[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 11 (Tuesday, February 3, 2004)]
[House]
[Pages H267-H270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1515
               CONGO BASIN FOREST PARTNERSHIP ACT OF 2003

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and concur in the 
Senate amendments to the bill (H.R. 2264) to authorize appropriations 
for fiscal years 2004 and 2005 to carry out the Congo Basin Forest 
Partnership (CBFP) program, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read as follows:
       Amendments:
       Page 5, strike out all after line 23 over to and including 
     line 11 on page 6, and insert:
       (a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to 
     the President to carry out the Congo Basin Forest Partnership 
     (CBFP) program $18,600,000 for fiscal year 2004.
       (b) CARPE.--Of the amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations in subsection (a), 
     $16,000,000 is authorized to be made available to the Central 
     Africa Regional Program for the Environment (CARPE) of the 
     United States Agency for International Development.
       (c) Availability.--Amounts appropriated pursuant to the 
     authorization of appropriations under subsection (a) are 
     authorized to remain available until expended.

         Amend the title so as to read: ``An Act to authorize 
     appropriations for fiscal year 2004 to carry out the Congo 
     Basin Forest Partnership program, and for other purposes.''.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). Pursuant to the rule, the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) and the gentleman from American 
Samoa (Mr. Faleomavaega) each will control 20 minutes.

[[Page H268]]

  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce).


