[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 142 (Tuesday, October 21, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H8862-H8866]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ASIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION ACT OF 1997
Mr. SAXTON. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 1787) to assist in the conservation of Asian elephants by
supporting and providing financial resources for the conservation
programs of nations within the range of Asian elephants and projects of
persons with demonstrated expertise in the conservation of Asian
elephants, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 1787
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Asian Elephant Conservation
Act of 1997''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
The Congress finds the following:
(1) Asian elephant populations in nations within the range
of Asian elephants have continued to decline to the point
that the long-term survival of the species in the wild is in
serious jeopardy.
(2) The Asian elephant is listed as an endangered species
under section 4 of the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and
under appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
(3) Because the challenges facing the conservation of Asian
elephants are so great, resources to date have not been
sufficient to cope with the continued loss of habitat and the
consequent diminution of Asian elephant populations.
(4) The Asian elephant is a flagship species for the
conservation of tropical forest habitats in which it is found
and provides the consequent benefit from such conservation to
numerous other species of wildlife including many other
endangered species.
(5) Among the threats to the Asian elephant in addition to
habitat loss are population fragmentation, human-elephant
conflict, poaching for ivory, meat, hide, bones and teeth,
and capture for domestication.
(6) To reduce, remove, or otherwise effectively address
these threats to the long-term viability of populations of
Asian elephants in the wild will require the joint commitment
and effort of nations within the range of Asian elephants,
the United States and other countries, and the private
sector.
SEC. 3. PURPOSES.
The purposes of this Act are the following:
(1) To perpetuate healthy populations of Asian elephants.
(2) To assist in the conservation and protection of Asian
elephants by supporting the conservation programs of Asian
elephant range states and the CITES Secretariat.
(3) To provide financial resources for those programs.
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) The term ``CITES'' means the Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and
Flora, signed on March 3, 1973, and its appendices.
(2) The term ``conservation'' means the use of methods and
procedures necessary to bring Asian elephants to the point at
which there are sufficient populations in the wild to ensure
that the species does not become extinct, including all
activities associated with scientific resource management,
such as conservation, protection, restoration, acquisition,
and management of habitat; research and monitoring of known
populations; assistance in the development of management
plans for managed elephant ranges; CITES enforcement; law
enforcement through community participation; translocation of
elephants; conflict resolution initiatives; and community
outreach and education.
(3) The term ``Fund'' means the Asian Elephant Conservation
Fund established under section 6(a).
(4) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the
Interior.
(5) The term ``Administrator'' means the Administrator of
the Agency for International Development.
SEC. 5. ASIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, subject to the availability
of funds and in consultation with the Administrator, shall
use amounts in the Fund to provide financial assistance for
projects for the conservation of Asian elephants for which
final project proposals are approved by the Secretary in
accordance with this section.
(b) Project Proposal.--Any relevant wildlife management
authority of a nation within the range of Asian elephants
whose activities directly or indirectly affect Asian elephant
populations, the CITES Secretariat, or any person with
demonstrated expertise in the conservation of Asian
elephants, may submit to the Secretary to project proposal
under this section. Each proposal shall include the
following:
(1) The name of the individual responsible for conducting
the project.
(2) A succinct statement of the purposes of the project.
(3) A description of the qualifications of the individuals
who will conduct the project.
(4) An estimate of the funds and time required to complete
the project.
(5) Evidence of support of the project by appropriate
governmental entities of countries in which the project will
be conducted, if the Secretary determines that the support is
required for the success of the project.
(6) Information regarding the source and amount of matching
funding available to the applicant.
(7) Any other information the Secretary considers to be
necessary for evaluating the eligibility of the project for
funding under this Act.
(c) Project Review and Approval.--
(1) In general.--Within 30 days after receiving a final
project proposal, the Secretary shall provide a copy of the
proposal to the Administrator. The Secretary shall review
each final project proposal to determine if it meets the
criteria set forth in subsection (d).
