[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 19]
[House]
[Pages 26577-26579]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1815
  CONDEMNING THE ILLEGAL EXTRACTION OF MADAGASCAR'S NATURAL RESOURCES

  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the 
resolution (H. Res. 839) condemning the illegal extraction of 
Madagascar's natural resources, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 839

       Whereas Madagascar is the world's fourth largest island, 
     and home to up to 150,000 species of unique flora and fauna;
       Whereas during the last 20 years, with the support of the 
     U.S. Government and others, Madagascar has made substantial 
     progress in stopping environmental degradation, effectively 
     managing natural resources and preserving its unique 
     biodiversity;
       Whereas three-quarters of Madagascar's people live in rural 
     areas and two-thirds live on less than $2 per day, 
     safeguarding these natural resources is essential to 
     Madagascar's continued economic growth and development;
       Whereas these natural resources contribute to economic 
     development through the tourism sector, drawing an estimated 
     $390,000,000 per year;
       Whereas, on March 17, 2009, Marc Ravalomanana was forced to 
     resign as the democratically-elected President of Madagascar 
     and Andry Rajoelina was installed as de facto head of state;
       Whereas, on March 20, 2009, the United States condemned the 
     removal of Marc Ravalomanana and the installation of Andry 
     Rajoelina as tantamount to a coup d'etat, undemocratic, and 
     contrary to the rule of law, announced a suspension of non-
     humanitarian assistance, and later terminated compact 
     assistance through the Millennium Challenge Corporation to 
     the de facto Rajoelina government;
       Whereas two-thirds of Madagascar's people depend on natural 
     resources for their sustenance and livelihoods, and decreased 
     assistance for conservation efforts may have dire 
     humanitarian consequences;
       Whereas the African Union and the Southern African 
     Development Community have suspended Madagascar's 
     participation until constitutional order is restored;
       Whereas in October 2009, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), 
     Conservation International, and the Wildlife Conservation 
     Society condemned an interministerial order issued by the de 
     facto administration granting sweeping authorization to 
     export raw and semi-processed hard wood as ``legaliz[ing] the 
     sale of illegally cut and collected wood onto the market; 
     allow[ing] for the potential embezzlement of funds in the 
     name of environmental protection; and constitut[ing] a legal 
     incentive for further corruption in the forestry sector'';
       Whereas natural resource degradation occurring under the de 
     facto government includes--
       (1) open and organized plundering of precious wood from 
     natural forests, including World Heritage Sites such as 
     Marojejy and Masoala National Parks;
       (2) intimidation and menace of legitimate local community 
     management structures, and expropriation of revenue and 
     benefits from them, causing suffering and impoverishment;
       (3) intensified smuggling of endemic and protected species 
     and species parts and/or products to the national and 
     international markets;
       (4) proliferation of destructive practices such as illegal 
     mining and slash-and-burn agriculture within protected areas 
     and environmentally sensitive areas;
       (5) degradation of forests, pushing some rosewood and ebony 
     species to the brink of extinction; and
       (6) the degradation of the resource base that rural 
     communities depend upon represents an immediate and future 
     threat to local governance, local incomes, and food security; 
     and
       Whereas the vast majority of this precious wood is destined 
     for global export markets: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) strongly condemns the March 2009 coup d'etat in 
     Madagascar and supports the people of Madagascar in 
     immediately undertaking a democratic, consensual process to 
     restore constitutional governance, culminating in free, fair, 
     and peaceful elections;
       (2) commends the African Union and the Southern African 
     Development Community for taking strong action against anti-
     democratic forces in Madagascar and encourage their continued 
     resolve to return Madagascar to the rule of law;
       (3) strongly condemns the illegal extraction of 
     Madagascar's natural resources and its impact on biodiversity 
     and livelihoods of rural communities, including illegal 
     logging, smuggling of wild species, and illegal mining;
       (4) supports action by competent authorities and the people 
     of Madagascar to stop this illegal devastation and bring 
     those perpetrating these crimes to justice;
       (5) calls upon importing countries to intensify their 
     inspection and monitoring processes to ensure that they do 
     not contribute to the demand for illegally sourced precious 
     woods from Madagascar; and
       (6) calls upon consumers of rosewood and ebony products to 
     check their origin, and boycott those made of Malagasy wood, 
     until constitutional order is restored.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Berman) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. Res. 839, a resolution 
introduced by the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) which condemns 
the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural resources.
  On March 17 the democratically elected President of Madagascar was 
forced from office in a coup and replaced by Andry Rajoelina, who 
remains in power today. Over the past 7 months, the political situation 
has remained tenuous as discussions between both sides continue over 
the possibility of new elections.
  Meanwhile, policies pursued by the de facto Rajoelina government have 
done terrible harm to Madagascar's fragile ecosystem, which boasts up 
to 150,000 unique species of plants and animals.
  On September 21, the government permitted 13 operators to export 325 
containers filled with raw and semi-processed woods. The government 
reportedly earned almost $12 million in taxes from these transactions.
  The World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and the Wildlife 
Conservation Society condemned the decision as ``legalizing the sale of 
illegally cut and collected wood onto the market.'' This decision came 
on top of months of illegal activities and violent actions in 
Madagascar's forests.
  Since political turmoil began in January, local communities and 
officials have reported that armed groups have entered the previously 
protected Masoala and Marojejy World Heritage Sites and the Mananara-
Nord Biosphere Reserve. The NGO Global Witness reports that 7,000 cubic 
meters of rosewood and ebony have been shipped out of Madagascar since 
the beginning of the year.
  These actions harm not only Madagascar's environment but the local 
communities that depend on the forests for their income. Without this 
revenue, communities may be forced to resort to slash-and-burn 
agriculture, thus furthering damaging Madagascar's sensitive ecosystem.
  I commend my friend and colleague Mr. Blumenauer for bringing this 
resolution and this issue before the Congress and urge my colleagues to 
join me in supporting it.

