MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION REFUGES Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The next item, "Migratory bird conservation refuges," page 645 of the bill, seems to be the same, the difference being the deduction of $1,300 transferred to contingent expenses, Department of Interior. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Dr. GABRIELSON. The following justification is submitted for the record: MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION REFUGES Appropriation act, 1941... Less amount to be transferred to "Contingent expenses, Department of the Interior" in 1942... Decrease_ Total Budget estimate, 1942 $79, 753 1, 300 78, 453 3 78, 450 PURPOSE OF APPROPRIATION The Migratory Bird Conservation Act of February 18, 1929 (U. S. C., title 16, secs. 715-715r), authorized a 10-year program for the establishment of a national system of refuges for the conservation and perpetuation of waterfowl and other migratory birds. Work under this appropriation includes the examinations, surveys, and acquisition of land and water for migratory bird refuges throughout the United States; maintenance and administration of refuge areas acquired under this act and the development of such areas and other refuges; the elimination of loss of migratory birds due to alkali-poisoning, oil pollution, disease, or other causes; and biological investigations and wildlife management of refuges and other areas. Examinations, surveys and acquisition of refuge land.-Potential refuge areas are examined to determine those best adapted biologically for such purposes. Favorable reports are followed by investigations to determine the types of land and their extent, the soil, cover, improvements, etc., and to ascertain the market value of those tracts under consideration for purchase. Negotiations with the owners are conducted to reach equitable price agreements and options are secured. Refuges cannot be acquired in any State until the State has passed enabling legislation consenting to the acquisition of land by the Federal Government. No purchase can be made of an area until it has been approved by the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission. Under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act more than 4,000,000 acres in 141 proposed refuge sites have been examined and ownership records compiled. For the past several years the appropriations have been inadequate to permit any purchases under this appropriation but examinations, appraisals, surveys, and topographic studies have been carried on by the small force retained under this project. Administration of migratory bird conservation refuges.-Refuges acquired or established under the Migratory Bird Conservation Act are partly administered under this project. Full-time refuge managers are provided at the Cape Romain Refuge, S. C. (60,000 acres); St. Marks Refuge, Fla. (35,000 acres); and Crescent Lake Refuge, Nebr. (42,000 acres), which were established as breeding, resting, and feeding areas for migratory waterfowl and other birds. Extensive developments and improvements have been made on the refuges under Public Works funds and with the aid of Civilian Conservation Corps camps. The maintenance of the refuges consists of their patrol for the enforcement of refuge acts and protection against fire; planting of food and cover; upkeep of engineering improvements and buildings; and other activities tending to increase the effectiveness of the area as migratory bird refuges. Investigations of native game birds and refuge ecology.-The object of this project is to determine practical correlations in refuge land use between waterfowl and native upland game species; to gain information on life history and habits particularly as it relates to reproduction and maintenance of waterfowl and other native game birds; to improve methods for production and management on refuges and other areas of important native upland game birds; to improve management of refuges and other areas as breeding and wintering grounds for waterfowl. Field and laboratory investigations are conducted upon various species of waterfowl and other native game birds to learn their detailed habits, their environmental requirements, and interrelationships, and to determine their adaptability to refuges and other wildlife areas. Investigations of diseases of birds.