Whereas wild tiger populations have dwindled from
approximately 100,000 at the beginning of the 20th century to as few as 3,200
in 2010, and only approximately 1,000 wild tigers are breeding females;
Whereas tigers now occupy a mere 7 percent of the habitat
that tigers historically have occupied;
Whereas poaching, illegal wildlife trade, habitat
conversion, depletion of prey base, conflict between humans and wildlife, and
other pressures continue to threaten the last wild tigers;
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat in Asia supports some
of the richest biodiversity and some of the poorest human populations;
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat benefits local human
populations by providing watersheds and buffers against natural disaster and
contributing to livelihoods;
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat in Asia represents
some of the largest intact storehouses of terrestrial carbon on Earth,
containing an average of 31/2 times more carbon than areas
outside of tiger habitat;
Whereas the tiger, an iconic species worldwide, can act as
both a catalyst and a symbol for the conservation of the last great forests of
Asia;
Whereas 2010, the Year of the Tiger
in the
Chinese calendar and beyond, presents a global opportunity to commit to halting
the decline in tigers and to ensuring the doubling of the numbers of tigers by
the next Year of the Tiger
in 2022;
Whereas the Government of Russia is hosting the Global
Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg, Russia, on November 22 through 24, 2010;
Whereas at the Summit, all 13 countries with remaining
wild tiger populations are expected to commit to a Global Tiger Recovery
Program;
Whereas the remaining tiger habitat is located in remote
transnational areas, providing an opportunity for transboundary cooperation
among countries with remaining wild tiger populations;
Whereas countries with remaining wild tiger populations
need the support and cooperation of the global community to protect and restore
wild tiger populations;
Whereas the United States has been a consistent leader in
supporting international tiger conservation; and
Whereas strong United States support for remaining wild
tiger populations, the Tiger Summit, and the Global Tiger Recovery Program will
be central to the success of tiger conservation efforts: Now, therefore, be
it
That the House of
Representatives—
(1)supports the goals
of the Tiger Summit, as such goals reinforce the interests of the United States
in recovering tigers in accordance with the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16
U.S.C. 1531 et seq.), the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 (16
U.S.C. 5301 et seq.), and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, done at Washington March 3, 1973 (27 UST 1087;
TIAS 8249);
(2)supports the
efforts of United States Government agencies to prevent poaching of tigers and
to end trafficking in tigers and tiger parts, including through cooperation
with the governments of countries with remaining wild tiger populations in
training, capacity building, and law enforcement;
(3)supports the
efforts of the United States Government to protect tigers in the wild and the
habitat of tigers through direct conservation assistance;
(4)acknowledges the
important role that tiger habitats play in conserving biodiversity, securing
forest carbon, protecting critical watersheds, providing buffers against
natural disasters, and supporting livelihoods and human well-being in countries
with natural tiger populations;
(5)applauds the work
of multilateral institutions, governmental, and nongovernmental conservation
and environmental organizations working to recover tiger populations in the
wild;
(6)commends the
government of Russia for its leadership in hosting the Tiger Summit, which
brings global attention to this important issue and launches the immediate
implementation of National Tiger Recovery Priorities in each of the 13
countries with natural tiger populations;
(7)reaffirms the
commitment of the United States Government to tiger conservation;
(8)encourages the
highest level of United States engagement in the Tiger Summit and in the
outcomes of the Tiger Summit, including the provision of support to countries
with remaining wild tiger populations in implementing the National Tiger
Recovery Priorities and the Global Tiger Recovery Program; and
(9)urges concerted
coordination among all relevant United States agencies to provide support to
countries with remaining wild tiger populations in a manner that enables United
States resources to provide maximum conservation benefits.