[[Page 26578]]

  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in total support of H. Res. 839, which condemns 
the March 2009 coup in Madagascar and subsequent upsurge in the illegal 
extraction of Madagascar's natural resources.
  Due to its geography, Madagascar hosts one of the most unique and 
diverse ecosystems on the planet. According to the World Wildlife Fund, 
92 percent of Madagascar's reptiles, 68 percent of its plant life, and 
98 percent of its land mammals are unique to Madagascar, existing 
nowhere else on Earth.
  One need only take a page from the latest issue of National 
Geographic to be inspired to explore Madagascar's tropical rainforests, 
dry forests, spiny deserts, reefs, and estuaries, not to mention the 
impenetrable Stone Forest, a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site, 
where new species are being discovered on a regular basis.
  With such unique biodiversity, ecotourism obviously holds great 
potential to help lift Madagascar's population out of its poverty. 
Realizing this opportunity, the government in 2003 set aside 3 percent 
of the island for national parks and reserves, while endeavoring to 
stem illegal logging and assist rural populations in developing 
sustainable farming methods.
  In April 2005, the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a 4-year 
$110 million compact with Madagascar, the very first compact of the 
MCC, to assist poor rural farmers in transition from subsistence 
agriculture to a market economy, while promoting environmental 
sustainability. By all accounts, great progress was being made in 
reducing world poverty while promoting conservation.
  Unfortunately, much of that progress has been dashed since March of 
2009 when an illegal coup displaced the elected President of Madagascar 
in favor of a former disc jockey and mayor of the capital city who is 
not even old enough to hold office pursuant to Madagascar's own 
constitution.
  The days leading to the coup and the months since have been 
characterized by deadly protests and serious human rights abuses. The 
donor community was forced to withdraw support from the government, and 
critical assistance including the MCC compact was terminated. 
Madagascar was also suspended from the African Union and the regional 
Southern African Development Community.
  Illegal logging, mining, and smuggling of wildlife in officially 
protected areas has intensified, as criminal networks exploit political 
instability and impoverished Malagasy in rural areas struggle to 
survive.
  H. Res. 839, as amended, condemns the coup and the subsequent upsurge 
in the illegal extraction of Madagascar's resources. It laments the 
impact these illegal activities are having on conservation and poverty 
reduction efforts and calls for a boycott of certain wood products 
until constitutional order is restored.
  I commend the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer) for introducing 
this timely resolution, which deserves our support.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 5 minutes to the 
author of the resolution, who brought this to my attention less than 2 
weeks ago, the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. Blumenauer).
  Mr. BLUMENAUER. I thank Chairman Berman for his courtesy and for the 
prompt action of the committee. I deeply appreciate the bipartisan 
support and the quick turnaround that we've had from both sides of the 
aisle on the committee. It is important to move quickly, and I deeply 
appreciate putting this on the agenda.
  The irreplaceable role of healthy forests as havens for biodiversity, 
carbon sinks, and renewable resources demands that we fight against and 
reverse a global legacy of environmental pillaging.
  Illegal logging and resource extraction is not just about 
environmental decimation, with watershed pollution, loss of 
biodiversity, and increased carbon emissions. It's about human loss as 
well, the local communities left devastated without resources for 
survival and for their future and beyond to everyone on the planet. We 
all benefit from the medicines, the carbon captures, and species 
diversity that these forests provide.
  For years it's been a personal project of mine to work against the 
illegal logging trade, to make sure that the United States can lead by 
example and stop our own demand for illegally logged wood. I was 
pleased that our Legal Timber Protection Act was incorporated into 