-Under this project work is conducted on diseases attacking migratory waterfowl and upland game birds. The excessive losses from such conditions as botulism, lead poisoning, and parasitism especially demand research on waterfowl diseases. Botulism, a disease particularly destructive in the western half of this country, causing greater losses than all other conditions, is being given special attention in the field station in Utah. Considerable information is being collected on the character of environment necessary to permit the causative organism to thrive and produce potent toxins. The component parts of ooze or muck, the degree of alkalinity, and the scarcity_of oxygen are being determined by chemical and physical analysis in the field. By these methods of approach it can be determined what areas are suitable and which are potential danger spots for waterfowl. The scope of this work is greatly broadened by the aid of a trailer equipped as a laboratory which is transported to critical points for the collection of material and for detailed study of affected birds, and suspected sources of the toxin producing organism. Ulcerative enteritis, or quail disease, is also receiving further study because of the heavy losses encountered on many game farms. Numerous cultures of bacteria collected from birds dying in these outbreaks are being studied by laboratory technique and practical field tests for their pathogenicity. Dr. GABRIELSON. In connection with the establishment of the Upper Mississippi River Wildlife and Fish Refuge, I would just like to say that is one place where we did not request the appropriation of all the money authorized. We were authorized to request a million and a half dollars, but we bought all of the land we needed for something under a million dollars. RESTORATION OF LOWER KLAMATH MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGE Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The next item appears on page 647 of the bill, for the restoration and development of Klamath Lake Reservation as a feeding, nesting and breeding ground for migratory birds, including the construction of water-control works thereon and for necessary expenses, $65,000. The appropriation for the current fiscal year is $70,000. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Dr. GABRIELSON. The following justification is submitted: RESTORATION OF LOWER KLAMATH MIGRATORY WATERFOWL REFUGE Appropriation Act, 1941. Budget estimate, 1942 Decrease.. $70, 000 65, 000 PURPOSE OF APPROPRIATION 5, 000 Lower Klamath Lake was one of the greatest duck havens on the Pacific coast, having been originally provided with perfect conditions for waterfowl resting, feeding, and breeding. In the days of market shooting it was reported that a quarter of a million ducks were killed there annually and as many as 5,000,000 frequented the area during migration. Thousands of ducks, including mallards, pintails, canvasbacks, gadwalls, mergansers, cinnamon teal, ruddy ducks, Canada geese, sandhill cranes, gulls, herons, and other waterfowl flourished there. August 8, 1908, Klamath Lake Reservation was established by Executive order "as a preserve and feeding ground for native birds," subject to prior rights of the Reclamation Service. On In October 1917, after the establishment of the Klamath drainage district by the Reclamation Service, the control gates in the Klamath River were closed and the waters which normally overflowed into Lower Klamath Lake were prevented from entering the lake. As a consequence the water remaining in the lake was lost through evaporation and repeated fires destroyed both the cover and the soil to a point where only a desert waste remained. The original estimate for the restoration of the Lower Klamath Refuge called for an expenditure of $257,000 assuming that the work would be done under contract. This figure was later reduced to $138,600, based on using a Civilian Conservation Corps camp to perform the job rather than handling it by contract. For the fiscal year 1941 funds were appropriated in the amount of $70,000 to initiate the work required to restore the Lower Klamath area to a waterfowl refuge by constructing dams, dikes, and water-control structures designed to hold the water delivered from Tule Lake and the Klamath River, thus reestablishing a like of 13,000 acres and approximately 4,000 acres of marsh within the Lower Klamath Refuge boundaries. An estimate of $65,000 is submitted for the fiscal year 1942 to complete the restoration project. It is of the utmost importance that the work be continued and brought to completion during the fiscal year 1942, because of the high-water conditions and dike breaks which threaten the property and safety of many homesteaders now in the Tule Lake area. The dike must be completed on the California side of the OregonCalifornia State line to prevent water delivered from the Reclamation Service Canal, and delivered through the Lower Klamath Irrigation District Canal, from going back to the Klamath Drainage District farming lands that lie in Oregon north of the project. It will also be necessary to complete the enlargement of the Canal of the Klamath Irrigation District to provide the supplemental amount of water, 10,000 to 15,000 acre-feet, necessary to maintain the water levels of Lower Klamath Lake at the proper height for refuge purposes. The completion of the restoration of the Lower Klamath Refuge will be of outstanding value in rehabilitating waterfowl in the Pacific flyway. The estimated expenditures under recommended appropriation are itemized as follows: Rental of 11⁄2 cubic-yard dragline 1,200 hours at $10.. 