1 Encouraged And Promoted Conservation Of Our Natural Resources

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3 Instituted policies that helped reduce air pollution by 12 percent from 2001 to
2007 and adopted new policies that will produce even deeper reductions.
Established stringent air quality standards and adopted rules that will cut
hazardous industrial emissions and will cut power plant emissions by nearly 70
percent and diesel engine emissions by more than 90 percent.
4 Signed an Executive Order making cooperative conservation the national policy of
the United States and directed Federal agencies to implement resource laws
cooperatively with State, local and tribal governments, and the public.
5 Cleared dry brush and dead trees and thinned overstocked forests on 27 million
acres of forest and range lands through the Healthy Forest Initiative to help
prevent catastrophic wildfires, assist in executing core components of the
National Fire Plan, and restore these ecosystems to healthy, natural conditions.
6 Restored, improved, or protected more than 3 million acres of wetlands, improving
water quality and creating wildlife habitats, largely through farm bill
conservation programs, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act, and other
cooperative conservation efforts. Set a new goal to protect, improve, and restore
another 4 million acres.
7 Expanded Federal tax incentives to encourage landowners to donate their property
for conservation purposes. Strengthened and expanded the Conservation Reserve
Program through which we are helping ranchers and farmers restore grassland
habitats on their land.
8 Created 15 new National Wildlife Refuges and emphasized recovery goals under the
Endangered Species Act.
9 Efforts to conserve the populations of both the bald eagle and the Yellowstone
grizzly bear have led to their recovery and removal from the Endangered Species
List.
10 The Administration listed the polar bear as a threatened species under the
Endangered Species Act and has further developed a polar bear action plan to help
protect the species.
11 Facilitated an agreement among Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico,
Utah, and Wyoming on water allocation during shortages and surpluses. This
two-year effort enables the Department of the Interior to better manage Federal
reservoirs while meeting the water needs of the seven States.
12 Advanced a series of highly complex, regional resource conservation and management
initiatives in partnership with the States, including with regard to the
Everglades, Gulf of Mexico, Great Lakes, Pacific Coast, Columbia River, and
Klamath River Basin.
13 Preserved Our National Parks And Community Heritage
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15 Announced the National Park Centennial Initiative in 2006, which increased funding
to hire more park rangers, repair buildings, improve natural landscapes, and
engage more children as junior rangers – an initiative Mrs. Laura Bush has
actively supported and promoted.
16 Performed more than $1 billion in assessments and clean-ups where necessary on
more than 10,000 abandoned and contaminated industrial sites through the
Brownfields Program.
17 Provided nearly $17 million in grants through the Preserve America Initiative to
advance efforts to protect our cultural and natural heritage in all 50 States:
awarded more than 220 Preserve America grants and recognized more than 700
communities as Preserve America Communities. Mrs. Bush has also actively
supported and promoted this initiative.
18 Signed an Executive Order to facilitate the expansion and enhancement of hunting
opportunities and the management of game species and their habitat.
19 Preserved Our Oceans
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21 Accomplished conservation in marine environments over the last eight years on par
with what we've achieved on land over the past 100.
22 Released an Ocean Action Plan in 2004 and created the first ever Cabinet Committee
on Ocean Policy. All 88 actions recommended in the Ocean Action Plan have been
met or are on track, making our oceans' coasts and Great Lakes cleaner, healthier,
 and more productive.
23 Designated nearly 140,000 square miles of coral reef ecosystems and surrounding
waters in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, which contains more than 7,000
species, many of which are found nowhere else on earth, as the Papahānaumokuākea
Marine National Monument – giving the area our Nation's highest form of marine
environmental protection.
24 Designated three areas of the Pacific Ocean, covering more than 195,500 square
miles, as marine national monuments: the Mariana, Pacific Remote Islands, and Rose
Atoll Marine National Monuments.
25 Announced the expansion of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary by 775
square miles to include the Davidson Sea Mount.
26 Protected our oceans by taking action to end overfishing and conserve habitats.
27 Increased funding for the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration by $770
million since he took office.
28 Protected Fish And Birds
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30 Directed Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in consultation with Secretary of
Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, to strengthen efforts to protect sustainable fisheries
and call for an end to destructive fishing practices on the high seas. In
December 2006, in an effort spearheaded by the United States, the United Nations
passed a resolution to help protect fish stocks and marine habitats from
destructive fishing practices.
31 Signed an Executive Order to conserve as gamefish two of America's most popular
recreational fish – striped bass and red drum – for the recreational, economic,
and environmental benefit of present and future generations.
32 Signed the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization
Act of 2006 and reaffirmed our commitment to protect America's fisheries and keep
our commercial and recreational fishing communities strong.
33 Preserved and restored stopover habitat for migratory birds in the United States
through the Migratory Bird Initiative and put forth an innovative policy called
"recovery credit trading," which provides a new tool to help in habitat
conservation.