legislation and signed into law by President Bush last year. The United 
States Government is now empowered to ask where imported wood and 
plants actually come from to promote legal harvest. Yet the illegal 
trade continues.
  Last month, with Chairman Payne and Chairman Faleomavaega, I 
introduced this legislation to condemn the illegal logging and 
extraction of Madagascar's unique and invaluable natural resources.
  As has been pointed out by my two colleagues, Madagascar hosts some 
of the planet's greatest diversity. It's an island larger than the 
State of California. It broke off from the African mainland 160 million 
years ago, thus spawning the biological laboratory that my colleagues 
referenced, the diversity of plants and animals found nowhere else, 
massive moths, towering trees. There are more than a hundred species 
alone of lemurs.
  Sadly, the majority of Madagascar's people are trapped in a cycle of 
poverty, less than $2 a day. That's why the United States did step 
forward with the first Millennium Challenge program. And protection of 
these incredible and unique resources, only 10 percent of which remain, 
could be key to a sustainable and economically secure future.
  As has been referenced on the floor, the political turmoil is putting 
the honest livelihoods of many, as well as our planet's greatest 
treasure, in extreme peril.
  Political instability breeds corruption and mismanagement. Twenty 
years of partnership with the United States Government and NGOs that 
has resulted in more effective management and preservation is being 
undone in a matter of months. The de facto regime is using the 
endangered resources to boost its regime and has issued sweeping 
decrees allowing the harvest and export of woods from protected forests 
and World Heritage Sites.
  The reports from Madagascar are dire and detail rampant illegal 
logging, mining, and resource degradation. Traffickers smuggle out 
record numbers of the world's rarest tortoises to Asian and European 
collectors. Poachers kill and roast scores of lemurs for restaurants. 
Armed loggers brazenly plunder protected forests, looting dwindling 
hardwood for furniture.
  The media has detailed this ongoing destruction. Activities that not 
only deny access to basic resources to locals, they degrade the 
country's thriving ecotourism industry which brought in almost $400 
million badly needed last year. The United States has condemned the 
current government, suspended all nonhumanitarian aid, and terminated 
assistance from the aforementioned Millennium Development Corporation 
compact.
  I am pleased that we will join today with the World Wildlife Fund, 
Conservation International, and the Wildlife Conservation Society, all 
of whom have denounced this wholesale exploitation of these precious 
resources.
  I am pleased, Mr. Speaker, that we are moving forward. I deeply thank 
the prompt action and bipartisan support for this legislation.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to 
the gentleman from California (Mr. Royce), the ranking member of the 
Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.
  Mr. ROYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of this resolution, which 
condemns the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural resources, 
although it does so without identifying who's doing the extracting, 
which I think I'd like to comment on.

[[Page 26579]]

  I have traveled to Madagascar; and as the co-chairman of the 
International Conservation Caucus, I have seen the pristine habitat of 
this island. It has got a very unique biodiversity, as has been 
mentioned. Ninety percent of the species there are endemic to that 
island, and that's one of the reasons a lot of people call Madagascar 
the ``eighth continent.'' It is because it is so unique in this way. 
And the inhabitants of that island rely very heavily on that 
biodiversity and on biotourism as an industry. The biotourism draws 
about $400 million a year. So preserving Madagascar's unique beauty is 
important not just from an ecologic standpoint; it's also very critical 
as an economic necessity, basically, for many of the inhabitants of 
that island. And, rightfully, this resolution condemns the act. It 
condemns the litany of natural resource degradation that's occurred.
  But it's important that it mentions the plundering of precious 
forests. Unfortunately, from my standpoint there's no mention of who is 
doing the plundering or where these resources are being sold.

