[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 38 (Monday, March 30, 1998)]
[House]
[Pages H1710-H1711]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RHINOCEROS AND TIGER CONSERVATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 1998
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3113) to reauthorize the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation
Act of 1994.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 3113
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 ``Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Reauthorization Act of 1998''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF RHINOCEROS AND TIGER CONSERVATION
ACT.
Section 7 of the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of
1994 (16 U.S.C. 5306) is amended by striking ``fiscal years''
and all that follows through ``2000'' and inserting ``fiscal
years 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) and the gentleman from California (Mr. Farr) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from California (Mrs. Cubin).
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mrs. CUBIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend her
remarks.)
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present the House of
Representatives H.R. 3113, to extend the Rhinoceros and Tiger
Conservation Act of 1994 until September 30, 2004.
The fundamental purposes of this landmark law were to establish a
conservation fund and to authorize the Congress to appropriate up to
$10 million per year to finance worthwhile projects to assist highly
endangered species of rhinos and tigers.
Since its enactment, the Congress has appropriated $1 million over
the last three fiscal years. While this is much less than the $30
million that was authorized, this money has funded 31 conservation
projects at a cost of $585,000. The sponsors of these projects will
match these funds, and I am confident that these grants will help stop
the destruction of these animals.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 16 rhino projects, 7
tiger projects, and 8 projects to benefit both species have been
funded. These have included an adopt-a-warden program in Indonesia,
aerial monitoring of rhinos in Zaire, investigation of poaching and
illegal trade of wild tigers in India, and the training of wildlife
rangers in Tanzania.
Without this fund, I am convinced that rhinos and tigers would
continue to slide toward extinction. After all, there are only 11,000
rhinos and fewer than 5,000 tigers living in the wild.
This small investment has become a powerful weapon in the
international fight to stop the poaching of these species, and it is
one of the only continuous sources of money available to range states.
During the subcommittee hearing on this legislation, every witness,
including the administration, the American Zoo and Aquarium
Association, Safari Club International, and the World Wildlife Fund
spoke in strong support of H.R. 3113. Each of these witnesses testified
that the grants made under this act will make a positive difference in
conserving rhinos and tigers.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote aye on this important
wildlife conservation bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise also to enthusiastically support this
legislation. This will provide much-needed funds, again, taxpayer
money, for the protection of highly endangered rhinos and tigers
throughout the world.
Why do we spend American taxpayer money on this? There is probably no
two animals more urgently in need of strong conservation programs.
Throughout their range, these two magnificent species have been brought
to their knees by habitat destruction and commercial trade in products
made from their carcasses, essentially, greed.
Today, our President is viewing wildlife on a safari in Botswana.
Hopefully, he will be able to see a rhino, perhaps a black or even more
endangered and rare, a white rhino.
If we do not act and pass legislation like this, the next President
to visit Africa may not be so fortunate to ever see a rhino.
While CITES, which is the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Flora and Fauna, has made great strides in controlling the
international trade of rhino horn daggers and tiger skins, these
species continue to decline due to massive habitat destruction and the
black market demand for traditional medicines using rhino and tiger
products.
Here in the United States, we sometimes find it hard to believe that
a relatively small amount of money can produce such tremendous
conservation benefits when applied to on-the-ground programs in other
parts of the world, but, believe me, it works. The desperate situation
of all species of rhinos and tigers worldwide makes every conservation
dollar that much more critical in the battle to save them from
extinction.
Since its enactment in 1994, the rhino and tiger conservation fund
has supported the investigation of poaching and illegal trade in wild
tigers in India, a Tiger Community Education Program in Indonesia,
aerial monitoring of white rhinos in Zaire, and other programs that are
desperately needed if we are to have any hope of saving these species
for future generations.
This is simple and straightforward law, thanks to the excellent
management and implementation by the Department of the Interior, which
has provided great conservation bang for a very limited buck.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this much-needed
legislation.
Mr. SAXTON. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak in favor of H.R. 3113,
a bill introduced by the distinguished Chairman of the House Resources
Committee, to extend the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act.
Prior to 1994, the United States had not provided any financial
assistance to those countries that were desperately trying to stop the
slaughter of their rhino and tiger populations. In fact, today all
species of rhinos and tigers are listed as endangered in the United
States and internationally.
With the passage of the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act, this
Nation took a bold step when we told the rest of the world that we
would support conservation projects to assist these two irreplaceable
species.
While the amount of assistance has been small, about $585,000, our
government has now funded 31 conservation projects for rhinos and
tigers, and the Department of the Interior is now carefully reviewing
an additional 70 proposals.
It is essential that this assistance be available in the future, and
that is why I support H.R. 3113. During our Subcommittee hearing on
this legislation, Secretary Bruce Babbitt testified that ``the Rhino
and Tiger Conservation Fund has gotten off to an excellent start over
the past three years. The job has only just begun, however. There is
much more work to do and no shortage of committed partners seeking our
help in Africa and Asia.'' At the same hearing, Dr. Terry Maple, the
President-Elect of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, states
that ``this Fund is designed to be a `quick strike' in assisting
conservation organizations on the front lines of saving these animals
from extinction.''
Mr. Chairman, it was no surprise that every witness strongly
supported the enactment of H.R. 3113 because they believe, as I do,
that the grants made from this Fund are making a positive difference in
the international fight to save rhinos and tigers.
I urge an AYE vote on this important wildlife conservation measure.
Mr. FARR of California. Mr. Speaker, there is such unanimous support
on this legislation that no one asked for time, and I yield back the
remainder of my time.
Mrs. CUBIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Wyoming (Mrs. Cubin) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3113.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
[[Page H1711]]
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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