GEORGE W. BUSH (REPUBLICAN)
CONSERVATION
Much of the river conservation work done by American Whitewater is supported by provisions in federal environmental regulations.
As governor of Texas, Bush has overseen efforts to enact a major anti-regulatory agenda. He supports stronger state and local control of environmental regulations and has advocated voluntary private programs for protecting endangered species, wildlife habitat and wetlands.
In 1994, Bush’s opposition to the Federal Endangered Species Act was both a central theme in his campaign for governor and a priority after he was elected. In a recent campaign appearance in Spokane, WA, Bush rejected the idea of breaching 4 dams on the lower Snake River to protect endangered salmon.
Bush supports cooperative landowner agreements to protect wetlands and species, rather than state-mandated restrictions on development. Because these are between the state and private parties, however, they are not available for public review.
According to the Texas Center for Policy Studies, overall water quality in Texas’ classified reservoirs has declined since 1992, and “a third of the state’s rivers and streams probably violate federal water quality standards, though no one is certain because the state declines to test them all.”
ACCESS
Bush is a champion of private property, allowing individuals to sue state and local governments if their property is devalued 25% because of government action. Bush said this law “recognizes that private property is the basis of capitalism and it recognizes that government can overstep its bounds.”
Texas ranks 49th among states in the amount of money it invests in state parks. In addition, a 1998 state auditor’s report found a $186 million funding backlog for maintenance of existing parks. The state parks department does not receive general funding from the legislature, but is funded by visitor fees and a state sales tax on sporting goods that is capped by law at $32 million.
Bush has supported additional federal funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and an increase in LWCF spending on state programs.
ENDORSEMENTS
None by conservation or recreation groups. |
ALBERT GORE, JR. (DEMOCRAT)
CONSERVATION
Gore is a strong proponent of the Endangered Species Act, supporting the broader use of public investment to protect habitat. He has not, however, come out against the administration’s decision not to breach the four dams on the Snake River.
Gore recognizes that regulation alone is inadequate to protect habitat. On wetlands protection he says, “Regulation alone will never be enough to restore the losses…We must increase public investment and expand our partnerships with state and local governments, conservancies and land trusts, and conservation and sporting groups.”
While in Congress, Gore supported legislation to preserve America’s natural resources: in 1991, he helped stop a bill to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and firmly maintains the need to keep this treasure sacrosanct. Gore has also reduced logging in National Forests by 80% since 1993.
In 1996 and again in 1999, Gore was a primary supporter of administration plans and efforts to restore the Everglades by eliminating levees and canals, construct wetlands and restore natural water flows. He also proposed the Lands Legacy Initiative, and has a stronger position on the Roadless Initiative than the Clinton Administration does.
He is an active proponent of environmental regulation, saying “Human health standards should not be lowered merely on the basis of the cost of compliance.”
Gore has opposed “takings” legislation: under such bills, he says, “an individual has no responsibility to preserve and protect our shared resources, and society should pay an individual to do the right thing.
“In other words, [such a bill] would require taxpayers to pay polluters not to pollute.”
ACCESS
Gore recently proposed spending $2 billion over 10 years to protect land threatened by development and create new parks. According to Gore, the new measures would be completely offset by increasing the royalties that companies pay to mine on federal land. Under the 1872 Mining Law, companies currently extract minerals without paying royalties and can buy mining rights at land prices set in 1872.
He supports expanding the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
ENDORSEMENTS
Both the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club have endorsed Gore. |
