S. HRG. 112–820 NOMINATION OF DANIEL M. ASHE TO BE DIRECTOR OF THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE HEARING BEFORE THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION FEBRUARY 15, 2011 Printed for the use of the Committee on Environment and Public Works ( Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.fdsys.gpo.gov U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 85–225PDF WASHINGTON : 2014 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office Internet: bookstore.gpo.gov Phone: toll free (866) 512–1800; DC area (202) 512–1800 Fax: (202) 512–2104 Mail: Stop IDCC, Washington, DC 20402–0001 COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION BARBARA BOXER, California, Chairman MAX BAUCUS, Montana JAMES M. INHOFE, Oklahoma THOMAS R. CARPER, Delaware DAVID VITTER, Louisiana FRANK R. LAUTENBERG, New Jersey JOHN BARRASSO, Wyoming BENJAMIN L. CARDIN, Maryland JEFF SESSIONS, Alabama BERNARD SANDERS, Vermont MIKE CRAPO, Idaho SHELDON WHITEHOUSE, Rhode Island LAMAR ALEXANDER, Tennessee TOM UDALL, New Mexico MIKE JOHANNS, Nebraska JEFF MERKLEY, Oregon JOHN BOOZMAN, Arizona KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND, New York BETTINA POIRIER, Majority Staff Director and Chief Counsel RUTH VAN MARK, Minority Staff Director (II) CONTENTS Page FEBRUARY 15, 2011 OPENING STATEMENTS Boxer, Hon. Barbara, U.S. Senator from the State of California ....................... 1 Inhofe, Hon. James M., U.S. Senator from the State of Oklahoma ................... 2 Cardin, Hon. Benjamin L., U.S. Senator from the State of Maryland .............. 5 Crapo, Hon. Mike, U.S. Senator from the State of Idaho ................................... 7 Lautenberg, Hon. Frank R., U.S. Senator from the State of New Jersey ......... 8 Barrasso, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Wyoming ........................ 10 Merkley, Hon. Jeff, U.S. Senator from the State of Oregon ............................... 11 Vitter, Hon. David, U.S. Senator from the State of Louisiana ........................... 12 Baucus, Hon. Max, U.S. Senator from the State of Montana ............................ 13 Boozman, Hon. John, U.S. Senator from the State of Arkansas ........................ 15 Whitehouse, Hon. Sheldon, U.S. Senator from the State of Rhode Island ........ 15 Udall, Hon. Tom, U.S. Senator from the State of New Mexico ........................... 16 WITNESS Ashe, Daniel M., Nominated by President Obama to be Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service ............................................................................................. 18 Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 19 Responses to additional questions from: Senator Boxer ................................................................................................... 39 Senator Inhofe .................................................................................................. 41 Senator Crapo ................................................................................................... 54 Senator Lautenberg .......................................................................................... 57 Senator Barrasso .............................................................................................. 59 Senator Merkley ............................................................................................... 67 Senator Vitter ................................................................................................... 71 Senator Udall .................................................................................................... 88 Senator Session ................................................................................................. 91 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Interagency Consultation Involving Longhead Sea Turtles, as of February 23, 2011 ................................................................ 93–131 List of Publications, Testimonies and Speeches ................................................ 132–137 (III) NOMINATION OF DANIEL M. ASHE TO BE DI- RECTOR OF THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2011 U.S. SENATE, COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND PUBLIC WORKS, Washington, DC. The full committee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m. in room 406, Dirksen Senate Office Building, Hon. Barbara Boxer, (chair- man of the committee) presiding. Present: Senators Boxer, Inhofe, Baucus, Lautenberg, Cardin, Whitehouse, Udall, Merkley, Vitter, Barrasso, Crapo and Boozman. STATEMENT OF HON. BARBARA BOXER, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA Senator BOXER. Today, the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works will consider the nomination of Dan Ashe to be Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. During his more than 15-year career with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Mr. Ashe has held a wide variety of positions that have given him a deep understanding of the Agency he is being asked to lead. Dan Ashe currently serves as the Deputy Director. Since joining the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995, he has also served as Science Advisor to the Director, where he advised the Service Director and provided leadership on use of science within the Agency. He has served as Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System, where he was responsible for directing operations and management of the more than 150 million acre refuge system. He served as Assistant Director for External Affairs. Dan Ashe’s broad experience with the Fish and Wildlife Service makes him uniquely qualified to deal with the many challenges the Service faces today. Mr. Ashe’s knowledge and appreciation of the Fish and Wildlife Service developed well before serving in leader- ship positions with the Agency. His dad was also a career Fish and Wildlife Service employee. Mr. Ashe spent his childhood visiting many of the national treasures that the Service is charged with protecting. I know family always plays an important role in our achieve- ments. I would like to welcome members of Dan Ashe’s family who have joined us here today. His wife, Barbara, raise your hand. His daughter, Mary. Welcome. Unfortunately, son Michael is busy pre- paring for his college mid-terms and couldn’t join us. (1) 2 Mr. Ashe, as you know, the task you have been asked to under- take is very important. The Fish and Wildlife Service is the guard- ian of natural treasures and species in every single State of the Union. In my own State of California, the Service has responsibility for iconic species, like the bald eagle, and the California condor, and irreplaceable wildlife refuges like the ones in San Francisco Bay and San Diego. I have to say that these irreplaceable environ- mental gems are the keystone to our tourist industry, and the many, many millions of jobs that rely on a pristine environment in our State. So you support, the Service supports tourism and recreation that boosts local economies in California and across this Country. In 2006, according to a national survey of fishing, hunting and wildlife associated recreation, hunting, fishing and wildlife related activities provided $8 billion to the California economy, and more than $122 billion to the national economy, equaling roughly 1 per- cent of our Nation’s GDP. The Outdoor Industry Association esti- mates that outdoor recreation contributes $730 billion to the U.S. economy. It is responsible for 1 out of every 20 jobs. Mr. Ashe, you have been nominated to lead an agency that not only maintains safeguards for our Nation’s iconic species, but it also plays this key role in supporting a multi-billion dollar wildlife related economy. When I said at the beginning that our Committee is really focused a great deal on economy and jobs, your position really is an example of good stewardship relating directly to these jobs. The health of our environment and the success of our economy go hand in hand. The job isn’t easy. There will be controversy and difficult decisions. But I expect that you will follow the law and the best science in your decisionmaking. At the beginning of this Administration, President Obama took important steps to restore scientific integrity and committed to up- hold the Endangered Species Act. The President’s priorities have been echoed by Secretary Salazar. Today, I look forward to hearing how, if confirmed, you will fulfill these commitments at the Fish and Wildlife Service. Strong leadership is needed to protect and preserve our Nation’s treasures and to confront the pressing prob- lems facing our Nation’s fish and wildlife. Your record as a committed conservationist and your many years of experience with the Fish and Wildlife Service in my opinion are strong qualifications for this important position. I look forward to hearing from you today and your swift confirmation. I will call on the Ranking Member. STATEMENT OF HON. JAMES M. INHOFE, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA Senator INHOFE. Thank you, Madam Chairman. Welcome to our witness here. I had a chance to visit with Mr. Ashe. This Committee is a huge jurisdiction. One of the things that I believe we are concerned with as much as any other jurisdiction is the Fish and Wildlife. There is not a person up here, Democrat or Republican, that doesn’t have people coming with ideas and with complaints. A lot of the programs that we have done were the right programs. 3 As I told you in my office several weeks ago, I think that it is important that a director have a background as you have. You have been the Assistant