SPEAKERS CONTENTS INSERTS
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71-290 DTP
2001
H.R. 643, H.R. 645 AND H.R. 700
LEGISLATIVE HEARING
before the
SUBCOMMITTEE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS
of the
COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED SEVENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
Thursday, March 15, 2001
Serial No. 107-5
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Printed for the use of the Committee on Resources
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.access.gpo.gov/congress/house
or
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COMMITTEE ON RESOURCES
JAMES V. HANSEN, Utah, Chairman
NICK J. RAHALL II, West Virginia, Ranking Democrat Member
Don Young, Alaska,
Vice Chairman
W.J. ''Billy'' Tauzin, Louisiana
Jim Saxton, New Jersey
Elton Gallegly, California
John J. Duncan, Jr., Tennessee
Joel Hefley, Colorado
Wayne T. Gilchrest, Maryland
Ken Calvert, California
Scott McInnis, Colorado
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Richard W. Pombo, California
Barbara Cubin, Wyoming
George Radanovich, California
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Carolina
Mac Thornberry, Texas
Chris Cannon, Utah
John E. Peterson, Pennsylvania
Bob Schaffer, Colorado
Jim Gibbons, Nevada
Mark E. Souder, Indiana
Greg Walden, Oregon
Michael K. Simpson, Idaho
Thomas G. Tancredo, Colorado
C.L. ''Butch'' Otter, Idaho
Tom Osborne, Nebraska
Jeff Flake, Arizona
Dennis R. Rehberg, Montana
VACANCY
George Miller, California
Edward J. Markey, Massachusetts
Dale E. Kildee, Michigan
Peter A. DeFazio, Oregon
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
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Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
Calvin M. Dooley, California
Robert A. Underwood, Guam
Adam Smith, Washington
Donna M. Christensen, Virgin Islands
Ron Kind, Wisconsin
Jay Inslee, Washington
Grace F. Napolitano, California
Tom Udall, New Mexico
Mark Udall, Colorado
Rush D. Holt, New Jersey
James P. McGovern, Massachusetts
Anibal Acevedo-Vila, Puerto Rico
Hilda L. Solis, California
Brad Carson, Oklahoma
Betty McCollum, Minnesota
Allen D. Freemyer, Chief of Staff
Lisa Pittman, Chief Counsel
Michael S. Twinchek, Chief Clerk
James H. Zoia, Democrat Staff Director
Jeff Petrich, Democrat Chief Counsel
SUBCOMMITTE ON FISHERIES CONSERVATION, WILDLIFE AND OCEANS
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WAYNE T. GILCHREST, Maryland, Chairman
ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam, Ranking Democrat Member
Don Young, Alaska
W.J. ''Billy'' Tauzin, Louisiana
Jim Saxton, New Jersey,
Vice Chairman
Richard W. Pombo, California
Walter B. Jones, Jr., North Carolina
Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, American Samoa
Neil Abercrombie, Hawaii
Solomon P. Ortiz, Texas
Frank Pallone, Jr., New Jersey
C O N T E N T S
Hearing held on March 15, 2001
Statement of Members:
Faleomavaega, Hon. Eni F.H., a Delegate to Congress from American Samoa
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
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Gilchrest, Hon. Wayne, a Representative in Congress from the State of Maryland
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Saxton, Hon. Jim, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey
Prepared statement on H.R. 700
Statement of Witnesses:
Berry, John, Executive Director, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Prepared statement on H.R. 645
Foose, Dr. Thomas J., Program Director, International Rhino Foundation
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Hemley, Ginette, Vice President for Species Conservation, World Wildlife Fund
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Jones, Marshall, Acting Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Response to questions submitted for the record by The Honorable Richard Pombo
Response to questions submitted for the record by The Honorable Eni Faleomavaega
Kirtland, John, Executive Director for Animal Stewardship, Feld Entertainment, Inc., Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Prepared statement on H.R. 700
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Rapp, James L., Executive Director, Salisbury Zoological Park
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Robinson, Dr. John G., Senior Vice President and Director, International Conservation, Wildlife Conservation Society
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Response to questions submitted by The Honorable Eni Faleomavaega
Steuer, Karen, Director, Commercial Exploitation and Trade Program, International Fund for Animal Welfare
Prepared statement on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Response to questions submitted by The Honorable Eni Faleomavaega
Additional materials supplied:
Text of H.R. 643
Text of H.R. 645
Text of H.R. 700
HEARING ON H.R. 643, THE AFRICAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2001; H.R. 645, THE RHINOCEROS AND TIGER CONSERVATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2001; AND H.R. 700, THE ASIAN ELEPHANT CONSERVATION REAUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2001
Thursday, March 15, 2001
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House of Representatives
Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans
Committee on Resources
Washington, DC
The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:04 a.m., in Room 1324 Longworth House Office Building, Hon. Wayne T. Gilchrest [Chairman of the Subcommittee] presiding.
STATEMENT OF HON. WAYNE T. GILCHREST, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND
Mr. GILCHREST. Good morning, everybody. Welcome to the first hearing for Fish, Wildlife and Oceans. We look forward to the hearing today and to the testimony from the witnesses, and I appreciate all the hard work that my colleague, Jim Saxton, did while he was Chairman of this Subcommittee for six years, with the able companionship of Eni Faleomavaega, whose name it took me a while to pronounce, but I am doing a better job now.
We look forward over the next two years to carrying on the tradition that was most ably set by these two men who have a lifelong interest and concern, with strength and compassion, to preserve the world's resources. This hearing today will focus to a great extent on all of that.
I was pleased to introduce legislation to reauthorize the African Elephant and Rhino and Tiger Conservation Funds along with what Jim and Eni have done in the past. In fact, these funds represent the only continuous source of money in the world and they are, to quote the Fish and Wildlife Service, ''not a hand-out, but a helping hand.'' So we will continue in that tradition as well.
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During the past 13 years, the Service has approved 251 conservation grants to assist rhinos, tigers, and elephants in a number of range countries. The total expenditure of Federal funds has been $16.7 million, which has been matched by $56.9 million in private money. While the list of approved projects is lengthy, it represents less than 50 percent of the total number submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The need is great and it is essential that these funds are extended for an additional five years.
Furthermore, I have cosigned a letter to Secretary Gale Norton supporting a $1 million appropriation for each of the five accounts under the Multinational Species Conservation Fund.
[H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700 follow:]
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Mr. GILCHREST. I do this morning look forward to the testimony from our witnesses. It almost seems like there is barely this thin thread between extinction and survival, and the thin thread are those of you and those whom you represent who have come here to testify, and the little pittance, although you have used it wisely, of Federal money
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I recently completed a book called ''The Sea of Slaughter,'' by Farley Mowatt, the man famous for ''Never Cry Wolf,'' in which he describes wildlife to a large extent along the East Coast of the U.S. and Canada in a historical perspective from the 1500's—actually, he fixed the date, 1500 to the present, and what happened to the ptarmigan, the golden eagle, the polar bear, the black bear, the grizzly bear, the mink, the auk, a myriad of shore birds, and the list goes on, because of our intrusion in a way that, looking back now, was ruthless for the slaughter of profit, the habitat loss, the vast starvation because of habitat loss, and fundamental stupidity, arrogance, and ignorance.
I have a nephew who is a Presbyterian missionary in Ethiopia and I saw him recently when he came back to visit. He said there is a very widespread saying in Ethiopia and it goes like this: if all you know you learned from your father and your father is ignorant, what does that make you? It is pretty profound, not necessarily politically correct, but quite profound.
So we look forward to what we will hear this morning, and we will do our darnedest to make sure the program not only survives but gets as near fully funded as possible and expands.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Gilchrest follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Wayne Gilchrest, Chairman, Subcommittee on Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans
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Good morning and welcome to our first legislative hearing of the 107th Congress. I am Congressman Wayne Gilchrest and I represent the 1st District of Maryland.
Today's hearing will focus on three wildlife conservation bills that will extend the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to undertake grants to conserve the flagship species of African elephants, Asian elephants, rhinoceros and tigers.
I was pleased to introduce legislation to reauthorize the African Elephant and Rhino and Tiger Conservation Funds because this small investment of U.S. money is critical to the long term survival of these species and the ecosystems where they live. In fact, these funds represent the only continuous source of money in the world and they are to quote the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service not a hand out, but a helping hand.
During the past thirteen years, the Service has approved 251 conservation grants to assist rhinos, tigers and elephants in a number of range countries. The total expenditure of Federal funds has been $16.7 million which has been matched by $56.9 million in private money. While the list of approved projects is lengthy, it represents less than 50 percent of the total number submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The need is great and it is essential that these funds be extended for an additional five years.
Furthermore, I have co-signed a letter to Secretary Gale Norton supporting a million dollar appropriation for each of the five accounts under the Multinational Species Conservation Fund.
