8020

• UCREFRP Catalog Number: 8020
• Author: Horak, G. C.
• Title: Proceedings of the Symposium on Mitigating Developmental Impacts on Fish and Wildlife.
• USFW Year: 1979.
• USFW - Doc Type: March 1979.
• Copyright Material: NO

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Bure~u of Fisheries) as well as state fish and game departments concerning
fish and wildlife mitigation. Funds allotted to project construction were
to include the cost of mitigatory investigations. The penalty for violation
of the Act is a fine of $500 or a prison sentence of one year, or both.
The Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act, as it has been titled and
amended in 1958 (14), includes the revisionthat"...wi1dlife conservation
shall receive equal consideration and be coordinated with other features
of reso'urce development programs..." The revision allows the Secretary of
the Interior to expand the scope of the Act by accepting donations of land
and money. The river basin studies in particular (which require cooperative
planning between the Fish and Wildlife service in consultation with state
fish and game departments and construction agencies) apply without question
to all kinds of projects undertaken by federal agencies or federal licensees
under the current legislation. Prior to the 1958 amendment, the statute ad-
dressed itself solely to reducing fish and wildlife losses or compensating
for fish and wildlife losses. The new Act authorizes the Fish and Wildlife
Service and state fish and game departments to plan for the enhancement of
fish and wildlife resources in projects covered by the Act. Enhancement re-
fers to increasing fish and wildlife resources, above what they would be if
the project was not constructed. Enhancement, in regard to the benefit-cost
ratio, may add cost to the project but benefits are gained that are greater
than the cost outlay.
The revision also requires that reports submitted to Congress include
both the effects of a given project on fish and wildlife and the recommen-
dations by the Fish and Wildlife Service for reducing or compensating for
losses and enhancing fish and wildlife resources. The reporting officer
should give full consideration to the reports and recommendations of the

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