[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 1 (Tuesday, January 7, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E15]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 INTRODUCTION OF THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT 
                        OF 1997: JANUARY 7, 1997

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. DON YOUNG

                               of alaska

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, January 7, 1997

  Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce 
legislation today to extend the African Elephant Conservation Act of 
1988, an historic conservation measure that continues to be successful 
in its ongoing efforts to save the flagship species of the African 
Continent.
  By way of background, my colleagues may recall that by the late 
1980's, the population of African elephants had declined by almost 
half. In 1979, the total elephant population in Africa was 
approximately 1.3 million animals. In 1987, fewer than 700,000 African 
elephants were alive.
  While drought, disease, and human population growth contributed to 
this dramatic decline, the illegal killing or poaching of elephants for 
their ivory tusks was the single most important reason why thousands of 
these magnificent animals were slaughtered. During its peak, as much as 
800 tons of ivory were exported from Africa each year, equivalent to 
the deaths of up to 80,000 elephants annually.
  In response to this serious problem, Congress enacted the African 
Elephant Conservation Act--Public Law 100-478. A primary objective of 
this law was to assist impoverished African nations in their efforts to 
stop poaching and to develop more effective elephant conservation 
programs. To accomplish that goal, the legislation created the African 
Elephant Conservation Fund.
  Since its creation, Congress has appropriated over $6 million to fund 
some 48 conservation projects in 17 range States throughout Africa. In 
addition, over $7 million has been generated through private matching 
money to augment the Federal support made available through the grant 
program.
  With these funds, resources have been allocated for conservation 
projects to purchase antipoaching equipment for wildlife rangers, 
create a comprehensive reference library on the African elephant, 
undertake elephant population census, develop and implement elephant 
conservation plans, and move elephants from drought regions in 
Zimbabwe. In fact, the Zimbabwe project was the first time in history 
that such a large number of elephants were successfully translocated to 
new habitats.
  Without these conservation projects, I am convinced that the African 
elephant would have continued to decline and would have disappeared 
from much of its historic range. Instead, what has happened is that the 
population has stabilized and, in fact, is increasing in southern 
Africa, the international price of ivory remains depressed, and 
wildlife rangers are now much better equipped to stop unscrupulous 
individuals who are intent on illegally killing elephants.
  The African Elephant Conservation Fund has provided desperately 
needed capital for projects in various African countries and a diverse 
group of internationally recognized conservation groups, including the 
African Safari Club of Washington, DC, the African Wildlife Foundation, 
Safari Club International, and the World Wildlife Fund, has 
participated in these efforts. In fact, the African Elephant 
Conservation Fund has been the only continuous source of new money for 
African elephant conservation efforts for the past 8 years.
  In June of last year, the House Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, 
Wildlife and Oceans conducted an oversight hearing on the effectiveness 
of the African Elephant Conservation Fund. At that time, a 
representative of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service testified that the 
Fund ``provided a critical incentive for governments of the world, 
nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work together 
for a common conservation goal. This is not a hand out, but a helping 
hand.''
  While the African Elephant Conservation Fund has facilitated the 
development of a number of successful conservation projects, the battle 
to ensure the long-term survival of the African elephant has not yet 
been won. In fact, it is essential that this critical investment be 
continued in the future. Therefore, the fundamental purpose of my 
legislation is to extend the authority of the Secretary of the Interior 
to expend money from the African Elephant Conservation Fund beyond its 
statutory expiration date of September 30, 1998. I am proposing that 
the authorization of appropriations for the fund be extended until 
September 30, 2002.
  With this extension, I am confident that additional worthwhile 
conservation projects will be funded and that the African elephant will 
survive in its natural habitat for many future generations.
  I urge my colleagues to join with me in this effort by supporting the 
African Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 1997.

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