Finally, I look forward to hearing from our distinguished witnesses and I hope that they will address the benefits of these Acts and whether any modifications or changes are necessary.
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I am now pleased to recognize the Ranking Minority Member
Mr. GILCHREST. On that note, I would like to yield to the gentleman from American Samoa.
STATEMENT OF HON. ENI. F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, A DELEGATE TO CONGRESS FROM AMERICAN SAMOA
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Allow me to congratulate you on becoming the Chairman of the Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee. Certainly, I am sure that myself and my colleagues wish you all the best in your new responsibilities, as I am also confident that you will carry on the business of the Subcommittee on the same bipartisan basis as your predecessor, and certainly a dear friend and colleague, now the Subcommittee's Vice Chairman, the gentleman from New Jersey, Mr. Saxton.
I just want to compliment and certainly thank him for allowing me to work with him in the past two years as his ranking minority member on this Subcommittee. It has been an enriching experience for me to learn so much, and I am still learning a lot concerning these responsibilities that we now have under this Subcommittee.
Mr. Chairman, our ranking member, the gentleman from Guam, Mr. Underwood, has asked me to pinch hit for him this morning. He has had to get up at 4 this morning to catch a 6 a.m. flight to his home district, which is only about 18 hours, a plane experience that I am sure none of us here are envious of. But he does send his regards and regrets for not being here, but certainly wishes and hopes that what we consider here in our Subcommittee will be fruitful and productive. Certainly, I don't see any problems in the passage of the proposed legislation that is now before us.
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As you know, Mr. Chairman, the conservation and protection of wildlife resources is one of the major oversight responsibilities of this Subcommittee. Consequently, I was pleased to join you and Mr. Saxton in cosponsoring your legislation to reauthorize three very important international wildlife conservation statutes—the African Elephant Conservation Act, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act, and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act.
The grant programs initiated under these Acts have been responsive, effective and successful in supporting a diversity of conservation activities in various range states scattered throughout Africa and Asia. In fact, these grant programs have been so successful that the 106th Congress authorized two additional conservation programs, one for great apes and a second for neotropical migratory birds.
Of course, no program is without its critics. I am sure that some aspects of these programs can be improved. One question I do have is whether or not these grant programs are funding the most critical priority needs in the field, as identified by the range states themselves. In this respect, I look forward to hearing from our witnesses this morning, and I look forward to working with you and the ranking Democratic member of our Subcommittee, Mr. Underwood, and certainly swift, favorable consideration of these proposed bills.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Faleomavaega follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Eni F.H. Faleomavaega, a Delegate to Congress from American Samoa
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Thank you Mr. Chairman, and good morning. Allow me to congratulate you on becoming the Chairman of the Fisheries Conservation, Wildlife and Oceans Subcommittee. I wish you well and good luck in your new responsibilities. I am confident that you will carry on the business of this Subcommittee in the same bipartisan fashion as your predecessor, and now the Subcommittee's Vice Chairman, Jim Saxton.
As you know Mr. Chairman, the conservation and protection of wildlife resources is one of the major oversight responsibilities of this subcommittee. Consequently, I was pleased to join you and Mr. Saxton in cosponsoring your legislation to reauthorize three very important international wildlife conservation statutes: The African Elephant Conservation Act; the Rhinoceros/Tiger Conservation Act; and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act.
The grant programs initiated under these Acts have been responsive, effective, and successful in supporting a diversity of conservation activities in various range states scattered throughout Africa and Asia. In fact, these grant programs have been so successful, the 106th Congress authorized two additional conservation programs: one for great apes and a second for neotropical migratory birds.
Of course, no program is without its critics, and I am sure that some aspects of these programs can be improved. One question I do have is whether or not these grant programs are funding the most critical priority needs in the field as identified by the range states themselves.
In this respect, I look forward to hearing suggestions from our witnesses today on how Congress might be able to improve these vitally important conservation programs.
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Mr. Chairman, I look forward to working with you and with the ranking Democratic member on the Subcommittee, Mr. Underwood, on the swift consideration of your legislation.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. GILCHREST. Thank you, Mr. Faleomavaega.
Mr. Saxton?
STATEMENT OF HON. JIM SAXTON, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Mr. SAXTON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Let me just say congratulations to you for assuming the Chairmanship of this great Subcommittee. I have certainly enjoyed my tenure here and I have enjoyed working with you. I guess through everybody's career there are bright spots, and one of the bright spots is knowing that you will be here guiding this Subcommittee, and we certainly appreciate it.
There is good news and bad news, though. The good news is that Wayne will be here doing a great job on this Subcommittee, but if you look at this Chairmanship from the standpoint of a nutria, it is probably a dark spot because they are in trouble.
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For those of you who don't know, nutria are little varmints that were imported into the Eastern Shore of Maryland from someplace in South America and they have kind of taken over parts of the Eastern Shore. I know that they are now in trouble. So, anyway, I look forward to working with you and to continuing to share in the successes of this Subcommittee, and I know that the Subcommittee is in great hands.
Let me just say a word about one of the bills that we are going to be discussing this morning, and that, of course, is the bill which I introduced four years ago. It was a bill that had to do with preserving Asian elephants as I started to learn that there were less than 40,000 Asian elephants living in the world and that nearly 50 percent of those elephants were living in various national parks in India, while the remaining animals were scattered in fragmented populations throughout 12 other countries in South and Southeast Asia.
The primary reason for this serious decline in population was the loss of essential elephant habitat. So we introduced a bill known as the Asian Elephant Conservation Act, which was passed and authorized $25 million to be spent until the end of the authorization, which is September 30 of this year. Whereas we actually made a start at spending some of that money, we sent a powerful message, in my opinion, throughout the conservation community and the rest of the world that this is an absolutely important issue and an important step forward by the United States Government. I thank you for your cooperation in the past. I know that we are here to discuss this this morning.
I ask unanimous consent that my full statement be placed in the record. Again, congratulations on your Chairmanship.
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Mr. GILCHREST. Thank you, Jim. Without objection, your statement will be submitted to the record.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Saxton follows:]
Statement of The Honorable Jim Saxton, a Representative in Congress from the State of New Jersey, on H.R. 700
Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee. Thank you to the witnesses for joining us here today. I appreciate you taking the time out of your schedules to be here. I am pleased to be able to speak in support of the reauthorization of the Asian Elephant Conservation Act.
Four years ago, I introduced this bill, because I was startled to learn that there were less than 40,000 Asian elephants living in the wild. Furthermore, nearly fifty percent of those elephants were living in various national parks in India, while the remaining animals were scattered in fragmented populations throughout twelve other countries in South and Southeast Asia.
The primary reason for this serious decline in population was the loss of essential habitat. It is no secret that elephants and man are in direct competition for the same resources. In most cases, it was the elephants who lost in those confrontations. In addition, Asian elephants are poached for their bones, hide, meat and teeth; they are still captured for domestication; and conflicts between elephants and people are escalating at an alarming rate.
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Furthermore, it was clear that millions of people were not aware of the plight of Asian elephants and that range countries lack the financial resources to help conserve this flagship species.
Without an international effort, the future of the Asian elephant was in serious jeopardy. In response to this problem, I, along with a number of other Members, proposed the establishment of an Asian Elephant Consortium Fund.
This concept was modeled after the highly successful African Elephant Conservation Fund, and the fundamental goal of my legislation was to obtain a small amount of Federal assistance for on-the-ground conservation projects.
Fortunately, this important legislation was overwhelmingly approved by both bodies, and it was signed into law on November 19, 1997. Under the terms of P.L. 105-95, the Congress could appropriate up to $25 million to the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund until September 30, 2002. In fact, some $1.9 million in Federal funds has been allocated and those moneys have been matched by an additional $1.1 million in private donations.
Those funds have been used to underwrite 27 conservation grants in nine different range countries. The type of projects funded have included: develop an elephant strategy in Sri Lanka; identification of a suitable managed elephant range in Malaysia; molecular tools for the local population assessment of Asian elephants; school education to support Asian elephant conservation in India and trace the mobility patterns of Sri Lankan elephants. These projects were carefully analyzed and competitively selected from a list of nearly 100 proposals that were submitted to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
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While the early indication is that the worldwide population of Asian elephants has stopped its precipitous decline, it is unrealistic to believe that $3 million can save this species from extinction. Nevertheless, this law sent a powerful message to the international community that we must not allow this flagship species to disappear from the wild. The United States must continue to play a leadership role in this effort.
I am pleased to have introduced this reauthorization and will push for its passage.
Mr. GILCHREST. I do want to make a quick comment about the staff, past and present. There is a great staff on the Fisheries Subcommittee, both Democrat and Republican staff, and they do a lot of the work that we sometimes get the credit for. I just want to thank them for all their efforts.
This morning, we have Marshall Jones, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, accompanied by Dr. Ken Stansell. Welcome.