                             General Leave

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on concurring in the Senate amendments to H.R. 2264.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2264 authorizes the Congo Basin Forest Partnership. 
This legislation is authored by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) 
and by myself. There are several additional cochairmen present here. 
There are four of us as Members of this House who launched the 
Bipartisan International Conservation Caucus late last year: myself, 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), the gentleman from New Mexico 
(Mr. Udall), and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Turner).
  This bill passed the House unanimously last October. It was amended 
over in the Senate, and the Senate cut authorization from 2 years to 1 
year. Although that is unfortunate, the bill is back from the Senate, 
and it is time to send this bill to the President's desk.
  Let me give Members some observations on this measure. The tropical 
forests of Central Africa's Congo Basin are a key resource to an 
estimated 20 million people. These forests play a critical role in 
sustaining the environment of Africa. The Congo Basin contains the most 
diverse grouping of plants and animals in all of Africa, including rare 
and endangered species. These plants and animals are invaluable for 
many reasons, including their genetic and biochemical information. This 
information from these species could spark technical advances in 
medicine, in agriculture, and in industry that would benefit people 
throughout the world. But this is all threatened, and it is threatened 
because the Congo Basin forests are, under growing pressures, being 
clear-cut.
  I thought I would just for a moment show the location of these 
forests in Africa: Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of 
Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic, Cameroon, this area 
in Africa.
  Ten years ago, the forests throughout this area were virtually 
untouched. Today logging operations are shrinking these forests at such 
a rate that one estimate has the logging taking out Congo Basin forest 
areas at a rate of twice the size of the State of Rhode Island every 
year. It is estimated continent-wide that Africa has lost at least 10 
percent of its forested area in the last generation. Meanwhile, 
construction of logging roads is putting intense hunting pressure on 
the wildlife that exists there. At current levels, most species of 
apes, like the mountain gorilla and the Eastern lowland gorilla, seen 
here, as well as the chimpanzee that exists in the Congo Basin, and the 
white rhino are threatened with extinction. In addition, the large 
antelope and elephants will disappear from the Congo Basin if action is 
not taken.
  One of the actions that we have urged on the Subcommittee on Africa 
is the creation of a national parks system in this area of Africa. In 
2002, Secretary of State Powell launched the Congo Basin Partnership. 
He made the announcement in Johannesburg. He traveled to Gabon, and he 
traveled through the rainforests at that time. The partnership focuses 
on 11 key landscapes that exist in these six countries. It aims to 
support a network of national parks, protected areas and well-managed 
forestry concessions. The partnership is working to combat illegal 
logging and poaching and other unsustainable practices, and to give 
local populations an economic stake in the preservation of the forests, 
including through the development of ecotourism which has great 
developmental potential for Africans. In fact, the second largest 
source of foreign exchange right now in Africa is ecotourism. So this 
is a true partnership with European and other countries making 
financial contributions into it.
  I should recognize the country of Gabon for its dramatic move towards 
conserving Congo Basin forests. In 1992, President Omar Bongo announced 
the creation of 13 national parks. Previously, Gabon had no national 
park system. Since this legislation passed the House last October, 
President Joseph Kabila of the Democratic Republic of Congo has 
announced his intention to increase protected area coverage to 15 
percent of that vast country which has long been attacked for its 
natural resources. There are militia that have plundered natural 
resources in that country.
  How vast is the Democratic Republic of Congo; it is as large as the 
country of the United States east of the Mississippi River. So when 
national park systems are being set up that are 15 percent of that 
territory, Members can understand how vast it is going to be.
  Across the river is the Republic of Congo, and they have begun an 
experiment of privately run forests aimed at better managing forest 
assets. So there is a real African buy-in to this partnership, with six 
African countries setting up this vast national forest system. The 
Subcommittee on Africa that I chair held a hearing on the initiative 
last year. Testifying before us was world-renowned ecologist Michael 
Faye. Michael has traversed many of Africa's forests, especially in the 
Congo Basin, and he has had several 400-day treks. Many have read about 
these walks across Africa in the National Geographic.
  This legislation supports conservation efforts by him and others. 
Conservation is not easy. What Americans take for granted, Yosemite and 
Yellowstone and our park system, that took great foresight and 
political commitment to make that a reality. Over 100 years ago we led 
the world here in the United States, and it will be a major challenge 
to establish and maintain effective regimes to control logging and 
hunting in the Congo Basin. But with the partnership, the United States 
is bringing its unique experience and talents to these efforts. In 
fact, through the partnership, the U.S. National Park Service plans to 
bring park managers and rangers from Gabon and other countries to the 
United States to train in our great national parks. That is one of many 
efforts that will be undertaken under this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend 
his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Royce) for his management of this legislation. I also want to 
convey my thanks to the chairman of the Committee on International 
Relations, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Hyde), and the gentleman 
from California (Mr. Lantos) the ranking member, for their efforts in 
bringing this legislation to the floor.
  As the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) alluded to earlier, this 
is a bipartisan effort on the part of himself, the gentleman from 
Florida (Mr. Shaw), the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), the 
gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Turner), and the leadership of our 
committee.
  Mr. Speaker, the Congo River and its tributaries make up the most 
extensive network of navigable waterways in Africa, and carry a volume 
of water second only to the Amazon River. In addition to being a major 
ecological region in Africa, it is the home to some of the world's 
poorest people. Throughout Central Africa, poverty rates are among the 
highest in the world. The actual prevalence of HIV-AIDS is unknown, but 
we know that poverty and war are the breeding ground for the rapid 
spread of diseases.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation represents a unique opportunity to help 
the people of Central Africa to turn their biggest asset, the natural 
resources of the Congo River Basin, into a viable economic base. 
Conservation programs will help preserve natural areas and create jobs. 
The stewardship of the Congo Basin is the joint responsibility of 
Central African countries and the international community, including 
our Nation. Together we must end the deforestation and wildlife 
depletion, and support the appropriate use of the Congo River Basin 
forest resources.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

[[Page H269]]

