U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to Honor Saxton as Legislator of the Year

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to Honor Saxton as Legislator of the Year

Congressman Jim Saxton was been named to receive the Fisheries and Habitat Conservation Legislator of the Year Award.

"You have been chosen for this award because of your long-standing commitment to conserve and protect America's valuable natural resources," said U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) official Christine Eustis in announcing the award.

Saxton, who was singled out for his National Fish Hatchery System Volunteer Act, will receive the award at a March luncheon ceremony in the nation's capital. It will be presented by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Director Dale Hall.

Saxton authored H.R. 5381, which was passed in the House and Senate last year and signed into law on October 16, 2006. The law expands programs at the nation's fish hatcheries by promoting volunteerism.

"This law advances volunteer programs and promotes community partnerships for the benefit of our fish hatcheries across the nation," Saxton said. "The National Fish Hatchery System helping more than 50 threatened and endangered species and working to restore more than 100 native species."

Currently, the hatchery system faces many challenges, including aging facilities and infrastructure. These hatcheries raise striped bass, herring and shad for release in shore, bay and river areas of New Jersey and across the United States, and help inland stocking efforts of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, trout, and other freshwater fish. The Lamar National Fish Hatchery and Northeast Fishery Center in Lamar, Pa. is one of the sites that serves New Jersey and the East Coast. Volunteers at the Lamar center conduct fish and wildlife population surveys, assist biologists in testing for infectious diseases of fish, perform fish culture activities, clean tanks, do fish distribution, care for incubating eggs and aid in the genetic analysis of various fish and wildlife species.

H.R. 5381 allows hatcheries to accept gifts and bequests from individuals to specific hatcheries, carry out volunteer programs, enter into cooperative agreements with partner organizations and develop guidance for educational programs. It also authorizes pilot projects for recruiting, training, and supervising volunteers and annual appropriations of up to $200,000 to carry out the pilot project.

USFWS Director Dale Hall praised Saxton's bill, alluding to earlier successes of the congressman's.

"Mr. Saxton's bill to promote volunteerism at our National Wildlife Refuges was a success, and I expect this bill to promote volunteerism on National Fish Hatcheries will yield similar results," Dale said. "It's always a pleasure to work with Congressman Saxton on fish and wildlife issues."

An earlier bill Saxton wrote, the "National Wildlife Refuge System Volunteer and Community Partnership Enhancement Act of 1998" created the volunteer program, and was signed into law by President Clinton. Another bill, his "National Wildlife Refuge Volunteer Act of 2004,' H.R. 2408, amended the Fish and Wildlife Act of 1956 to reauthorize and improve the 1998 bill. H.R. 2408 was signed into law by President Bush on Oct. 16, 2004.

Saxton is a senior member of the House Natural Resources Committee, and its Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee.

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/nj03_saxton/pr070219LegOfYrFWS.html