Mr. James Rapp, Executive Director of the Salisbury Zoological Park. Jim, thank you for coming and making the trip here this morning. It is a beautiful place on the Eastern Shore which is representative of the kind of work all of the groups here today are trying to do, and Jim has been a great contributor with his time and talent to these efforts.
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Ms. Ginette Hemley, Vice President of Species Conservation, World Wildlife Fund.
Thank you all for coming this morning.
Mr. Jones, you may begin first.
STATEMENT OF MARSHALL P. JONES, ACTING DIRECTOR, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ACCOMPANIED BY KENNETH B. STANSELL, ACTING ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
Mr. JONES. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It is a great pleasure to be here today, and since this is the first opportunity that the Fish and Wildlife Service has to testify before this Subcommittee with you as Chair, let me say how much we look forward to working with you, as we certainly enjoyed working with Mr. Saxton.
We know you very well from your strong support for Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge and for conservation issues on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, and we are happy to see you have the opportunity to take that philosophy and extend it to fish and wildlife issues nationwide.
Mr. GILCHREST. Thank you.
Mr. JONES. It is also a great pleasure, Mr. Chairman, to be here to talk about a program that I believe is one that has a demonstrated track record of success and one that, with a small expenditure of funds in the big picture, is having a huge effect on the ground.
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Mr. Chairman, I have a written statement and some attachments which we have offered for the record. I will be brief this morning. I have Mr. Stansell with me here, who is himself an expert in these matters and has spent much time in the field.
This program is one that succeeds for several reasons, and I would like to briefly outline, Mr. Chairman, what I believe are the most important parts of that success. First of all, it has had bipartisan support since the first enactment of the African Elephant Conservation Act in 1989 through the support of some of your very able staff who are still with the Committee today. We appreciate it very much. That tradition has continued with each of the succeeding pieces of legislation which built on the African Elephant Conservation Act as the foundation, bipartisan support that grew out of a need and a demonstrated track record of success.
Secondly, Mr. Chairman, we believe this program is so strong because it is one that depends on partnerships. Those are partnerships with, first of all, the other countries which are the range countries for the species we are talking about in Africa and in Asia. We couldn't succeed if those countries weren't interested in working with us, or if those countries hadn't demonstrated a commitment.
That is why we talk about, as you said, Mr. Chairman, this being a helping hand, not a hand-out. These are people who want our help. These are people who are ready and willing to put in the energy, but they are often not able to do that without financial assistance, training, equipment, and the technical assistance that we can give.
And the ''we,'' Mr. Chairman, is not just the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, but all of the organizations that you have invited here today to testify at this hearing. So the partnership extends to non-governmental organizations of all kinds like the World Wildlife Fund, the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, the Wildlife Conservation Society, the International Rhino Foundation, and the International Fund for Animal Welfare. In addition, organizations like Ringling Brothers, have shown that there is a corporate role in this partnership; the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, through its Save the Tiger Fund, which I am privileged to serve as a member of the council, and funded by ExxonMobil, has also contributed. Others are now joining in to contribute to that, too. So this is a partnership that is growing and growing, and we believe it is all built on the foundation of the African Elephant Conservation Act.
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Third, Mr. Chairman, we believe that this program enhances the prestige and the credibility of the United States. It is easy for us in the United States to sit back and criticize or tell other countries what we think they should be doing. This is a program that says we will work with you to help you.
Finally, Mr. Chairman, this is a program that works. These small investments have huge effects. A $25,000 grant in a country like Gabon, Cameroon, Nepal, or Thailand can have a huge effect on the ground. What we would consider in the big picture of things here to be a tiny program may be funding rangers, training people, helping people keep elephants out of their crops, funding surveys, or developing innovative ways for people to live with these animals that are beautiful and inspiring, and also sometimes destructive or dangerous.
So, Mr. Chairman, we believe that this is a program that has a strong track record. Mr. Faleomavaega mentioned that programs can always be improved. We have offered some technical amendments that we think would strengthen the program. We would be very interested in working with you, Mr. Chairman, and all the members of the Subcommittee and the Subcommittee staff to find ways that we can make these programs even better.
I certainly would like to extend an invitation to you and to the staff. Sometime, we hope that you will have the opportunity to come with our staff and visit one of our projects on the ground in Africa or in Asia, so that you can see the benefits for yourself.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
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[The prepared statement of Mr. Jones follows:]
Statement of Marshall P. Jones, Acting Director, United States Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of the Interior, on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the opportunity to be here today to discuss H.R. 643, the African Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2001; H.R. 645, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2001; H.R. 700, the Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2001; and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (Service) implementation of these three multi-species conservation Acts. The Service fully supports the reauthorization of these Acts and looks forward to working with the Subcommittee to consider several technical amendments to make the grants program more efficient and encourage greater collaboration with the private sector. My remarks today will focus on an overview of implementation of the grant programs and these technical considerations. Attached to the Service's testimony are copies of the reports for each of the three grant programs. These attachments are also available on the Service's website at http://International.fws.gov. These reports provide a summary of various projects funded and include detailed examples of how these funds help to conserve species in the wild.
As members of the Subcommittee may be aware, the Service has a long history of proactive programs on behalf of foreign endangered species and their habitats. Over the past two decades the Service's conservation efforts in Asia have resulted in the development of local institutional capacity and training, which in turn has facilitated more effective resource protection by local wildlife researchers and managers. On behalf of rhinoceroses, tigers, and Asian elephants, we have been one of the leaders in helping range countries address the problems affecting the continued existence of these animals. The decade-long implementation of the African Elephant Conservation Act in Africa has played a significant role in U.S. efforts to encourage and assist on-the-ground projects aimed at conserving elephants.
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As a Party to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and a major consumer of species covered by the Convention, the U.S. shares responsibility for supporting and implementing measures to provide for the conservation of endangered and threatened species both at home and abroad. The African Elephant Conservation Act, Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act, and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act are designed to encourage and assist efforts to conserve some of the world's most ecologically and sociologically important wildlife species. The key element of these Acts is the authorization of financial resources, which is a reflection of the strong U.S. commitment to help support local conservation programs of these species in the wild. Continued support by the U.S. through reauthorization of the three Acts remains critical to the conservation of rhinos, tigers, African and Asian elephants.
In implementing these Acts, the Service has designed a streamlined process that allows for timely approval of projects and that has the capacity to respond quickly to emergency situations. Since no implementing regulations were deemed necessary, there has not been any time lag from the initial receipt of funds and the implementation of the program. Furthermore, the grant programs are designed to provide quick, short-term support for holding actions and other conservation measures, in concert with existing or proposed long-range activities, or until such long-range activities are in place. During the early implementation of the African Elephant Conservation Act, it became apparent that there was a definite need for such a responsive grant program. Since that time it has become the hallmark of its success and served as the model for subsequent Acts for rhinos and tigers, Asian elephants, and most recently great apes and neotropical migratory birds.
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All five Acts are administered through the Service's International Affairs program under the Multi-National Species Conservation Funds account. While each account is maintained separately for each Act, a single fund allows the Service to maximize coordination of these programs and minimize the administration costs. The Service is currently reviewing ways to administer these programs consistent with the President's Budget to streamline government and operate more efficiently. After this review, the Service will be willing to work with the authors to revise those provisions related to administration of these programs to address the true administration needs of these programs.
Regarding H.R. 643, H.R. 645 and H.R. 700, the Service would also recommend the creation of an advisory group for each of the Acts to help increase public involvement and Federal and private partnerships. Both of the newly enacted multi-species conservation Acts, the Great Ape Conservation Act and Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act, provided for advisory groups, and we believe that it would be a positive addition to these Acts as well.
The Service would also recommend the inclusion of language to ensure that grants supporting local capacity building and institutional development are among the projects for potential funding. The intent here is to balance the needs for direct species-focused projects with the need to develop human resources necessary to achieve effective conservation over the long term. We have attached language to this testimony that we believe will further benefit these species as well as help range countries better manage their natural resources. In addition, while both the Asian Elephant Conservation Act and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act include language providing for consultation with the U.S. Agency for International Development, this language is absent from the African Elephant Conservation Act. With regard to this consultative role, the Service recommends amending the African Elephant Conservation Act with parallel language to make it consistent with these other Acts. We believe that these minor technical amendments will serve to further enhance these dynamic programs.
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As the first of the multi-species conservation Acts, the African Elephant Conservation Act was enacted in 1989 and received its initial funding in Fiscal Year 1990. The Act has now given us over 10 years of experience with African elephant programs in 23 of the 37 African range countries. The African Elephant Conservation Act came into existence at a time when most African elephant populations were declining at an alarming rate, due primarily to poaching for a large illegal trade in ivory. In response to this precipitous decline, the Act authorized a two-pronged conservation strategy. First, it required a review of elephant conservation programs and established a process for implementation of strict ivory import controls; and second, it established a Fund for cooperative conservation projects in African countries. Throughout the last decade, the African Elephant Conservation Act has been a critical link in enabling continued U.S. involvement in African elephant conservation, through both its import control provisions and the grant program. African elephant populations today are now stable in some countries and increasing in others. However there is still a need to help control poaching in many countries and assist those countries with recovering elephant populations with their management. Much still needs to be done to secure the continent's elephant populations at sustainable levels.