  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw).
  Mr. SHAW. Mr. Speaker, I would like to associate myself with the fine 
presentation that the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) gave as to 
the importance of this bill that is before us.
  I was privileged to have introduced the Congo Basin Forest 
Partnership Act, along with the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), 
to authorize funding for the Congo Basin Partnership fund. The 
partnership strives to preserve and protect millions of acres of land 
in Africa by establishing a network of national parks. The partnership 
is focused on 11 key landscapes in Cameroon, Central African Republic, 
Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and the Republic 
of Congo. I have traveled to Africa on numerous occasions, and I have 
had the experience of seeing the immense beauty and wonder that this 
continent holds. And I have also witnessed how the poaching and clear-
cutting of forests devastates the people, the land, and the wildlife of 
Africa.
  One of America's greatest assets is our national parks and 
conservation systems. I can think of no better way to help Africa and 
the African people than to provide them with the tools to conserve 
their great continent, just as we do in our national parks. 
Conservation efforts through the partnership not only provide 
protection for lands and wildlife, but also provide critical means for 
human development, political stability, and economic growth in Africa, 
areas that remain tremendously important to the success and to the 
future of Africa.

                              {time}  1530

  This initiative has received widespread support, as the gentleman 
just pointed out, from Democrats, Republicans and leading 
organizations, including Conservation International, the World 
Conservation Society and the World Wildlife Fund.
  I urge Members to support this most important bill. This bill perhaps 
is not on the top of the list of too many Members of Congress, but I 
had the privilege of traveling there with my wife in the company of 
Michael Fay and David Barron and going up the Congo River, traveling by 
airplane, by piro, by pickup truck, and then piro again and walking 
into an area by foot with the assistance of some wonderful Pygmy people 
and being able to watch and actually view these magnificent creatures, 
the silverback gorillas which are pictured on that easel. Would it not 
be a poor commentary on humans of this planet if we were responsible 
for the extinction of the animal most closely related to us as humans? 
It would absolutely be an indictment, I think, of what we are doing. As 
was properly pointed out, Gabon has made strides in this area. I did go 
down and meet with President Bongo in Gabon and have discussed and have 
had the opportunity to view some of the wildlife area in that wonderful 
country.
  This is terribly important to the future of the globe. Africa is very 
much a part of the future of the globe. We see the indiscriminate 
destruction of the habitat by clear-cutting. These profits are going to 
Indonesia, France, Japan and other countries that are harboring the 
companies that are buying the logging rights and then destroying the 
future of this place. I have seen parts of gorillas hanging in 
marketplaces for sale as a delicacy. I know firsthand where these 
magnificent animals are actually used for camp meat by the loggers. 
Even though it is illegal, they still do it with absolute immunity.
  This is a good step but it is only a first step. I think that we need 
to do more and more and figure out ways that we can attach Federal aid 
to the preservation of forests throughout the continent of Africa. The 
environment and ecotourism is the future of Africa in a very large way, 
and to preserve that will preserve Africa for the world and for the 
American people.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to yield such time as 
he may consume to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Udall), one of our 
Nation's leading advocates of conservation and the environment.
  (Mr. UDALL of New Mexico asked and was given permission to revise and 