(2) Consultation; approval or disapproval.--Not later than
6 months after receiving a final project proposal, and
subject to the availability of funds, the Secretary, after
consulting with the Administrator, shall--
(A) request written comments on the proposal from each
country within which the project is to be conducted;
(B) after requesting those comments, approve or disapprove
the proposal; and
(C) provide written notification of that approval or
disapproval to the person who submitted the proposal, the
Administrator, and each of those countries.
(d) Criteria for Approval.--The Secretary may approve a
final project proposal under this section if the project will
enhance programs for conservation of Asian elephants by
assisting efforts to--
(1) implement conservation programs;
(2) address the conflicts between humans and elephants that
arise from competition for the same habitat;
(3) enhance compliance with provisions of CITES and laws of
the United States or a foreign country that prohibit or
regulate the taking or trade of Asian elephants or regulate
the use and management of Asian elephant habitat;
(4) develop sound scientific information on the condition
of Asian elephant habitat, Asian elephant population numbers
and trends, or the threats to such habitat, numbers, or
trends; or
(5) promote cooperative projects on those topics with other
foreign governments, affected local communities,
nongovernmental organizations, or others in the private
sector.
(e) Project Sustainability.--To the maximum extent
practical, in determining whether to approve project
proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give
consideration to projects which will enhance sustainable
integrated conservation development programs to ensure
effective, long-term conservation of Asian elephants.
(f) Project Reporting.--Each person who receives assistance
under this section for a project shall provide periodic
reports, as the Secretary considers necessary, to the
Secretary and the Administrator. Each report shall include
all information required by the Secretary, after consulting
with the Administrator, for evaluating the progress and
success of the project.
(g) Matching Funds.--In determining whether to approve
project proposals under this section, the Secretary shall
give priority to those projects for which there exists some
measure of matching funds.
(h) Limitation on Use for Captive Breeding.--Amounts
provided as a grant under this Act may not be used for
captive breeding of Asian elephants other than for release in
the wild.
SEC. 6. ASIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION FUND.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the general
fund of the Treasury a separate account to be known as the
``Asian Elephant Conservation Fund'', which shall consist of
amounts deposited into the Fund by the Secretary of the
Treasury under subsection (b).
(b) Deposits Into the Fund.--The Secretary of the Treasury
shall deposit into the Fund--
(1) all amounts received by the Secretary in the form of
donations under subsection (d); and
(2) other amounts appropriated to the Fund.
(c) Use.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), the Secretary
may use amounts in the Fund without further appropriation to
provide assistance under section 5.
(2) Administration.--Of amounts in the Fund available for
each fiscal year, the Secretary may use not more than 3
percent to administer the Fund.
(d) Acceptance and Use of Donations.--The Secretary may
accept and use donations to provide assistance under section
5. Amounts received by the Secretary in the form of donations
shall be transferred to the Secretary of the Treasury for
deposit into the Fund.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There are authorized to be appropriated to the Fund
$5,000,000 for each of fiscal years
[[Page H8863]]
1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002 to carry out this Act, which
may remain available until expended.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
Jersey [Mr. Saxton] and the gentleman from Hawaii [Mr. Abercrombie]
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton].
Mr. SAXTON. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. SAXTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his
remarks.)
Mr. SAXTON. Madam Speaker, I introduced H.R. 1787, the Asian Elephant
Conservation Act of 1997, along with the gentleman from Hawaii [Mr.
Abercrombie] and 17 other Members on June 4, 1997.
The fundamental purposes of this legislation are twofold: First, to
create an Asian elephant conservation fund; and, second, to authorize
the Congress to appropriate up to $5 million per year to this fund to
finance various conservation projects for each of the next 5 fiscal
years.
The legislation is modeled after the highly successful African
Elephant Conservation Act of 1988 and the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Act of 1994. The new authorization would be separate from
those funds appropriated for African elephants or for rhinos or tigers.