Much of the success of the African Elephant Conservation Act has been a direct result of the unique Small Project Conservation Fund that is targeted at cooperative, on-the-ground conservation projects in Africa. Implementation of this program has had a positive impact on the conservation of the African elephant, and played an indirect role in the conservation of numerous other species that benefit from the conservation of this keystone species. To date, the Service has funded 123 different projects in 23 African countries affecting over 300,000 elephants. Each project is a cooperative effort with African CITES Management Authorities, other foreign governments, non-governmental organizations, or with private sector entities. No in-country project is approved unless it has the full support of and has been identified by that country as a priority for conservation. Through this cooperative approach, the actual on-the-ground resources directed at African elephant conservation is nearly five times the $11 million allocated to the grant program since 1990.
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In response to the growing concerns of the status of rhinos and tigers worldwide and modeled after the African Elephant Conservation Act, Congress enacted the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994. Rhinos and tigers remain among the most charismatic and some of the most endangered species on earth. However, since its inception, the Service has been able to provide substantive support to range countries to aid their efforts to conserve these species. Sustaining tigers and rhinos in the wild depends on a number of factors including international and national commitment to conservation, effective implementation of existing international and national laws, upgrading the legal status of rhinos and tigers wherever necessary, strict implementation of CITES by all tiger and rhino range countries, cooperation between range countries in combating poaching and trade in tiger and rhino products, efforts to protect existing tiger and rhino populations and their habitat, and international support for conservation in tiger and rhino range countries.
To date, the Service has funded 116 different projects in 16 Asian and African countries. Each project is a cooperative effort with local range country governments, non-governmental organizations, CITES Management Authorities, or with private sector entities with experience in rhino or tiger conservation. No project is approved unless it has the full support of and has been identified as a priority for conservation. Through this cooperative approach, the actual on-the-ground resources directed at tigers and rhinos is twice the $4 million appropriated to the grant program since 1996. It is noteworthy to mention that in the previous two years, 51 percent of the matching funds and in-kind contributions originated from range countries. Continued funding of this Act is crucial in order to help support efforts for these critically endangered species.
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Again in 1997, following the small grants model as a blueprint for success, Congress enacted the Asian Elephant Conservation Act. The Asian elephant shares a land mass that contains some of the largest and poorest human populations in the world. The combination of pressures on the environment brought on by these conditions has resulted in the conversion of forest cover to village and agriculture use, thereby fragmenting elephant habitat and populations. It is believed that there are only about ten elephant populations with over 1,000 elephants and half of these are found in India. The majority of populations are small and consist of less than 100 elephants. The greatest threat, although not new, is the increased poaching of Asian elephants.
The first funds were made available in Fiscal Year 1999. Following the successful methods of implementation of the African Elephant Conservation Act and the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act, the Service has developed a grants program encouraging proposals for protection to at-risk elephant populations, habitat and ecosystem conservation and management, applied research including surveys and monitoring, conservation education, protected area management, development of elephant conservation action plans, and support of efforts to decrease human-elephant conflicts. Similar to the other two multi-species conservation fund programs, the Service seeks cooperative efforts with in-country wildlife organizations, non-governmental organizations, CITES Management Authorities, and private sector entities with Asian elephant conservation experience. While this grant program is only in its third year of funding, 27 grants Asian elephant conservation activities have been awarded involving nine range countries and leveraging a 1:1 financial match to the $1.9 million appropriated.
In closing, Mr. Chairman, the findings made by Congress in first enacting these Acts are regrettably still true today. Many African and Asian countries do not have sufficient resources to properly manage, conserve, and protect their rhino, tiger and elephant populations. While much has been accomplished, much remains to be done. The annual requests for support of high priority projects greatly exceed the funds available, and we believe that reauthorization of the three Acts can make important contributions to rhino, tiger and elephant conservation. The United States must share the responsibility to provide for the conservation of these magnificent species. The principles embodied in these Acts are sound. They provide catalysts for cooperative efforts among the governments of the world, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector to work together for a common goal the conservation and continued healthy existence of populations of rhino, tigers and elephants. These are not hand outs, but helping hands. For all of these reasons, the Service strongly supports the reauthorization of these Acts.
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We look forward to working with the Members of this Committee regarding reauthorization of the multi-species conservation acts. I would be happy to answer any questions.
Suggested Language Regarding Formation of an Advisory Group This language is modeled after Section 7(b) of the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 6106(b), P.L. 106–247).
(1) In General—To assist in carrying out this Act, the Secretary may convene an advisory group consisting of individuals representing public and private organizations actively involved in the conservation of [species name].
(2) Public Participation—(A) Meetings—The advisory group shall (i) ensure that each meeting of the advisory group is open to the public; and (ii) provide, at each meeting, an opportunity for interested persons to present oral or written statements concerning items on the agenda.
(B) Notice—The Secretary shall provide to the public timely notice of each meeting of the advisory group.
(C) Minutes—Minutes of each meeting of the advisory group shall be kept by the Secretary and shall be made available to the public.
(3) Exemption from Federal Advisory Committee Act—The Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the advisory group.
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Suggested Language Regarding Project Sustainability and Capacity Building A section on Project Sustainability should be added to the African Elephant Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4211):
(e) Project Sustainability—To the maximum extent practical, in determining whether to approve project proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give consideration to projects which will enhance sustainable conservation programs to ensure effective, long-term conservation of African elephants.
Section 5(e) of the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994 (16 U.S.C. 5304) should be amended to read:
(e) Project Sustainability—To the maximum extent practical, in determining whether to approve project proposals under this section, the Secretary shall give consideration to projects which will enhance sustainable conservation programs to ensure effective, long-term conservation of rhinoceros and tigers.
Mr. GILCHREST. We would certainly take advantage of that opportunity. Thank you.
James Rapp, welcome.
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JAMES L. RAPP, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SALISBURY ZOOLOGICAL PARK, ON BEHALF OF THE AMERICAN ZOO AND AQUARIUM ASSOCIATION
Mr. RAPP. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to testify this morning on three very important legislative reauthorizations, and thank you for your kind words about the Salisbury Zoo.
My name is Jim Rapp. I am Director of the Salisbury Zoological Park, in Salisbury, Maryland. Our zoo is a 12-acre facility that displays over 100 species of wildlife, over 350 specimens in our collection, and we host an annual attendance of about 250,000 visitors, including 15,000 local school children who come for education programs.
The Salisbury Zoo has been an accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, the AZA, since 1972. I currently serve on the AZA Government Affairs Committee and am representing the Association today.
AZA represents 191 professionally-managed and accredited zoological parks and aquariums that draw over 130 million visitors annually and have more than 5 million members combined. Collectively, our institutions teach more than 12 million people each year in a living classroom setting, and dedicate over $50 million annually to conservation education programs that focus on the devastating effects of the loss of vital species habitat and the illegal trade in endangered species parts and products.
In addition, AZA members invest over $50 million annually in scientific research, and support over 700 field conservation and research projects in 80 countries. In addition to that, AZA institutions have established the Species Survival Plan, a long-term plan that facilitate genetically diverse breeding, habitat preservation, public education, field conservation, and supportive research to ensure survival for many threatened and endangered species.
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Currently, AZA members are involved in 95 different SSP programs covering 124 species from around the world. A majority of those species represented are listed under the Endangered Species Act or CITES, including all of the great apes, Siberian and Sumatran tigers, African and Asian elephants, and four species of rhinoceros.
While AZA zoos and aquariums have become the last stronghold for some species, we fully realize that we cannot save these animals by zoo propagation alone. AZA members continue to work with Congress, the Federal agencies, conservation organizations, the private sector, and the countries of origin to conserve our wildlife. It is in this context that AZA expresses its strong support for the quick passage of H.R. 643, H.R. 645 and H.R. 700.
Before I briefly discuss these bills, I would first like to commend the Subcommittee for your far-sighted vision in passing the Great Ape Conservation Act and the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act during the last Congress. These Acts created two very critical additions to the Multinational Species Conservation Fund program.
Mr. Chairman, we have before us today three important pieces of legislation that represent a significant portion of the Federal Government's direct contribution to preserving endangered wildlife abroad. We are going to hear a lot today about declining species populations and depleting habitat. In fact, according to recent estimates, 20 percent or more of the world's biodiversity could disappear in the next two decades as a result of habitat fragmentation, alteration, and over-exploitation of threatened and endangered species. It is therefore vital that more people, governments, institutions, and organizations become involved in these efforts to conserve our imperiled environment.