extend his remarks.)
  Mr. UDALL of New Mexico. I thank the gentleman from American Samoa 
for those very warm comments.
  Mr. Speaker, let me at the outset thank the gentleman from Florida 
(Mr. Shaw) for his sponsorship of this bill. There is no doubt that as 
a cochair of the International Conservation Caucus he has been a real 
leader in these international forestry issues. His leadership and hard 
work, I think, are appreciated by all. As we can see, he feels very 
passionately about these issues as does the gentleman from California 
(Mr. Royce). I think this is just a great example of how we can work 
together as Democrats and Republicans to help the rest of the world to 
move along to a good, solid path of economic development while at the 
same time sustaining their resources. That is the reason I rise today 
in support of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act. This is an 
outstanding new initiative that was spawned from the World Summit on 
Sustainable Development in 2002. This program, which includes 
individuals and organizations across the board--governments, 
international advocacy groups, NGOs and industries--uses public-private 
partnerships to enhance the welfare of the Congo Basin Forest.
  There is no doubt that the Congo Basin Forest has a significant 
impact on the global community. Its rich wildlife population 
contributes significantly to the economic and environmental health in 
the region. The value of wilderness and biologically diverse areas such 
as the Congo Basin is immeasurable. The Congo Basin Forest Partnership 
works to enhance sustainable development in the region, improve 
ecotourism practices and prevent harmful activities such as illegal 
poaching and logging which the sponsor has so eloquently spoken about.
  The model offered by the Congo Basin Forest Partnership is one which 
I believe we can all learn from. The lessons that will come out of this 
intricate collaboration will serve as a model for local conservation 
and sustainability issues here in the U.S. I am pleased that the U.S. 
State Department has made conservation of the Congo Basin Forest a 
priority. A recent trip with the International Conservation Caucus has 
highlighted for me the need to take additional bold actions around the 
world and especially in Africa to preserve the globe's natural 
resources.
  As a cochairman of the House International Conservation Caucus, I 
would like to thank those in the international community who have spent 
significant time promoting sustainable development. I would also like 
to thank my cochairs, the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the 
gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. 
Tanner), for their diligent work in the Congress on these conservation 
issues. I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume. I again want to compliment the remarks made by my good friend 
the gentleman from Florida. I certainly appreciate his insight and 
understanding of this important environmental issue.
  There are some 900 million people that live on this continent of 
Africa, Mr. Speaker. There is a tremendous diversity in cultures of the 
peoples, even governments. Some governments may not be necessarily 
stable but the fact of the matter is there is no question that whatever 
happens in Africa does have very serious implications to our world 
community. I sincerely hope that our colleagues will support this 
legislation. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I again thank my 
good friend from New Mexico for his leadership and support in providing 
all the necessary understanding to my colleagues of this legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  In closing, Mr. Speaker, I would point out that unfortunately Africa 
is not the only continent under attack. Increasingly, we are seeing the 
link between resource exploitation, human rights abuses, conflict and 
corruption. A report by Global Witness last year details how the ruling 
military junta in Burma is using logging concessions to help maintain 
its grip on power. In Burma's environmentally damaging resource 
diplomacy, Chinese logging