Under the terms of H.R. 1787, the Secretary of the Interior would
carefully evaluate the merits of each proposed conservation project,
select those that best enhance the future of the Asian elephant, and
give priority to those projects whose sponsors demonstrate the ability
to match some portion of the Federal funds. In addition, the bill
stipulates the Secretary may accept donations to assist Asian elephants
and shall spend no more than 3 percent of the amount appropriated to
administer the fund.
Unless immediate steps are taken to conserve this magnificent animal,
it will surely continue to disappear from much, if not all, of its
traditional habitat. We cannot allow the Asian elephant, which has such
a direct impact on so many other species, like the clouded leopard, the
rhinos and tigers, to become extinct. The goal of H.R. 1787 is to stop
the decline and hopefully rebuild the population stocks of this
irreplaceable species by financing, with a small amount of Federal
money, a limited number of conservation projects.
While not an exact list, it is likely that these projects would
include efforts to monitor known populations of Asian elephants,
develop improved conservation management plans, and educate the public
about the value of this so-called flagship species.
Finally, I want to acknowledge the tireless dedication of our former
colleague, Andy Ireland. Due to his inspirational leadership, Feld
Entertainment has played a major role in helping to move this
legislation forward. This company, which has been a leader in Asian
elephant conservation and husbandry for decades, is motivated by the
goal of ensuring that there are Asian elephants living in the world,
and will be for the next century.
Obviously, I am going to urge a ``yea'' vote on this, but before I do
that, let me pay particular thanks to our staff for helping move this
bill forward this morning, and in particular a young lady by the name
of Sharon McKenna, who is not able to be here with us today, as she is
home taking care of her brand new little baby, Jackson. So we wish
Sharon and her husband Mike, and Jackson, all the best, and thank her
for the great work that she has done on this bill.
Madam Speaker, let me just say that when I introduced this bill with
the gentleman from Hawaii, who has joined us in the Chamber, I think we
both were deluged with a number of questions as to why in the world a
Congressman from Hawaii and a Congressman from New Jersey should devote
the time and energy that we have to trying to save an Asian species,
the Asian elephant.
The answer to that is quite simple, and I think it was brought to
bear quite clearly here today by the previous speakers, the gentleman
from Alaska [Mr. Young] and the gentlewoman from Idaho [Mrs.
Chenoweth], who were talking about the controversies surrounding the
issue of global warming and making the point very clearly that this
world's forests, not just this Nation's forests, but this world's
forests are vital in the fight against global warming.
This species, the Asian elephant, has been named a flagship species
because it is easy to see. It is easy to see it disappearing. And one
can quite readily draw the conclusion that one of the reasons it is
disappearing is because of its disappearing habitat, the forests in
which it lives.
So by concentrating on this magnificent species that men and women
and boys and girls all around the world recognize and have grown to
love as one of God's creatures that we all recognize, by using it as a
flagship species, so-called, we draw attention and educate ourselves as
a world people about the importance of not only the Asian elephant but
the African elephant as well and rhinos and tigers and the forests in
which they reside.
{time} 1415
And so to the extent that we can set an example here today by passing
this bill and working to save the Asian elephant in this case, we will
also be successful in doing our part in the effort to combat global
warming.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume. I am delighted to be here today, particularly in the company
of the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton], my good friend. I too
want to pay tribute not just to him and his great leadership on this
issue but to the especially strong staff support we have received along
the way with the enactment of this bill.
Madam Speaker, I am just getting to the floor now because we have had
the opportunity over the past couple of hours to be meeting on the
questions of travel, tourism and the world, not only in relation to the
United States but in relation one to another as people throughout the
world.
Madam Speaker, I cannot emphasize enough to Members that in paying
particular attention to this species as covered under the Asian
Elephant Conservation Act, we are taking a giant step forward in seeing
to it not only that we respect the ecological consequences for the
Asian elephant as such, but that we recognize that in this context, the
people of the world are coming to know that we are all interrelated,
and we are very, very hopeful that we will be able to fund as a result
of this act partnerships, international partnerships, that will result
in people being able to view the Asian elephant, to understand through
the conservation of the Asian elephant its relationship to ecological
balance, environmental balance in South Asia and that this is
beneficial on a planetary basis when all of the species of the world
understand their interrelationship.