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Over the duration of the African elephant, Asian elephant and rhino-tiger funds, the U.S. Congress has appropriated over $14 million that have been leveraged with nearly $56 million in real dollars and/or in-kind services from host countries and local international non-governmental organizations. This is a significant partnership, especially in terms of Government programs. The funds provided by Congress have served as the catalyst for the implementation of over 230 projects worldwide, ranging from highly sophisticated and innovative data collection, tracking and monitoring programs, to simply providing essential on-the-ground resources, weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and communications systems to game wardens and law enforcement officials who have been entrusted to protect these magnificent animals from the ravages of civil unrest, poaching, and habitat exploitation.
What makes these programs highly effective is that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service distributes the funds in a timely and efficient manner with very few bureaucratic entanglements. The funds are targeted to high-priority field conservation efforts that most directly benefit the species of concern.
Most importantly, the African elephant, Asian elephant, and rhino-tiger funds have long recognized the value of promoting cooperative projects among government entities, NGOs, and the affected local communities in the range states. This is essential because it is only through local action, local education and local support that realistic solutions for saving these species can be effectively devised and implemented.
I am going to just briefly touch on a few numbers with the African Elephant Reauthorization Act, H.R. 643. Currently, in the wild, it is estimated that the population ranges from 300,000 to 600,000 individuals. That represents less than half of the elephant population that existed in Africa in the 1970's. Certainly, these funds in the African Elephant Conservation Act have gone a long way.
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On H.R. 645, the Rhino-Tiger Act, since the 1940's—some figures might be of interest to you—three tiger subspecies, the Caspian, Bali and Javan, have become extinct, and 95 percent of the world's remaining tiger population has disappeared since the early 1900's, from about 100,000 tigers in the early part of the century to less than 7,000 today.
The rhino population, as well, is also in serious decline, and the rhino-tiger funds have done a great deal to help those populations recover. As Representative Saxton said, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act has done a great deal for elephants in Asia, similar to the African Elephant Conservation Act.
Basically, let me summarize here. The challenges before this Subcommittee with regard to international wildlife conservation we see as three-fold. One is to reauthorize these three highly effective conservation funds. Second is to work to secure an appropriation of $1.5 million for each of the five funds under the Multinational Species Conservation Fund; and, third, to look beyond the established funds to examine new and innovative legislative mechanisms for addressing ecosystem-wide management protection issues.
Again, Mr. Chairman, the AZA wholeheartedly supports H.R. 643, 645 and 700. I want to thank you for the opportunity to comment today and I would be happy to answer any questions, if you have them.
Thank you.
[The prepared statement of Mr. Rapp follows:]
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Statement of James L. Rapp, Director, Salisbury Zoological Park, on H.R. 643, H.R. 645, and H.R. 700
Thank you Mr. Chairman, for the opportunity to testify this morning on three very important legislative reauthorizations: H.R. 643, the African Elephant Conservation Act; H.R. 645, the Rhino-Tiger Conservation Act; and H.R. 700, the Asian Elephant Conservation Act.
My name is Jim Rapp and I am the Director of the Salisbury Zoological Park in Salisbury, Maryland. I have worked for the Zoo for 10 years serving in a number of capacities. The Salisbury Zoo is a twelve-acre facility that displays over 100 different wildlife species over 350 specimens. We host an annual attendance of 250,000 visitors, including 15,000 local school children.
The Zoological Park has been an accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) since 1972. I currently serve on the AZA Government Affairs Committee.
AZA represents 191 professionally managed and accredited institutions which draw over 130 million visitors annually and have more than 5 million zoo and aquarium members. Collectively, our institutions teach more than 12 million people each year in living classrooms and dedicate over $50 million annually to conservation education programs that focus on, among other things, the devastating effects of the loss of vital species habitat and the illegal trade in endangered species parts and products. AZA members invest over $50 million annually in scientific research and support over 700 field conservation and research projects in 80 countries.
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In addition, AZA institutions have established the Species Survival Plan (SSP) program a long-term plan involving genetically diverse breeding, habitat preservation, public education, field conservation and supportive research to ensure survival for many threatened and endangered species. Currently, AZA members are involved in 95 SSP programs featuring 124 species throughout the world. A large majority of those SSPs cover species which are listed under the Endangered Species Act or CITES, including all the great apes—chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos, African and Asian elephants, Siberian and Sumatran tigers and black, white, Sumatran and greater one-horned rhinos.
And while AZA zoos and aquariums have become the last stronghold for some species, we fully realize that we cannot save them by zoo propagation alone. AZA members continue to work with Congress, the Federal agencies, conservation organizations, the private sector and the countries of origin to conserve our wildlife heritage. It is in this context that AZA expresses its strong support for the quick passage of H.R. 643, H.R. 645 and H.R. 700.
Before I briefly discuss these bills, I would first like to commend the members of this Subcommittee for their far-sighted vision in passing HR. 4320, the Great Ape Conservation Act during the last Congress and creating a very critical addition to the Multinational Species Conservation Fund program.
OVERVIEW
Mr. Chairman, we have before us today, three important pieces of legislation that represent a significant portion of the Federal Government's direct contribution to preserving species-specific wildlife abroad. Twenty percent or more of the world's biodiversity could disappear in the next two decades, primarily due to habitat fragmentation and alteration and the over-exploitation of threatened and endangered species according to recent estimates. It is therefore vital that more people, governments, institutions and organizations become involved in efforts to conserve our imperiled environment.
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Over the duration of the African Elephant, Asian Elephant and Rhino/Tiger funds, the U.S. Congress has appropriated over $14 million that has been leveraged with nearly $56 million in real dollars and/or in-kind services from host countries and local/international non-governmental organizations (NGO's). This is a significant partnership especially in terms of government programs. The funds provided by Congress have served as the catalyst for the implementation of over 230 projects worldwide ranging from highly sophisticated and innovative data collection, tracking and monitoring programs to simply providing essential on-the-ground resources weapons, ammunition, vehicles and communication systems to game wardens and law enforcement officials who have been entrusted to protect these magnificent animals from the ravages of civil unrest, poaching and habitat exploitation.
What makes these programs effective is that the US Fish and Wildlife Service distributes the funds in a timely and efficient manner with very few bureaucratic entanglements. The funds are targeted to high-priority field conservation efforts that most directly benefit the species of concern. More importantly, the African Elephant, Asian Elephant and Rhino/Tiger funds have long-recognized the value of promoting cooperative projects among government entities, NGO's and the affected local communities in the range states. This is essential because it is only through local action, local education, and local support that realistic solutions for saving these species can be effectively devised and implemented.
Let me turn now to the three reauthorizations:
1) H.R. 643, the African Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act The African elephant is the standard bearer for the conservation fund programs. At the time of the enactment of the African Elephant Conservation Act in 1989, the population of this magnificent species was declining at a perilous rate due to ivory poaching, habitat destruction and elephant-human conflicts. The Act has gone a long ways toward stemming the dramatic decline in African elephant numbers, with wild population estimates now ranging from 300,000 to 600,000 individuals. While this may seem to be a stable size, it represents less than half of the elephants that inhabited Africa in the 1970's. The species is still not out of danger as increased pressures from the ivory trade, ongoing civil wars and the evolving bushmeat crisis in Central and East Africa continue to threaten populations. In addition, only about 20 percent of the more than 2.2 million square mile range of the African elephant is under some form of protection.
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Since the late 1980's, the African Elephant Conservation Fund has generated 123 projects in 22 range countries. These projects have provided critical assistance to range countries and NGO's for anti-poaching/anti-smuggling law enforcement efforts, population surveillance and monitoring, habitat protection and management, conservation education, cross-border cooperation and elephant-human conflict resolution.
2) H.R. 645, the Rhinoceros/Tiger Conservation Reauthorization Act As this Subcommittee is well aware, the situation facing all species of tigers and rhinos in the wild has reached crisis levels. Since the 1940's, three tiger subspecies the Caspian, Bali, and Javan have become extinct, and the South China tiger is now among the most endangered mammals on earth. Ninety-five percent of the world's tiger population has disappeared since the early 1900's. At that time, an estimated 100,000 tigers roamed India, Indochina and other parts of Asia. Today, approximately 7,000 tigers are left in the wild and those numbers continue to drop. The estimated wild populations of the five subspecies of tiger in the wild are as follows: South China tiger 20–30 individuals; Amur/Siberian tiger: 360-400 individuals; Bengal tiger: 3200–4500 individuals; Indo-Chinese tiger: 1200-1800 individuals; and Sumatran tiger: 400–500 individuals. While pressure from an expanding human population and the development of natural resources to support a burgeoning Asian economy have contributed to the decline in tiger populations, poaching and the use of tiger parts in traditional Asian medicines have clearly taken center stage since the 1980's as the primary reasons for this species decline.