                              {time}  1830

  From my standpoint, this would be similar to condemning an act of 
terror without naming the terrorist.
  This resolution would be greatly strengthened by including such 
information. Reports that I have read from Global Witness identify 
rosewood taken out of Masoala National Park as being for sale in China. 
That is the destination of the illegal logging.
  I urge my colleagues to support this resolution but also to take a 
closer look at China's role at resource exploitation in Africa and 
across the developing world. I chaired the Africa Subcommittee for 8 
years. I can tell you, the picture of China in Africa is not pretty, 
and this action in Madagascar is one more example of it.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H. 
Res. 839 ``Condemning the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural 
resources.'' This timely resolution calls upon the leadership of 
Madagascar to undertake democratic reforms as well as immediately 
implement measures to protect their fragile and beautiful environment.
  There are many beautiful places in this world, but few are as diverse 
as the island nation of Madagascar. Madagascar is the world's fourth 
largest island, covering over 144 million acres. This unique island has 
a wide range of ecosystems including rain forests, dry forests, 
volcanic mountains, and a large desert. The climate ranges from 
tropical along the coast to temperate inland to arid in the south. This 
environmental diversity supports an equally large range of 
biodiversity. The island is home to 150,000 species of unique flora and 
fauna, as well as thousands of animals found nowhere else on earth. 
According to the World Wildlife Fund, ``approximately 92 percent of 
Madagascar's reptiles, 68 percent of its plant life and 98 percent of 
its land mammals, including lemurs, exist naturally nowhere else on 
Earth.''
  Madagascar is also home to over 20 million people who depend on the 
biodiversity to survive. For example, the Wildlife Conservation Society 
estimates that 150,000 people depend on the Makira-Masoala rainforest 
as their primary source of water. Approximately 80 percent of 
Madagascar's population lives below the poverty line, 70 percent of the 
population live outside cities, and many Malagasy people depend on 
subsistence farming; thus, the fate of the Malagasy people is closely 
intertwined with that of their environment.
  Mr. Speaker, as this resolution points out, the livelihoods of the 
people, animals and plants on Madagascar are threatened by a political 
crisis that triggered a pillage of its valuable wildlife and forests. 
In mid-March 2009, President Marc Ravalomanana's government was 
overthrown by forces led by Andry Rajoelina. Mr. Rajoelina, a key 
opposition leader and sitting mayor of Madagascar's capitol city was 
upset with the President's conflict of interest between his extensive 
commercial interests and running the country. Ravalomanana was both the 
President of the government and the country's mammoth business 
conglomerate.
  Protestors accused the President of wasting international aid money 
and striking a harmful land deal with Daewoo, Inc. of South Korea. 
Under the deal, Daewoo would own an area of farmland the size of 
Belgium.
  During the coup, over 135 people died and thousands were injured in 
frequent clashes between protestors and police and army forces. The 
violence has crippled the island's $390 million-a-year tourism sector, 
and unnerved foreign investors in Madagascar's mining and oil 
industries. The human rights of Ravalomanana's supporters are being 
threatened throughout the country. Many of his supporters that remain 
in the country are in hiding, have been beaten, or are in jail.
  The Obama Administration has condemned Marc Ravalomanana's forced 
resignation as President of the Republic of Madagascar, and Andry 
Rajoelina's installation as de facto head of state, as tantamount to a 
coup d'etat, undemocratic, and contrary to the rule of law. By 
designating the regime change as a coup, the U.S. has suspended all 
non-emergency foreign assistance. The African Union and other 
international organizations have similarly denounced the coup but, 
despite international pressure, a return to democracy seems unlikely.
  This is a sad sequence of events for a country once lauded as a 
success story in Africa. Madagascar, as you may recall, was the first 
country to receive a contract from the Millennium Challenge Cooperation 
when, in April 2005, the Millennium Challenge Corporation signed a 4-
year, $110 million Compact with the Republic of Madagascar to raise 
incomes by assisting the rural population to transition from 
subsistence agriculture to a market economy.
  Today, the new government threatens not only the fragile ecosystems, 
but the citizens of their own nation. This is why I strongly support 
this resolution that calls on people of Madagascar to immediately 
undertake a democratic, consensual process to restore constitutional 
governance, culminating in free, fair and peaceful elections, as well 
as denounce the illegal extraction of Madagascar's natural resources.
  Mr. POE of Texas. We have no other speakers, Mr. Speaker, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. BERMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I yield back 
the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Berman) that the House suspend the rules 
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 839, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground 
that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum 
is not present.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.
  The point of no quorum is considered withdrawn.

                          ____________________