This is then a modest step in the effort to protect the existing
Asian elephant herds from multiple sources of danger, including
poaching for meat, hides, teeth and bones as well as capture for
domestication and the encroachment of humans and civilization, so-
called.
Madam Speaker, the population of Asian elephants as has been pointed
out, has been dwindling steadily and now numbers roughly 40,000
animals. It is an incredible thing to contemplate, as we did in the
course of our examination in the committee hearings, what such a
relatively small number of great animals and of course I must say
parenthetically, Madam Speaker, that my respect for and admiration for
the diversity of life on this planet was only enhanced by the hearings
that we had. This is indeed one of God's most magnificent creatures and
indeed represents something unique. Not everyone is aware that the
Asian elephant has been a partner with humankind throughout all of the
thousands of years of its existence. That relationship is now
threatened by the advance of modern life.
Maybe advance is almost the wrong word, Madam Speaker. But
nonetheless we are realizing more and more that this great creature of
South Asia, the Asian elephant, represented a true symbiosis between
humankind and the animal kingdom that is now threatened. The numbers
are less than 10 percent of the numbers of African elephants in the
wild. I think that that is a very sobering statistic.
[[Page H8864]]
The African elephant of course has received great publicity. It also
of course is magnificent in its presentation of self in the wild and
has attracted the imagination and admiration of people throughout the
world. The Asian elephant being a blue collar animal, a working animal,
a domesticated animal working in close proximity with human beings, has
been ignored in the process.
So this legislation will help prevent the eventual extinction of the
Asian elephant as an endangered species. The future of these
magnificent animals in the wild is in clear jeopardy. H.R. 1787
authorizes $5 million to fund projects crucial to the survival of the
species. Our goals are to assist and support the conservation of
elephant range, as the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton] has
enunciated so clearly and to support the United Nations Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species. Although wild Asian
elephants are scattered across 13 Asian countries, there are only 4
remaining herds containing 1,000 or more animals.
Douglas H. Chadwick, a distinguished and honored scientist and
author, wrote of these animals:
Elephants are one of those animals by which we define the
grandeur of creation. No larger life forms walk our earth and
precious few are more intelligent. Elephants are more than
just a part of the extraordinary variety of the plants and
animals found in Asia's tropical forest. Elephants are one of
the main reasons that the genetic bounty is there in the
first place with the potential to provide humanity with new
sources of food, fiber and pharmaceutical products. Elephants
distribute seeds of perhaps one-third of all tropical trees.
In some cases elephants are the only known agents of
dispersal. To save Asian elephants is to save one of the
principal shapers of biological diversity. To maintain
habitat is to maintain the resources that enrich human
communities over the long run.
I am absolutely certain, Madam Speaker, speaking parenthetically that
with the expansion of the Asian elephant habitat and with their
preservation and conservation, we will see enormous increases in travel
and tourism and by extension the awareness of the items that I am
speaking of. Going back, then, in my quotation, ``To pass an Asian
Elephant Conservation Act would be one of the most foresighted and yet
practical, cost-effective things we can do for the benefit of
Americans, people throughout Asia, and the world we all share.''
H.R. 1787 received overwhelming support in the Committee on
Resources, again under the leadership of the gentleman from New Jersey
[Mr. Saxton]. I was pleased to be an original cosponsor of the bill.
Not only does H.R. 1787 enjoy strong bipartisan support in the House,
Madam Speaker, but it has also been endorsed by such diverse groups
that bears repeating, the American Zoological and Aquarium Association,
the World Wildlife Fund, Wildlife Preservation Trust International, the
Sierra Club, and Feld Entertainment, emphasizing the partnership we
have in the private sector. Feld Entertainment is the owner of the
Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus.