The situation facing the three Asian and two African rhino species is also extremely serious. Populations were abundant and rather widely distributed in Asia through the mid–1800's. Today fewer than 100 Javan rhinos, 300 Sumatran rhinos and 2400 Indian rhinos remain in the wild. In Africa, wild populations of black rhinos have declined by over 95 percent (to approximately 2700 individuals) over the past two decades while over 10,400 white rhinos still remain. The precipitous decline in the black rhino numbers can be directly attributed to poaching for the trade in traditional medicines and ornamental dagger handles. Obviously these population numbers are not sustainable. Conservation biologists contend that a population size of 2000–3000 individuals within each species is necessary for long-term viability. Most rhino species are near or well below this level. While poaching for the horn is the major threat for all five species, habitat degradation is also a significant threat for the Asian species due to unsustainable exploitation of timberlands, unchecked conversion of land to agricultural use and human over-population.
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The Rhino/Tiger Conservation Fund created in 1994 has generated 116 projects in 16 countries. The fund has proven itself effective for critical conservation programs in Africa and Asia for the highly endangered species and subspecies of rhinoceros and tiger. The fund has delivered immediate results by assisting range countries and conservation NGO's on the front lines through critical field conservation work, in situ breeding programs, monitoring and surveillance, habitat management, and anti-poaching/anti-smuggling efforts. Conservation education programs designed to address animal-human conflicts, consumer awareness of rhino/tiger products and the intrinsic value of these species to local communities have also been effective.
3) H.R. 700, the Asian Elephant Conservation Reauthorization Act The number of Asian elephants in the wild varies between 35,000 and 50,000 individuals in over 13 countries. With a population that is 1/10th the size of their African relatives, Asian elephants can ill-afford a prolonged decline in their numbers. Yet, with the tremendous increase in the human population of Asia and the resulting increase in elephant-human conflicts due to shrinking critical habitat, the prognosis for the Asian elephant is guarded at best.
The Asian Elephant Conservation Fund created in 1997 has generated 27 projects in nine range countries. Like its African elephant counterpart, these projects have primarily focused on habitat and protected area management, surveillance and monitoring of populations, cross-border cooperation, conservation education in the local communities and the resolution of elephant-human conflicts.
Mr. Chairman, the endangered status of the wildlife species highlighted by these three conservation funds represents an ecological and societal problem of enormous proportions. It is a problem of political unrest compounded by unregulated resource exploitation and habitat degradation through logging, mining, farming and poaching. It is also a problem that is not specifically limited to the species we have discussed today. In Borneo, for example, the orangutan population has declined by 90 percent. Then there are also lesser-known species such as the Rodrigues Island fruit bat a highly endangered species that is essential for seed dispersal and pollination on the Rodrigues Island in the Indian Ocean.
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We are now facing what is popularly referred to as the Empty Forest Syndrome, where the trees in the forest may be left standing but the endemic wildlife is long removed. And if the essential wildlife—the predators, the prey, the seed spreaders, the natural fertilizers are gone, the question of ecological balance becomes paramount.
During the last Congress, AZA and many of the NGO's beside me today testified on a bill entitled the Keystone Species Conservation Act, a measure that is no less critical or time-sensitive than the reauthorizations before us today. In the United States, our cornerstone piece of wildlife conservation is the Endangered Species Act (ESA) of 1973. Under the ESA, over 1,050 animal species worldwide have been designated as either threatened or endangered 555 of those are foreign species. However, foreign species do not receive the key protection mechanisms inherent in the ESA such as critical habitat designation or species recovery plans.
Similarly, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), lists over 30,000 species that receive protection through restrictions on trade in parts and products. However, CITES is not designed to offer in situ conservation measures for threatened and endangered species.
The Keystone Species bill would have created a conservation fund account that built upon the strengths of the existing elephant and rhino/tiger funds. Funding would be prioritized based on 1) projects that would enhance programs for the conservation of species that are most imperiled and that are supported by the relevant wildlife management authority in the country where the program will be conducted; 2) projects that would receive the greatest level of matching assistance from non-Federal sources; and 3) projects that would enhance local capacity for the conservation of the species. The bill had some shortcomings but there was substantial interest and support for an indicator-species, ecosystem-wide approach to wildlife conservation. In addition, the establishment of this type of legislation would obviate the need to return in two or four years to fight for other species-specific bills.
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In conclusion, the challenges before this Subcommittee with regard to international wildlife conservation are three-fold: 1) to reauthorize these three highly effective conservation funds; 2) to work to secure increased appropriations levels for all of the funds under the Multi-National Species Conservation Fund program, which includes African elephants, Asian elephants, Rhino/tiger, Great Apes, and neotropical migratory birds; and 3) to look beyond these established funds to new and innovative legislative mechanisms for addressing ecosystem-wide management and protection issues.
Again Mr. Chairman, AZA wholeheartedly supports H.R. 642, H.R. 645 and H.R. 700 and we look forward to working with you and the Subcommittee to secure swift passage of these bills this year. In addition, AZA member institutions will continue to raise the awareness of our 130 million visitors each year to bring focus on threatened and endangered species worldwide for it is public awareness of their plight that has helped engage the U.S. as a major catalyst for world concern.
Thank you again for this opportunity to comment on these important wildlife conservation measures.
I would be happy to answer any questions that you may have.
Mr. GILCHREST. Thank you very much, Jim.
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Ms. Hemley?
STATEMENT OF GINETTE HEMLEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF SPECIES CONSERVATION, WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
Ms. HEMLEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Mr. Saxton, Mr. Faleomavaega, for inviting World Wildlife Fund to testify today. We very much look forward to working with you and all the Subcommittee members and staff on a number of wildlife conservation issues. We have greatly appreciated your support in the past and we look forward to working with you on the programs under discussion today.
World Wildlife Fund strongly supports reauthorization of the African and Asian Elephant Conservation Acts and the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act, for two simple reasons. They are urgently needed and they are extremely cost-effective. I would like to elaborate briefly on these points.
All of the species under consideration today that are affected by these bills are better off today than they were 10 years ago, in part because of the U.S. programs established to help them. The African Elephant Conservation Fund, which has the longest track record of the programs we are discussing, has been instrumental in reducing poaching in many parts of Africa and has helped to equip struggling governments in their efforts to conserve and begin to rebuild remaining elephant populations.
The Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act have achieved similar results. In the last few years, tiger poaching has been reduced in parts of Russia, India, Nepal, and elsewhere. For the first time in two decades, African rhino numbers are showing a modest but overall upward trend in most places. The Asian elephant is being secured in the few remaining areas where it has the best chance of long-term survival, thanks in part to the support of the Asian Elephant Conservation Fund.
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There is no question that these programs have been instrumental in the conservation progress that we have seen, modest as it might be, in the last decade. We greatly appreciate your support and this Subcommittee's support in reauthorizing these, but I want to just elaborate a bit on why Congress should continue to support them in the future.
First, this is no time to let up our guard. Many populations of these species remain seriously at risk. We have learned the hard way with endangered species that have big price tags on their heads that they need sustained, direct support if they are going to survive. As you said, Mr. Chairman, these programs offer the only international fund that has been sustained in supporting conservation programs for these species.
Second, the role that these programs play is often a catalytic one. Many of the projects they support are effective because, as Mr. Jones pointed out, they bring together multiple partners that leverage additional conservation funding and assistance. They truly have a multiplier effect.
Third, a strong emphasis of these programs is training, and that is a very key thing, I think, because by focusing on training park guards, wildlife managers, and scientific researchers, these programs have lasting value and really build conservation capacity in the countries where they operate.
Fourth, by conserving these large mammals which we sometimes call flagship species—these are species that require relatively large areas to survive—these programs are also able to conserve thousands of other species sharing their habitats. Their conservation benefits extend well beyond the individual species to whole communities and ecosystems, and many of these ecosystems are highly threatened.
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Fifth, the conservation community, in part thanks to the support of these programs, has begun to implement long-term strategies for the conservation of these species. We are no longer just reacting to poaching crisis, as we were in the last 10 to 15 years. Our conservation approaches have become more advanced, so that we now can determine just where in a strategic sense these species have the best chance of long-term survival so that these areas can receive priority attention. We are probably not going to be able to save all of these species everywhere they live. We have to be strategic, we have to make some hard decisions.
Finally, elephants, rhinos, and tigers are important to the American public. The diversity of organizations represented here today is testament, I think, to the broad public interest in saving these species. Together, all of our organizations represent millions of Americans. We all support programs working together with the U.S. Government to conserve these species in the wild. They are excellent examples of effective public-private partnerships.
Just to comment briefly, Mr. Chairman, on the cost-effectiveness of these programs, as you have heard, they leverage a significant amount of conservation funding and support of about $13-$14 million worth of grants expended over the last 10 years. You mentioned over $56 million in matching funds and in-kind contributions have been leveraged. That is a four-to-one return. That is very impressive. World Wildlife Fund works with a lot of international aid programs. I am not aware of any that generate this level of matching or collateral support.