[[Page H270]]

companies are granted concessions to large sections of Burmese virgin 
forest in exchange for political loyalty and material support. In light 
of this sort of activity, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership and 
similar initiatives are all that much more important. I urge my 
colleagues to support this initiative.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this 
legislation, H.R. 2264, the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act of 2003. 
This bill authorizes U.S. participation in the Congo Basin Partnership 
(CBFP) that aims to protect 11 key landscapes of more than 30 national 
parks and thousands of square miles across six countries in central 
Africa.
  The wilderness of the Congo Basin is in a desperate state after years 
of civil strife, extensive refugee crises, and exploitive logging. 
These activities have devastated sections of this critical rainforest 
and have left local people in abject poverty and dependent on 
unsustainable resource management practices. This bill will authorize 
the President to appropriate FY 2004 and 2005 funds to the CBFP 
program. The funding that it promises will allow important goals to be 
fulfilled: to promote economic development, alleviate poverty, improve 
the local system of governance, and conserve natural resources through 
support for a network of national parks and protected areas, well-
managed forestry concessions, and assistance to communities that depend 
on the conservation of the outstanding forest and wildlife resources of 
eleven key landscapes in six Central African countries (Cameroon, 
Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial 
Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Congo).
  Increased funds of up to $36 million and a funding scheme of up to 
$53 million up to 2005 for the Central African Regional Program for the 
Environment (CARPE) program will allow for the conservation of very 
precious forest land and the preservation of wildlife that form an 
important symbiotic relationship.
  I particularly applaud CBFP's ability to bring together nations such 
as Canada, France, Germany, Japan, South Africa, and the United 
Kingdom--especially in light of our task of standardizing emergency 
responsiveness on an international level. Also participating in this 
program are organizations such as the World Bank and the World 
Conservation Union, NGOs and private sector groups such as the World 
Wildlife Fund, the World Resources Institute and the Centre for 
International Forestry Research.
  The forestland provides sustenance for a myriad of plant and animal 
species. They sustain our environment by absorbing carbon dioxide, by 
cleansing the water, or by holding the soil. Our sources of lumber 
crops, forests, and tourism play a vital role in our economies. In the 
last decade, tropical forests have disappeared every year at an average 
rate of 35 million acres, an area the size of Barbados. The Congo Basin 
contains a quarter of the world's tropical forest. However, the Forest 
is being destroyed at a rate of two million acres per year.
  H.R. 2264 is a legislative remedy to the crisis that is occurring in 
the Congo Basin. Therefore, I support its passage, and I urge my 
colleagues to join me.
  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2264, the 
Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act, and I urge all of my colleagues to 
vote in support of it. I want to thank Secretary of State Colin Powell, 
Congressman Clay Shaw and all cosponsoring members of Congress for 
making the preservation of the Congo River Basin a priority.
  While it is unfortunate that the other body cut the authorization of 
funds for fiscal year 2005 for this initiative, the $18.6 million for 
2004 will send a strong signal for the need for U.S. investment to 
preserve the Congo River Basin. The Congo River and its tributaries 
make up the most extensive network of navigable waterways in Africa and 
carry a volume of water second only to the Amazon River.
  Some of us think first of the Congo River Basin as one of the largest 
and more important ecological regions of the world, which it is. But, 
what is more important, it is the home to some of the world's poorest 
people who have suffered some of Africa's bloodiest conflicts. More 
than two and a half million people have perished in Eastern Congo as a 
result of the most recent Congo civil war, with millions left displaced 
and in unimaginable destitution. Throughout the central African region, 
poverty rates are among the lowest in the world. Life expectancy ranges 
from 42 years in the Central Africa Republic to 52 in the Congo 
Republic.
  The overall forest area of the Congo River Basin is declining rapidly 
as a result of the unchecked growth of timber exports, destructive 
agricultural expansion, and fuel wood demand for a growing population. 
These practices are unsustainable if the assets of the Congo River 
Basin are to be used to improve and sustain the lives of the people who 
live there.
  Mr. Speaker, this legislation represents a unique opportunity to help 
the people of Central Africa turn their biggest asset--the natural 
resources of the Congo River Basin--into a viable economic base. The 
Congo River Basin Partnership is an economic development and 
conservation program for the six countries of Central Africa. The 
partnership will combine the preservation of some of the world's 
richest and most pristine ecosystems with economic development in order 
to alleviate poverty throughout the region.
  Conservation programs will help develop a network of national parks 
and protected areas, and help local communities better manage the 
forest and wildlife. People of Central Africa, some of whom live on 
less than 25-cents per day, will be able to develop sustainable means 
of livelihood through conservation agriculture and integrated 
ecotourism programs.
  Mr. Speaker, with substantial international efforts, the civil war in 
the Democratic Republic of Congo that engulfed the region has come to 
an end. The Congolese and other nations in the region are disarming and 
demobilizing armed groups, planning for national elections, and 
embracing the rule of law. This is the beginning of a new beginning for 
post-colonial Central Africa. The politics of the Cold War failed the 
region, the post-Cold War neglect turned Central Africa into a human 
disaster. We don't know how long it will take to establish a stable 
region in the heart of Africa, but we do know we must start.
  Mr. Chairman, the Congo River Basin Initiative has created a window 
of opportunity to help the people of Central Africa rebuild their 
communities, establish local economies, and bring health care and other 
resources to their countries. This initiative will help demonstrate 
that the stewardship of the Congo River Basin is the joint 
responsibility of Central African countries and the international 
community. It is important to note that the first international meeting 
of the Congo Basin Forest Partnership met in Paris in January of this 
year to launch a strong effort for international cooperation to 
preserve the Congo River Basin.
  Together, we must end the deforestation and wildlife depletion and 
support the appropriate use of forest resources. I support this bill 
and urge my colleagues to vote in favor of its passage.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Gilchrest). The question is on the 
motion offered by the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce) that the 
House suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendments to the 
bill, H.R. 2264.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the Senate amendments were 
concurred in.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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