It is clear that if we are to prevent the extinction of the Asian
elephant, a number of coordinated and visible activities must be
undertaken by the international community and host-range nations. I
believe it bears repeating, Madam Speaker, as to what they might be:
Protection of the remaining elephant populations and their habitat
from further loss and degradation by establishing and managing special
protected areas;
Promotion of coexistence between people and elephants by developing
and implementing sound management practices that would prevent or
reduce conflict;
Promotion of effective law enforcement through participation of local
communities;
Reduction of captures from the wild, and extension of care and humane
management of the remaining domesticated population;
Madam Speaker, I believe it has been stated but I believe again bears
repeating that the Asian elephant as a participant in society as a
domesticated work elephant, I was going to say workhorse, I guess is
the equivalent, is now finding itself in the situation of being
unemployed.
The work elements associated with the Asian elephant are disappearing
much as the workhorse did, as the great workhorses that my grandfather
was associated with as a teamster in Buffalo, NY, the great eight-horse
hitches that the great beer wagons that we see advertised now with
Budweiser, they were working animals. My grandfather was the manager of
the stables that carried baked goods on great wagons throughout Buffalo
for the then existing Hall's Bakery. So horses, great workhorses, were
displaced by engines, by the internal combustion engine. The same thing
is happening to the Asian elephant. The elephants who worked under
these circumstances need to be taken care of, need humane management
and treatment, and this bill will help agencies and individuals and
groups interested in this in completing that task. Finally, restoration
of the congenial relationship that previously existed between people
and elephants through education and awareness programs. And of course
this is where travel and tourism can play a great role.
Many groups and individuals contributed to the development of the
bill. The Tiger and Rhinoceros Conservation Act is one to be cited. It
would be administered by the Secretary of the Interior after
consultation with the Administrator of AID. Instead of focusing on
remedies appropriate for trade-related conservation issues, this bill
emphasizes remedies that would address the human-elephant conflict
resolutions that prevails throughout the Asian elephant's natural
range. I think I have already made reference, Madam Speaker, to the
African elephant and I am particularly grateful to the gentleman from
Alaska [Mr. Young], the chair of our committee, who has been
instrumental in working with the preservation and conservation of the
African elephant and who realized that the Asian elephant emphasis that
we have in this bill is an appropriate next step to take.
The purpose then of H.R. 1787 is to assist initiatives in the Asian
elephant range nations as well as regional and national agencies and
organizations whose activities directly or indirectly promote Asian
elephant habitat conservation. Then the bill would be funded in a
manner so as not to affect funds currently earmarked for the African
Elephant Conservation Act and the Rhino and Tiger Act. The legislation
would specify that support would be provided for projects that would
directly support and promote wild elephant management practices such as
monitoring population trends of known populations, assessing the
movement and the annual ranging patterns of known populations. We would
emphasize law enforcement through community participation, develop
management plans for managed elephant ranges, translocation of
elephants, conflict resolution initiatives and community outreach and
education. It specifically authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to
fund projects addressing the use of domesticated elephants as such use
relates to conservation of Asian elephants in the wild. It provides for
multiplying the impact of funding by authorizing priority to be given
projects which have matching funds from private sector sources.
In that instance I, too, want to add my congratulations and grateful
thanks to our colleague Andy Ireland, who brought this issue to our
attention in an extraordinarily comprehensive way and in that context,
Madam Speaker, I want to conclude by urging all of our colleagues to
take advantage of the pioneering work that was done in the Committee on
Resources previously with respect to conservation of the great animals
in Africa and Asia and add to it then this great and magnificent
representation of the symbiotic relationship of humankind and the
animal world in the Asian elephant.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from American Samoa
[Mr. Faleomavaega].
{time} 1430
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Hawaii
[Mr. Abercrombie] for yielding me time.
Madam Speaker, I am delighted to be a cosponsor of this piece of
legislation, and commend the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton],
the chairman of the Subcommittee on Wildlife and Fisheries.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from Hawaii [Mr.
[[Page H8865]]
Abercrombie] for introducing H.R. 1787, the Asian Elephant Conservation
Act of 1997. Like the similar African Elephant Conservation Act of
1988, and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, the fund
created by this act should provide valuable financial assistance to
programs protecting a keystone species which is greatly threatened
throughout its range.