These programs are also administered at minimal cost. In fact, they probably aren't getting enough funding to cover the administrative costs, and World Wildlife Fund would support a modest amendment to these bills to make sure that the costs are effectively addressed. We think the Fish and Wildlife Service has done an excellent job at keeping the program bureaucracy streamlined, but could probably use a little bit more funding to make sure the program is run well.
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I also would like to note that these programs have helped generate additional interest in funding from government institutions around the world. The European Union, Japan, the Global Environment Facility, aid agencies in countries like the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany are all supporting efforts to protect elephants, tigers, and rhinos. This is, in part, I think due to the leadership the U.S. has provided, the attention the U.S. has drawn to the status of these species, and the catalytic small grants that have been provided by the elephant, rhino, and tiger programs.
Finally, in closing, just to touch briefly on the appropriations issue, we greatly appreciate this Subcommittee's support in getting an increase to the appropriations for these programs. Last year, the total funding was $3.25 million. There are now two new funds, as was pointed out. The Fish and Wildlife Service receives twice as many proposals as it can fund with the current budget.
We recommend that each of the five species funds that are part of the multinational program be appropriated at a level of at least $1.5 million, for a total of $7.5 million. We do appreciate the Subcommittee's support in our effort to secure this increase. It is very clear from the record established so far that the funding will be put to very good use.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your time. I will be happy to answer any questions.
[The prepared statement of Ms. Hemley follows:]
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Statement of Ginette Hemley, Vice President of Species Conservation, World Wildlife Fund
Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, thank you for the opportunity to testify today. I am Ginette Hemley, Vice President for Species Conservation at World Wildlife Fund. WWF is the largest private conservation organization working internationally to protect wildlife and wildlife habitats. We currently sponsor conservation programs in more than 100 countries, thanks to the support of 1.2 million members in the United States and more than 5 million members worldwide.
We are here today to discuss conservation programs for some of the world's most threatened species rhinos, tigers, and elephants. The United States, primarily through programs administered by the Fish and Wildlife Service, has played a critical role in the protection and conservation of these highly endangered species. World Wildlife Fund strongly urges that these programs be reauthorized, for the reasons outlined below.
Why These Programs Are Important
During the 1970's and 1980's, a major poaching crisis swept through parts of Africa and Asia, decimating populations of the African elephant, African and Asian rhinos, and the tiger. This poaching was driven primarily by a dramatic increase in global market demand for ivory for use as carvings and trinkets, and for rhino horn and tiger bone, which are highly valued ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine. The crisis was made worse in the 1990's by declining economies and political instability in many African and Asian range countries.
The statistics surrounding the wildlife losses were staggering. During the 1980's, half of Africa's elephants perhaps half a million animals were lost to poaching. Black rhinos dwindled from about 70,000 in 1970 to fewer than 2,500 animals by 1992, an astounding 95 percent loss in just two decades. The tiger population in India was reduced to fewer than 3,000 animals by the late 1980's, while Russia's Siberian tigers took a major hit in the early 1990's, with numbers falling by perhaps 40 percent to 250 animals by 1993. Although less in the media spotlight, the Asian elephant population in the wild has declined to about one-tenth the size of its African cousin, to fewer than 50,000 animals, due to growing human population pressures in South and Southeast Asia.
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Thanks to a broad international response, the situation for most of these species began to improve in the 1990's. CITES, the Convention on International Trade on Endangered Species, banned the ivory trade in 1989 and started to beef up enforcement efforts to stop the illegal trade of rhino and tiger parts. But stopping the trade was not enough. Direct action was needed on the ground to protect dwindling populations of these species, and the United States stepped in to help. Congress passed the African Elephant Conservation Act in 1988 to provide small grants to help African countries conserve their remaining elephant populations and help rebuild them. Since the African Elephant Conservation Fund was initiated in 1990, more than 120 grants have been awarded for projects in 22 countries, strengthening enforcement and trade control measures, protecting critical habitat, aiding training programs for park guard and wildlife managers, and assisting important elephant research, monitoring and survey efforts.
After 10 years, these scientific and conservation efforts, together with the CITES ivory ban and collaborative programs supported by other governments, aid agencies, and NGO's, have helped African elephant populations begin to rebuild in some countries. Poaching levels are significantly reduced in some areas and illegal trade has slowed. In short, the African elephant is better off today than it was a decade ago, in part because of U.S. Government support. Significant challenges remain, however, in part because of the eroding ability of many African governments to mount their own conservation efforts due to economic and political strife.
The success of the African Elephant Conservation Act led Congress to pass the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act in 1994. With the establishment of the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Fund, a steady stream of small but well-targeted grants have helped avert further losses of these species as well. In the past five years, we have seen signs of improvement in the status of tiger populations in Russia, Nepal, India, and elsewhere. Africa's black rhino has, for the first time in several years, experienced a modest increase in number in several places, and the white rhino, once threatened, is actually thriving in South Africa. Asian rhinos, representing some of the most endangered large mammals on Earth, have received invaluable assistance from the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Fund but remain severely at risk in parts of their remaining habitat fragments in South and Southeast Asia.
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There is little question that the U.S. programs for tigers, rhinos and elephants, modest as they are, have helped avert disaster for these species even possible extinction in some cases. They have helped developing country governments and NGO's build more effective conservation programs. They have truly had a multiplier effect, leveraging an impressive return on partner investments and providing an excellent example of public-private collaboration. But the task is not done. While we have begun to emerge from a period of crisis for some of these species, their long-term survival is still seriously at risk.
It is important to note that these conservation programs are critical not just to the species concerned, but also to Americans who appreciate and use them as symbols of strength and endurance. The Republican Party should be first among those to acknowledge the benefit of the elephant to its image. Saving these species is not just a biological imperative elephants, tigers, and rhinos also have important social, economic, and cultural roles to play in American society.
The Broad Impact of Elephant, Rhino and Tiger Conservation Efforts
Elephants, rhinos, and tigers are not only threatened in their own right, they are flagships for the threatened habitats and ecosystems in Africa and Asia in which they live, including some of the world's most unique and biologically diverse systems, such as tropical lowland forests. These large mammals require relatively large areas to survive, so by protecting them, thousands of other plant and animals species also are conserved. They are true ''umbrella'' species whose conservation benefits extend well beyond their own to whole communities of species.
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Some of these large mammals also play an inordinately important role in the ecosystem they are keystone species and their survival is crucial for the survival of the system as a whole. Tigers, for example, are top predators, keeping populations of prey species in check, which in turn keep in balance the populations of the plants upon which they feed. By virtue of their size, feeding habitats, and movements, elephants actually shape the physical environment in which they live and so have a major influence on the plant and animal species around them. In short, when tigers and elephants thrive, the whole ecosystem thrives. When they suffer, the entire ecosystem suffers, including the people that live in or around it.
Recent Advances in Elephant, Rhino, and Tiger Conservation
Given the significant declines these species have experienced in recent years, a logical question to ask is, are their remaining populations and are the ecosystems in which these species live still viable? Significant study and debate surround the question of biological viability, and clearly massive declines or extirpation of a population in a particular area can be disruptive. But several points are important to consider. First, we have learned with both tigers and rhinos that a species can recover if habitat and food availability is sufficient and poaching is controlled. For example, the tiger population in the Russian Far East was once reduced to fewer than 40 animals in the 1940's due to uncontrolled hunting. Strict protection in an area where habitat and prey was abundant allowed the population to recover to around 400 by the 1980's. Similarly, the white rhino population in South Africa has grown to an astounding 9,700 animals today the largest rhino population on Earth from fewer than 100 animals at the turn of the century. Likewise, greater one-horned rhinos in Nepal, reduced to 100 or so in the 1960's due to overhunting, now thrive at more than 600 animals, enough to begin repopulating areas where they were extirpated thanks to strong protection by the Nepalese government and effective community-based conservation efforts. These success stories demonstrate that a species can come back, if sufficient and sustained protection is provided.
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Thanks to increased international support for conservation activities, including from the FWS programs, the conservation community has begun to implement long-term strategies for the conservation of tigers, rhinos, elephants, and other large mammals. We are increasingly able to determine where our conservation investments will have the biggest long-term payoff. For example, a ground-breaking analysis undertaken by WWF, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation/Exxon-Mobile Save the Tiger Fund, shared previously with this subcommittee, has prioritized remaining tiger populations and habitats across Asia based on habitat type and integrity, levels of disturbance, and other factors related to long-term viability. This analysis is helping to guide global tiger conservation efforts so that the most promising areas and populations receive priority attention. We know that we cannot save tigers everywhere, and that we must make tradeoffs in our decisions. Similar analyses have been undertaken for Asian elephants and rhinos, and comparable regional efforts are underway for African elephants.