520,000 cubic yards earthwork at $0.05... Riprap (class B), oil, fuel, repairs, quarrying 20,000 cubic yards at $12,000 26, 000 7,600 6, 000 Rubble masonry, gas, oil, repairs, quarrying 1,000 cubic yards at $0.30. 2,400 sacks of cement at $0.90 300 2, 160 5,000 board feet lumber at $40 200 Engineering supervision. 6, 000 Reserve for contingencies and increased cost of operation and materials.. 4, 640 Total... 65, 000 EXPLANATION OF CHANGE IN LANGUAGE Language has been included to continue available in 1942 any balance remaining from the $70,000 appropriated for 1941. Due to unavoidable delay in getting the Civilian Conservation Corps draglines to the job it is anticipated that the entire $70,000 may not be expended during the fiscal year 1941 but any remaining unobligated balance will be required for use in the fiscal year 1942. Dr. GABRIELSON. The first appropriation, of $70,000, was made last year for restoring the Lower Klamath Refuge, cooperatively undertaken with the Reclamation Service, to relieve the excess of water in Klamath Lake and to make some additional land available. Lower Klamath Lake was formerly one of the greatest duck havens on the Pacific coast; it was dried up by the construction of a dam a great many years ago. This $70,000 was for the construction of dikes and water-control structures designed to hold the water to be delivered through a tunnel from Tule Lake off the farmland of many homesteaders now in the Tule Lake area. We are working with the Recla mation Service, and this $65,000 is to take care of the completion of the restoration of the Lower Klamath Refuge. UNEXPENDED BALANCE Mr. SHEPPARD. What about the language in the bill authorizing the use of the unexpended balance of the appropriation of $70,000 for the current fiscal year; what is the unexpended balance? Dr. GABRIELSON. Probably between 10 and 15 thousand dollars. There was some delay in getting draglines on the job so it will not be possible to spend all of the money this year, but of course we want the money to finish the job. WORK OF BUREAU OF RECLAMATION ON PROJECT Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The Bureau of Reclamation is doing some work on this project. Dr. GABRIELSON. Yes; they are doing some work; they are doing some work on the tunnel. If you can get a picture of it: Two big lakes, Tule Lake and Lower Klamath Lake, lying side by side, separated by a low mountain. The Lower Klamath Lake was dried up, and at the north end and east side of the lake the land was put under irrigation; and it will be necessary to complete the dike on the California side of the State line to prevent water delivered from the Reclamation Service canal, from going back to the drainage district farming lands that lie in Oregon, north of the project. By putting in this dike we can confine this water in the south end of the lake bed and not throw it on the farming land and grazing land which have been developed at the north end. It is a compensating project to protect the investment that the Reclamation Service has made as well as the investment the people have in the land, and at the same time put back the migratory-fowl refuge which was destroyed by the diversion of the water down the Klamath River. Mr. LEAVY. Was that known as the Klamath reclamation project? Dr. GABRIELSON. Yes, sir. Mr. SHEPPARD. Is that the migratory-bird refuge over which there was considerable litigation, which even went to the Supreme Court? Dr. GABRIELSON. No. That was Malheur Lake. This Lower Klamath Lake was one of the greatest migratory-fowl refuges on the Pacific coast for years, and contained originally about 80,000 acres. It was destroyed by the diversion of water down the Klamath River. This project will put back around 20.000 acres. MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION FUND Mr. JOHNSON of Oklahoma. The next item appears on page 648, for carrying into effect the provisions of section 4 of the act for carrying out the Migratory Bird Conservation Act, as amended. JUSTIFICATION OF ESTIMATE Dr. GABRIELSON. The following justification is submitted: MIGRATORY BIRD CONSERVATION FUND Appropriation act, 1941.. Budget estimate, 1942.