This bill will focus projects toward those problems which most
threaten Asian elephants: habitat loss and human-elephant conflicts.
This bill also supports conservation programs within range states,
which is the best way to perpetuate healthy populations of Asian
elephants in the wild.
Furthermore, this act will help provide the infrastructure necessary
to limit Asian elephant poaching activity, which threatens the
population that now numbers only one-tenth its previous level.
The Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 also contains provisions
that encourage efficiency and public participation in wildlife
conservation programs. The act works to obtain the greatest leverage
for U.S. taxpayer dollars by directing that preference for funding be
given to those projects that will generate matching funds in
cooperative projects.
Additionally, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 promotes
public involvement in our efforts to protect this species by permitting
the Secretary of the Interior, through the Fish and Wildlife Service,
to accept and use private donations to the fund.
This proposed bill, Madam Speaker, is but one example of the
environmental leadership that is needed to protect threatened and
endangered species, both at home and overseas. H.R. 1787 deserves our
support, and I urge our colleagues' support for its adoption.
Mr. YOUNG of Alaska. Mr. Speaker, as a cosponsor of H.R. 1787, I rise
in support of this legislation to create an Asian elephant conservation
fund.
This measure is modeled after the highly successful African Elephant
Conservation Act of 1988 and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act
of 1994. It will authorize up to $5 million per year to be appropriated
to the Department of the Interior to fund various projects to conserve
the African elephant.
This flagship species of the Asian continent is in grave danger of
extinction. According to international experts, there are less than
45,000 Asian elephants living in the wild. On a daily basis, these
animals face the loss of their forest habitat, poachers who kill them
for their bones, hide, ivory, and meat, capture for use in Burma's
timber industry, and conflicts between elephants and man. While Asian
elephants are found in 13 countries in South and Southeast Asia, nearly
half of the wild population reside in India. Unless immediate steps are
taken to help conserve this species, it will continue to disappear from
its historic habitat.
By enacting this legislation, it is my hope that projects will be
funded to update census figures, assist in antipoaching efforts,
translocate highly endangered elephants, and educate the public on why
it is important to protect Asian elephants.
This small but critical investment of U.S. taxpayer money will be
matched by private funds and will significantly improve the likelihood
that wild Asian elephants will exist in the 21st century.
We should not allow this magnificent animal to disappear from this
planet. H.R. 1787 will not solve all of the problems facing the Asian
elephant but it is a positive step in the right direction.
I urge an aye vote on the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997.
Mr. MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Mr.
Saxton and Mr. Abercrombie for introducing H.R. 1787, the Asian
Elephant Conservation Act of 1997. Unfortunately, it appears as if the
programs this legislation will promote are needed now more than ever.
Many of us have expressed our concerns about the decision made at the
recent Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna
and Flora [CITES] to downlist several populations of African elephants.
At that meeting, which I attended, many representatives from elephant
range states expressed their concern about the downlisting, fearing
that it would send a signal to poachers that the ivory trade was about
to resume. Sadly, it now seems their concerns were justified. Several
of the elephant range states have experienced increased levels of
poaching leading up to, and following the CITES decision, which is
exactly why some of these range states opposed the downlisting
proposal.
The Asian elephant has not escaped this slaughter. At the CITES
conference, the representative from India stated his country's
opposition to the downlisting because of the impact it would have upon
the elephants in that country which is home to 50 percent of the Asian
elephant population. In June and July of this year--following the CITES
conference--poachers killed 20 Asian elephants in India, raising
India's total poaching numbers to 52 for the first half of 1997. This
is an increase in poaching activity over recent years, and when
combined with habitat loss and other factors, does not bode well for
the future of Asian elephants.
The Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 deserves our support.
H.R. 1787 will support projects that focus on protecting wild
populations of Asian elephants against poaching, habitat loss, and
human-elephant conflicts. This legislation promotes both fiscal
efficiency and public participation by working to obtain the greatest
leverage for U.S. taxpayer dollars by giving funding priority to those
projects that will generate matching funds and cooperative projects.
