April 2002

Missouri Chapter - American Fisheries Society            Page 3

Web Assistants:

John Fantz

May 7, 2002

Dear Kenny Hulshof,

The Missouri Chapter of The American Fisheries Society, a professional organization made up of over 200 researchers, resource managers and aquaculturists, urges you to oppose attempts to include any language in the Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 4546) that would reduce our nation's environmental protections. As passed by the House Armed Services Committee, the current bill contains broad exemptions for the Department of Defense from the Migratory Bird

Treaty Act and Endangered Species Act, and weakens wilderness protections in Utah. We encourage you to oppose these provisions and any additional amendments that would add exemptions from the Marine Mammal Protection Act or other federal laws that protect our nation's environment and public health and have long been supported by the American people.

Federal law already allows the Defense Department to obtain exemptions from almost all of these laws when national security is at stake. Moreover, these proposals are being considered without adequate congressional review or input from the states and communities that would be most affected. We fully support the U.S. military, especially in its efforts to protect our national security, but believe firmly that no government agency should be above the law.

CC: Duane Chapman; Harold Kerns; Joseph Bonneau; Leanna Zweig; Mike Roell; Trish Yasger