[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 153 (Wednesday, October 10, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2116]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TROPICAL FOREST CONSERVATION ACT OF 1998 AMENDMENTS

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                               speech of

                         HON. MARK STEVEN KIRK

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 9, 2007

  Mr. KIRK. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2185 to 
reauthorize and expand Rob Portman's landmark legislation, the Tropical 
Forest Conservation Act. This reauthorization will help developing 
countries reduce foreign debt and provide comprehensive environmental 
preservation programs to protect tropical forests and endangered marine 
habitats around the world.
  Since enacted in 1998, Tropical Forest Conservation Act programs have 
generated a total of $136.5 million over 10 to 25 years to help 
conserve 50 million acres of tropical forests in Asia, the Caribbean, 
Central and South America. But the rate of deforestation continues to 
accelerate across the globe.
  Similarly alarming is the rapid rate of coral reef and coastal 
exploitation. The burden of foreign debt falls especially hard on the 
smallest of nations, such as island nations in the Caribbean and 
Pacific. With few natural resources, these countries often resort to 
harvesting or otherwise exploiting coral reefs and other marine 
habitats to earn hard currency to service foreign debt. According to 
the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, 60 percent of the 
world's coral reefs may be destroyed by the year 2050 if the present 
rate of destruction continues.
  The Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act expands the current 
tropical forest conservation programs to include the protection and 
conservation of these vital coral ecosystems. H.R. 2185 will credit 
qualified developing nations for each dollar spent on a comprehensive 
tropical forest and reef preservation or management programs. It will 
also reduce debt by investing locally in programs that will strengthen 
indigenous economies by creating long-term management policies to 
preserve the natural resources upon which local commerce is based. Most 
importantly, H.R. 2185 will make resources available for environmental 
stewardship that would otherwise be of the lowest priority in a 
developing country.
  This legislation has enormous consequences for the existence of 
critical ecosystems, the health of our planet and the livelihoods of 
millions of people across the globe. I would like to thank Bill Millan 
from The Nature Conservancy, Lisa Handy from Conservation 
International, Beth Allgood from the World Wildlife Fund and Kelly 
Aylward from the Wildlife Conservation Society for all their efforts in 
helping to craft and forward this legislation. I urge my colleagues to 
support the Tropical Forest and Coral Conservation Act, which will help 
preserve the world's most precious natural resources.

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