[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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