[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 39 (Thursday, March 5, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2829-S2830]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LIEBERMAN (for himself, Mr. Brownback, Mr. Udall, of New 
        Mexico, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Kerry, and 
        Ms. Snowe):
  S. 529. A bill to assist in the Conservation of rare fields and rare 
canids by supporting and providing financial resources for the 
conservation programs of countries within the range of rare felid and 
rare canid populations and projects of persons with demonstrated 
expertise in the conservation of rare felid and rare canid populations; 
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. LIEBERMAN. Mr President, I rise to speak about the Great Cats and 
Rare Canids Act, which I am introducing today along with my friends

[[Page S2830]]

Senators Sam Brownback and Tom Udall. This bipartisan legislation 
continues our tradition of protecting threatened and endangered species 
around the world and comes at a critical time in the survival of these 
animals.
  Of the 37 wild felid species worldwide, all are currently recognized 
as species in need of protection under the World Conservation Union, 
IUCN, Red List, the lists of species in CITES appendices I, II, and 
III, or the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Of the 35 wild canid 
species worldwide, nearly 50 percent are recognized as in need of such 
protection in one of these categories.
  This legislation would create the Great Cats and Rare Canids 
Conservation Fund and builds on the success of the Multinational 
Species Conservation Fund, NSCF, which presently provides funding to 
protect tigers, rhinoceroses, elephants, great apes, and marine 
turtles. The Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund would support 
the conservation of wild felid and canid populations outside the United 
States by providing financial resources to conserve 15 such species 
that are vital for their ecological value and are listed as endangered 
or threatened on the IUCN Red List of Endangered Species. The great 
cats and rare canids included in this bill are umbrella species that, 
if conserved appropriately, protect their corresponding landscapes and 
other species dependent on those ecosystems.
  Among the species protected under this act are the majestic jaguar of 
South and Central America, the elusive snow leopard, the cheetah, the 
African wild dog, and other rare carnivore species. These species are 
threatened by habitat loss, poaching, disease, and pollution.
  The struggle of the African wild dog is one example of the plight 
these large carnivores face. The less than 2,500 adults that remain not 
only have to combat the widespread misconception that they are 
livestock killers, but are extremely susceptible to diseases common in 
domesticated animals. They have lost 89 percent their habitat and are 
now found in only 14 of the 39 countries that comprise their historic 
range.
  The snow leopard is another example. Like all great cats, the snow 
leopard needs a large tract of uninterrupted land in which to live, but 
the snow leopard's habitat in China has been fragmented due to human 
encroachment. The cats are also under extreme poaching pressures as 
their fur is sold on the black market.
  In addition to protecting the species already listed in the Act, the 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has been mandated to complete a study 
within two years of the bill's enactment to determine what other 
critically endangered species could become eligible for conservation 
assistance. The findings of this study will enable the United States to 
provide conservation assistance to protect additional great cat and 
rare canid species that are determined to need conservation assistance 
in the future.
  Our bill would authorize $5 million in annual spending for the 
conservation of more than a dozen species of great cats and rare 
canines. The Great Cats and Rare Canids Conservation Fund would 
leverage private conservation dollars from corporate and non-government 
sources in order to address the critical need to conserve these 
threatened large carnivores. Historically, for every $1 invested by the 
Federal Government in the programs that are part of the Multinational 
Species Conservation Fund, there is at least a $3 match by private 
donations.
  These funds enable the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to partner with 
nonprofit groups and foreign entities to undertake a range of 
conservation programs where threatened and endangered species live. 
Typical activities to protect the different species in the 
Multinational Species Conservation Fund include new educational 
programs for local populations to increase awareness of these species 
and prevent interactions that could be harmful to people and animals, 
as well as increased monitoring and law enforcement activities to 
prevent poaching and illegal animal trafficking. Great cats are 
particularly at risk from hunting for trade purposes while rare canids 
are susceptible to disease, and this bill will allow the establishment 
of programs to address these species-specific threats.
  The genesis of the Great Cats and Rare Canids program is nearly a 
decade old, and the bill under consideration today was also introduced 
in the past two Congresses. In that time, these species have continued 
to decline in numbers. I do not think our children and grandchildren 
will forgive us if we stand by and let these magnificent animals drift 
into extinction. With a relatively small investment, we can invigorate 
ongoing conservation efforts around the world.
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