[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 108 (Thursday, August 1, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7912-S7913]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FEINGOLD:
  S. 2847. A bill to assist in the conservation of cranes by supporting 
and providing, through projects of persons and organizations with 
expertise in crane conservation, financial resources for the 
conservation programs of countries the activities of which directly or 
indirectly affect cranes; to the Committee on Environment and Public 
Works.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Crane 
Conservation Act of 2002. I propose this legislation in the hope that 
Congress will do its part to protect the existence of these birds, 
whose cultural significance and popular appeal can be seen worldwide. 
This legislation is important to the people of Wisconsin, as our State 
provides habitat and refuge to several crane species. But this 
legislation, which authorizes the United States Fish and Wildlife 
Service to distribute funds and grants to crane conservation efforts 
both domestically and in developing countries, promises to have a 
larger environmental and cultural impact that will go far beyond the 
boundaries of my home State.
  In October of 1994, Congress passed and the President signed the 
Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act. The passage of this act provided 
support for multinational Rhino and Tiger conservation through the 
creation of the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Fund, or RTCF. 
Administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the RTCF 
distributes up to $10 million in grants every year to conservation 
groups to support projects in developing countries. Since its 
establishment in 1994, the RTCF has been expanded by Congress to cover 
other species, such as elephants and great apes.
  Today, with the legislation I am introducing, I am asking Congress to 
add cranes to this list. Cranes are the most endangered family of birds 
in the world, with ten of the world's fifteen species at risk of 
extinction. Specifically, this legislation would authorize up to $3 
million of funds per year to be distributed in the form of conservation 
project grants to protect cranes and their habitat. The financial 
resources authorized by this bill can be made available to qualifying 
conservation groups operating in Asia, Africa, and North America. The 
program is authorized from Fiscal Year 2003 through Fiscal Year 2007.
  In keeping with my belief that we should maintain fiscal integrity, 
this bill proposes that the $15 million in authorized spending over 
five years for the Crane Conservation Act established in this 
legislation should be offset by rescinding $18 million in unspent funds 
from funds carried over the Department of Energy's Clean Coal 
Technology Program in the Fiscal Year 2002 Energy and Water 
Appropriations Bill. The Secretary of the Interior would be required to 
transfer any funds it does not expend under the Crane Conservation Act 
back to the Treasury at the end of Fiscal Year 2007. I do not intend my 
bill to make any particular judgments about the Clean Coal program or 
its effectiveness, but I do think, in general, that programs should 
expend resources that we appropriate in a timely fashion.
  I am offering this legislation due to the serious and significant 
decline that can be expected in crane populations worldwide without 
conservation efforts. The decline of the North American whooping crane, 
the rarest crane on earth, perfectly illustrates the dangers faced by 
these birds. In 1941, only 21 whooping cranes existed in the entire 
world. This stands in contrast to the almost 400 birds in existence 
today. The North American whooping crane's resurgence is attributed to 
the birds' tenacity for survival and to the efforts of conservationists 
in the United States and Canada. Today, the only wild flock of North 
American whooping cranes breeds in northwest Canada, and spends its 
winters in coastal Texas. Two new flocks of cranes are currently being 
reintroduced to the wild, one of which is a migratory flock on the 
Wisconsin to Florida flyway.
  This flock of five birds illustrates that any effort by Congress to 
regulate crane conservation needs to cross both national and 
international lines. As this flock of birds makes its journey from 
Wisconsin to Florida, the birds rely on the ecosystems of a multitude 
of states in this country. In its journey from the Necedah National 
Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife 
Refuge in Florida in the fall and eventual return to my home state in 
the spring, this flock also faces threats from pollution of traditional 
watering grounds, collision with utility lines, human disturbance, 
disease, predation, loss of genetic diversity within the population, 
and vulnerability to catastrophes, both natural and man-made. Despite 
the conservation efforts taken since 1941, this symbol of conservation 
is still very much in danger of extinction.
  While over the course of the last half-century, North American 
whooping cranes have begun to make a slow recovery, many species of 
crane in Africa and Asia have declined, including the sarus crane of 
Asia and the wattled crane of Africa.
  The sarus crane is a symbol of martial fidelity in many Asian 
cultures, especially Laos, Thailand and Indonesia. Additionally, in 
northern India, western Nepal, and Vietnam, these birds are a symbol of 
fertility, lending them as important religious significance. Standing 
at four feet tall, these birds can be found in the wetlands of northern 
India and south Asia. These birds require large, open, well watered 
plains or marshes to breed and survive.
  Due to agricultural expansion, industrial development, river basin 
development, pollution, warfare, and heavy

[[Page S7913]]

use of pesticides, which is found to be highly prevalent in India and 
southeast Asia, the sarus crane population has been in decline. 
Furthermore, in many areas, a high human population concentration 
compounds these factors. On the Mekong River, which runs through 
Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and China, human population growth 
and planned development projects threaten the sarus crane. Reports from 
India, Cambodia, and Thailand have also cited incidences of the trading 
of adult birds and chicks, as well as hunting and egg stealing in the 
drop-in population of the sarus crane.
  Only three subspecies of the sarus crane exist today. One resides in 
northern India and Nepal, one resides in southeast Asia, and one 
resides in northern Australia. Their population is about 8,000 in the 
main Indian population, with recent numbers showing a rapid decline. In 
Southeast Asia, only 1,000 birds remain.
  The situation of the sarus crane in Asia is mirrored by the situation 
of the wattled crane in Africa. In Africa, the wattled crane is found 
in the southern and eastern regions, with an isolated population in the 
mountains of Ethiopia. Current population estimates range between 6,000 
to 8,000 and are declining rapidly, due to loss and degradation of 
wetland habitats, as well as intensified agriculture, dam construction, 
and industrialization. In other parts of the range, the creation of 
dams has changed the dynamics of the flood plains, thus further 
endangering these cranes and their habitats. Human disturbance at or 
near breeding sites also continues to be a major threat. Lack of 
oversight and education over the actions of humans, industry, and 
agriculture is leading to reduced preservation for the lands on which 
cranes live, thereby threatening the ability of cranes to survive in 
these regions.
  If we do not act now, not only will cranes face extinction, but the 
ecosystems that depend on their contributions will suffer. With the 
decline of the crane population, the wetlands and marshes they inhabit 
can potentially be thrown off balance. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in supporting legislation that can provide funding to the local 
farming, education and enforcement projects that can have the greatest 
positive effect on the preservation of both cranes and fragile 
habitats. This small investment can secure the future of these 
exemplary birds and the beautiful areas in which they live. Therefore, 
I ask my colleagues to support the Crane Conservation Act of 2002.
                                 ______