R. 598 or S. 756, which, I understand, appropriate the reserve Pittman-Robertson funds for distribution to the States under the Pittman-Robertson Act formula over a period of 5 years. This allocation would be in addition to the regular allocation of Pittman-Robertson funds, and, in my opinion, would provide for a stepped-up game restoration program. These additional funds are particularly needed in Colorado at the present time to meet the terrific demands of more and more licensed hunters. I realize the Bureau of the Budget and the Department of the Interior may be opposed to the allocation of these funds without matching by the States, and the only reason for the nonmatching basis was to accommodate a few of the larger Western States that have difficulty in matching current allocations of Pittman-Robertson funds. As far as Colorado is concerned, we would be willing to concede this point, and, if necessary, to match the Federal grants on the same basis now provided under the current Pittman-Robertson Act. We do definitely object to the provisions contained in the Metcalf bill, H. R. 3257, which would not provide any increased funds to carry on a stepped-up program. It is conceded that this type of legislation would tend to stabilize budget problems and would provide a little better planning of current projects. In my opinion, however, the States have been operating successfully under the current legislation since 1937, and it has functioned remarkably well and to the satisfaction of all States concerned. The additional funds made available to the States would be utilized by a great number of the States in acquiring and developing wet lands for migratory birds. It is conceded by all of the States and by the Fish and Wildlife Service itself that there is a greater need for the acquisition and development of wet lands for migratory waterfowl refuges, and since the Federal Government has been unwilling to meet these needs this would be one basis which would allow the States to help. The sportsmen of Colorado, as well as the Game and Fish Department, would also like to go on record as favoring H. R. 37, H. R. 597, and S. 757, which in effect provide that not less than 40 percent of duck stamp funds be used for wet land acquisition. Most of the State game and fish departments feel that duck stamp funds are not now being utilized for the purposes which are provided in the duck stamp law, namely, the acquisition and development of Federal migratory waterfowl refuges. In recent years, there has been a decided tendency to utilize the duck stamp funds for the normal and routine operating expenses of the Fish and Wildlife Service. As a consequence, the acquisition of lands to maintain the migrations of waterfowl in the United States and the necessary breeding grounds to maintain the supply has dwindled to nothing. The Fish and Wildlife Service admits that there is a great need for additional acquisitions and yet the funds are not provided to acquire the necessary wet lands. You will recall that several years ago the sportsmen of the United States went along with the request of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service that the duck stamp be raised from $1 to $2, with the understanding that that money be expended to maintain the waterfowl populations throughout the United States. Since this has not been done, the game and fish departments and the sportsmen feel the need for the type of legislation mentioned above and would heartily endorse the enactment of provisions which would earmark 40 percent of these funds for the acquisition and development of new waterfowl refuges. I would like to thank you and the members of your committee for this oppor tunity to comment on this legislation. Very truly yours, THOMAS L. KIMBALL, Director. STATE OF MARYLAND, Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, GAME AND INLAND FISH COMMISSION, Chairman, Senate Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, Senate Office Building, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR MAGNUSON: I have been advised today by Mr. Thomas L. Kimball, chairman of the legislative committee of the International Association of Game, Fish, and Conservation Commissioners, that your committee has agreed to extend hearings for another week to receive letters from State game and fish departments concerning their position on H. R. 162, H. R. 598, H. R. 3895, H. R. 3257 and H. R. 4297, bills to provide that the United States shall aid these States in wildlife restoration projects and for other purposes. Please be advised the State of Maryland concurs in every respect with the recommendation submitted to you by Mr. John A. Biggs, chairman, executive committee, International Association of Game, Fish, and Conservation Com missioners, under date of April 6, 1955. We are strongly in favor of the Price Young type of bills as contained in H. R. 162, H. R. 598, and H. R. 3895, and opposed to the Metcalf type of legislation which would require State matching funds. Appreciating favorable consideration by your committee, I am, ERNEST A. VAUGHN, Director. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION Seattle, Wash., April 6, 1955. OF GAME, FISH AND CONSERVATION COMMISSIONERS, Hon. WARREN G. MAGNUSON, Washington, D. C. DEAR SENATOR MAGNUSON: At the recent North American Wildlife Conference held at Montreal, Quebec, the majority of the member States of the International Association of Game, Fish, and Conservation Commissioners were present and in their capacities as directors and commissioners attended the executive committee of that group. The primary subject of discussion at that meeting was the presently unallocated Pittman-Robertson surplus, which approximates $13 million. As you know, Pittman-Robertson funds, which are derived from a tax on sporting arms and ammunition, are returned to the States in proportion to their area and number of hunting licenses they sell and are utilized for wildlife rehabilitation pur poses. The resulting funds have been a tremendous boon to the Nation's wildlife resources, unquestionably playing a very decisive part in providing hunting for the several million people who engage in this recreation throughout the United States. During the first years of the act Congress appropriated sums back to the States which were less than the receipts received from the tax. This was partic ularly true during the war years when activities of this nature had, of necessity, to be curtailed. Now Congress appropriates to the States the exact amount of tax received each year so that the surplus is not enlarging but is remaining static. The various State game departments throughout the Nation and the millions of sportsmen whom they represent feel that they have a very high moral right to the use of this surplus, and they further feel that at this critical period in the development of our wildlife management programs that the money could be used most profitably. You have pending before your committee several bills dealing with the dis bursement of this surplus which fall into two general categories. The first is the Metcalf type of bill, which is H. R. 3257 accompanied by H. R. 4298, an exactly similar bill. The Senate version of the bill is S. 1172 by Senator James E. Mur ray (Montana). This type of legislation would make an immediate allocation of $3 million to the States for the year of 1956 and subsequent years would then be predicated on the current receipts basis, which is now utilized. |