Furthermore, based upon the experiences of the similarly structured
African Elephant Conservation Act of 1988 and the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Act of 1994, the programs funded by this legislation
should prove highly effective.
Our own Endangered Species Act recognizes the critical importance
that protecting species' habitat plays in the long term survival of
that species. Our goal should be to restore healthy populations of all
animals in the wild by fighting poaching and protecting habitat--H.R.
1787 is a good start for doing this for Asian elephants.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Asian
Elephant Conservation Act (H.R. 1787). This important piece of
legislation will continue America's commitment to worldwide elephant
conservation. I would also like to congratulate Chairman Saxton for
introducing and promoting this important legislation.
H.R. 1787 will authorize the Asian elephant conservation fund to
receive $5 million each fiscal year from fiscal year 1998 to 2002. This
contribution will be matched with private funds from outside interest
groups committed to preserving Asian elephants. Our investment will
coordinate and leverage private sector support for elephant
conservation and fund projects that focus on antipoaching efforts,
elephant population research, efforts to mitigate elephant-human
conflict, habitat restorations, and identifying new techniques for
elephant management. The creation of this important and successful
program will continue to promote America's leadership to conserve and
restore elephant herds in their native habitat. The future survival of
Asian elephants depends upon America's leadership, and our small but
crucial amount of financial support.
The Asian elephant conservation fund is based on the very successful
African Elephant Conservation Act [AECA], which has been responsible
for rescuing African elephants from the path to extinction. The AECA
has stabilized elephant populations across Africa, tremendously slowed
poaching, and provided important incentives to native people to
preserve elephants.
The need for this legislation is clear. Asian elephant populations
living in the wild have fallen dramatically. Right now only about
40,000 animals exist in the wild. The major cause for this decrease is
shrinking habitat and expanding human populations. However, passage of
this act will reverse the downward trend to elephant populations. This
fund will help local villagers, who often live in fear of elephants, to
coexist and benefit from the long-term conservation of elephants. This
is an important step. Over time, this will reduce the high cost of
conservation and save elephants from extinction.
Madam Speaker, the African Elephant Conservation Act has been a
tremendous success. Let us now authorize the Asian elephant
conservation fund and continue America's leadership to promote
worldwide elephant conservation. I encourage all my colleagues to vote
for H.R. 1787.
Mr. GILMAN. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1787, the Asian
Elephant Conservation Act. I ask unanimous consent to revise and extend
my remarks.
Mr. Speaker, this legislation was referred to our Committee on
International Relations, but in the interest of advancing it to early
passage we waived our right to consider it.
I want to thank the sponsor of the bill, the gentleman from New
Jersey [Mr. Saxton] and the gentleman from Hawaii [Mr. Abercrombie] and
the leadership of the Committee on Resources, the chairman, the
gentleman from Alaska [Mr. Young] and the ranking minority member, the
gentleman from California [Mr. Miller].
As has already been explained, this bill sets up a system whereby the
Administrator of the Agency for International Development and the
Secretary of the Interior shall look for ways to help preserve the
precious heritage of Asian Elephants. Not only are Asian elephants
endangered--and deserving of protection--but
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they are especially important from a cultural and economic point of
view to Americans and Asians alike.
I want to salute the many organizations that had a role in moving
this bill, such as the World Wildlife Fund, Safari Club International,
the Sierra Club, and our former colleague Andy Ireland of Feld
Enterprises. The bill was supported by representatives of the Indian
Institute of Science and the Wildlife Preservation Trust International.
The model of protection in this bill is appropriate, flexible, and
carries a reasonable cost.
Madam Speaker, I reiterate my support for this important legislation
and yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. ABERCROMBIE. Madam Speaker, I believe everyone who wishes to
speak on the issue has done so, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. SAXTON. Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Emerson). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from New Jersey [Mr. Saxton] that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1787, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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