-- 1 Estimated receipts from sales of waterfowl hunting stamps during fiscal year 1 $1, 000, 000 1 1, 000, 000 PURPOSE OF APPROPRIATION The Migratory Waterfowl Hunting Stamp Act of March 16, 1934 (U. S. C., title 16, secs. 718-718h), as amended by act of June 15, 1935 (U. S. C., Supp. 1, title 16, secs. 718a-718e), provides that every hunter of migratory waterfowl must have in his possession a Federal hunting stamp. The stamps are sold at post offices at a cost of $1 each. The funds provided by the sale of these stamps are used for wildlife conservation, being expended on the basis of 90 percent for acquiring, restoring, and administering waterfowl habitats as inviolate refuges, and 10 percent for the enforcement of the various acts for the protection of migratory birds and the expenses of the Post Office Department for engraving, issuing, and accounting for the stamps. This act was passed because of the rapid diminution in the numbers of migratory waterfowl and especially because of the appalling reduction of these birds during the protracted drought period which existed in the heart of the migratory-waterfowl-breeding grounds in the interval between the summers of 1930 and 1933. During these years the migratory flocks became so reduced in numbers that sportsmen and conservationists alike were alarmed at the apparent extinction facing this valuable recreational and economic resource. This concern for migratory wildlife spread to all walks of American life, and public opinion and demand became so mobilized, when the numbers of the birds continued to diminish, that Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act to provide funds for the conservation of migratory waterfowl as a definite and recognizedly important section of our national wildlife resources. The amount covered into this appropriation for the fiscal year 1940 was $1,111,325. Administration and Enforcement of Migratory Waterfowl Hunting Stamp and Migratory Bird Treaty Acts.-The expenditure of 10 percent of the receipts from sales of migratory-waterfowl-hunting stamps is authorized for the administration and enforcement of the Migratory Waterfowl Hunting Stamp and Migratory Bird Treaty Acts, including expenditures incurred by the Post Office Department for issuance and sale of stamps. A vigorous enforcement campaign in all the States to see that this revenue-producing statute is obeyed is of prime importance. The field law-enforcement officers employed under this project work in cooperation with those employed under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act to enforce all Federal laws and regulations protecting migratory birds. Acquisition, development, and maintenance of migratory-bird refuges.-The development and maintenance of refuge areas with the proper biological conditions necessary for the survival of migratory waterfowl is one of the most important duties performed by the Fish and Wildlife Service. The Fish and Wildlife Service is faced with the task of restoring acres ruined for wildlife by unprofitable drainage irrigation ventures, which reduced former excellent waterfowl and other wildlife habitats to a condition of wildlife barrenness. This calls for a high degree of scientific development and maintenance inasmuch as each acre of live marsh must now be made to afford sanctuary facilities for more than the former natural carrying capacity. Work under this project consists of reconnaissance and habitat improvement, restoration and development, maintenance and patrol, and acquisition of refuge lands. Habitat improvement consists of the biological rehabilitation of areas which must be worked over and made acceptable to waterfowl by planting of the proper food and cover plants, trees, and other vegetation; control of waterfowl disease epidemics; manipulation of water levels in the most advantageous way; reforestation and erosion control; creation of nesting islands; range management; and other developments conducive to the wildlife production of the area. The personnel engaged in this work are trained waterfowl biologists who make exploratory surveys along the main flyways of migratory waterfowl and select areas for acquisition and development which show the best potentialities for wildlife- and waterfowl-sanctuary purposes. Restoration and development activities consist of hydraulic engineering and architectural developments on the refuges. There are very few natural waterfowl habitats of any great size left. It is, therefore, necessary to restore former natural areas which have been unsuccessfully drained or otherwise have had their original suitability for waterfowl changed. Almost every area requires extensive impounding and stabilization of water levels to secure a safe and permanent water supply. After hydraulic and topographic surveys have been made, engineering contracts are let or force account work is undertaken to provide for necessary water impoundment. Refuge headquarters buildings are constructed when necessary. |