[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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