The conservation community has also come to recognize that, for many large mammals like tigers, rhinos, and elephants requiring large areas to maintain healthy populations, the current universe of parks and protected areas does not provide sufficient habitat for their long-term survival. That is, a large proportion of their populations in some cases 50 percent or more are found outside areas that receive official protection, so effective conservation efforts must extend throughout the entire landscape where the species lives and moves. New approaches to conservation are encompassing larger areas than ever before ecoregions and landscapes and bringing together habitat protection, land-use planning, managed resource use, and community-based conservation in an integrated fashion that benefits both wildlife and people. In some cases, this includes undertaking efforts to restore forest corridors that connect parks and protected areas so that species like tigers, rhinos, and elephants can more easily disperse, breed, and establish new populations, enhancing their genetic viability and prospects for long-term survival.
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The Unique Value of the Elephant, Rhino, and Tiger Funds
The situation for elephants, rhinos, and tigers remains serious, but it is far from hopeless. The progress of the last few years, thanks in part to the programs authorized by the African Elephant, Asian Elephant, and Rhino and Tiger Conservation Acts, demonstrate that, when reliable financial support is available and is used wisely, improvements can be rapid and dramatic. We know what needs to be done to save these species, and our conservation approaches and methodologies are becoming more effective and innovative every day. We have better data on these species and their critical habitats and stronger international collaboration than ever before. We must build on this important momentum.
The FWS programs for tigers, rhinos, and elephants have a number of unique features that underpin their effectiveness. These include:
Leveraging Significant Conservation Funding and Support
The FWS reports that from 1990 through January 2001, about 240 grants totaling some $13.5 million have been awarded for elephant, tiger, and rhino projects. These together have leveraged almost $56 million in matching funds and in-kind contributions, a 4:1 return. In 1999 and 2000, 51 percent of the matching funds and in-kind contributions for tiger and rhino projects originated from the range countries. Few international conservation or aid programs are able to generate this level of matching or collateral support.
Program Administration with Minimal Bureaucracy and Cost
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To date, the elephant, rhino, and tiger grant programs have been administered at minimal cost for less than 4 percent of the monies appropriated for the grant programs from 1990 to 2000. In fact, this amount has proven inadequate to cover the costs of full program administration, and subsidies have been needed from other FWS programs. Although these grant programs are relatively small, they include several important activities, such as developing and reviewing proposals and reports, issuing and tracking project contracts and payments, communicating with grantees and host governments, and tracking and monitoring projects. WWF supports amending the elephant, rhino, and tiger acts to ensure a modest increase in the allowance for administrative expenses so that the grant funds are administered with maximum effectiveness. We encourage the subcommittee to include the same language pertaining to administrative expenses as contained in the Great Ape Conservation Act of 2000, i.e. that the Secretary ''may expend not more than 3 percent, or up to $80,000, whichever is greater, to pay the administrative expenses necessary '' We believe this is a more appropriate formula than now contained in the reauthorization bills under consideration today.
Strengthening Collaboration Among NGO's and Governments
As both a partner donor and implementing organization for various FWS-supported projects, WWF is acutely aware of the important role the elephant, rhino, and tiger programs have played in fostering collaboration among NGO's and governments. Many of the projects supported by these conservation funds involve multiple partners, and grants provided to NGO's receive approval from range country governments before they are awarded. The FWS programs have thus acted as a catalyst, not only for leveraging funding, but also for bringing important conservation players together in ways that enhance collaboration and conservation impact.
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Providing International Leadership
By passing the African Elephant, Asian Elephant, and Rhino and Tiger Conservation Acts and implementing the programs they authorize, the U.S. Congress and FWS have together staked out important leadership roles in international conservation. This has helped bring the plight of these endangered species to the attention of governments worldwide, including both range and donor countries, which have increased their support for conservation programs accordingly. It has helped strengthen the activities of CITES in addressing key threats to these species. It has helped make these species a higher priority on policy and philanthropy agendas in the private sector, leading to increased public support for conservation programs.
Increasing Public Awareness
Over the past decade, the American public's interest in and concern for the future of these endangered species has grown. This is clearly the result of the combined efforts of non-governmental organizations such as those testifying here today and the efforts of the FWS and Congress. All of us receive a regular stream of letters of concern about and in support of these species. There is little question that the American public cares deeply about the future of elephants, tigers, and rhinos, and expects and encourages us all to do more on their behalf. Public contributions to many of the organizations here today are a strong sign of the importance the public places on efforts to protect these species, and have enabled the private sector to work hand-in-hand with the government on conservation efforts.
The Rhino and Tiger Product Labeling Act
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Recognizing the importance of the United States as a market for Asian medicinal products purporting to contain rhino and tiger ingredients, Congress amended the Rhino and Tiger Conservation Act in 1998 to include a specific prohibition on the import, export, and sale of any product for human consumption that contains or is labeled or advertised to contain tiger or rhino parts. This new law, consistent with a recommendation by CITES, was intended to facilitate enforcement efforts by shifting the burden of proof that a product actually contains these ingredients from the government to the trader or salesperson. The law also required, within 180 days of its passage, the initiation of an education program to inform consumers about the law and the plight of the species it is intended to protect. To date, we are aware of few activities undertaken by the FWS to begin such an education program, although several NGO's have offered to collaborate in these efforts in order to minimize the cost to the government. WWF encourages the subcommittee to confer with FWS on their plans for developing such a program in the future.
The Need for an Increase in Appropriations for the Multinational Species Fund
From 1990 to 2000, over 650 proposals have been submitted for funding by the elephant, rhino, and tiger programs. Of these, some 240 grants have been awarded. Clearly, the number of projects in need of funding outstrips the capacity of the FWS to support them. With the addition of two new programs the Great Ape Conservation Fund and Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Fund the total combined amount of funding authorized by Congress is $30 million. Last year, just $3.25 million was appropriated. WWF and other NGO's are seeking an increase in appropriations to $1.5 million for each fund, for a total $7.5 million. We believe that this increase is fully warranted because of the urgent conservation needs these species and their habitats face, the number of worthy projects that have gone without support, the addition of the two new funds, and the outstanding record of the FWS in administering the programs to date and the conservation results they have achieved.
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It may interest the subcommittee that several of the NGO's represented here today are pursuing an initiative to augment the funding provided for these programs through a possible series of wildlife ''semi-postal'' stamps produced by the U.S. Postal Service. Modeled after the highly successful Breast Cancer Research Stamp, which has generated over $19 million in funding for government breast cancer research programs since its introduction in July 1998, a ''Vanishing Wildlife'' stamp series could help raise additional funds for these FWS programs. This could help shrink the gap between the Congressionally authorized funding ceiling and the actual appropriation. Last year, Congress transferred authority for the approval of semi-postal stamps to the Postal Service, which is now preparing guidelines and criteria for a 10-year program. We would be grateful for the subcommittee's support in pursuing the wildlife semi-postal initiative and will keep you informed accordingly.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to testify before the subcommittee today. I will be happy to answer any questions.
Mr. GILCHREST. Thank you very much, Ms. Hemley, and thank all three of you for your testimony.
I would like to start with Mr. Rapp. In your full testimony, you used a phrase called ''empty forest syndrome.''
Mr. RAPP. Yes.
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Mr. GILCHREST. Could you explain that?
Mr. RAPP. Certainly. Empty forest syndrome refers to the fact that the future for wildlife could very well be in empty forests where the trees remain and some of the smaller species, but the predators, the prey species, seed disbursers, and fertilizers are vacant. And it wouldn't be the same forest as we have today, and I think the funding from these Acts goes a long way in keeping those species in the forests and the habitats where they are from.
Mr. GILCHREST. So an empty forest syndrome disrupts the natural mechanics of the ecological system in ways that we probably would find it difficult to predict what that forest would look like in the future?
Mr. RAPP. Very well said, and the way they would behave. I mean, you take out these key species and things change dramatically and it is not the same forest. Especially animals like rhinos, elephants and tigers are extremely important to habitats where they live in all sorts of ways that if you remove them from the habitat, it is very much different; it is not the same place.
Mr. GILCHREST. That phrase ''empty forest syndrome'' has a deep, hollow loneliness to it.
Mr. RAPP. It does. It reminds me of ''Silent Spring.''
Mr. GILCHREST. Right. Jim, can you give us some idea of what roles zoos play and might continue to play in the propagation of threatened or endangered species as far as that impact on releasing them to the wild and increasing species populations?
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Mr. RAPP. Absolutely. Our first goal truly is to prevent that. I think the zoos are a stronghold in the very end as a tool to preserve animal species from becoming extinct. Some of the species we have talked about today—Sumatran tigers, Javan rhinos—are in extreme decline. Less than a few hundred individuals remain in those populations. For good genetic viability, I think scientists would say that 2,000 to 3,000 are needed to really remain healthy. Of course, if you fragment populations, it gets even worse.
Zoos fundamentally, I believe personally, are really education institutions first. I think our strongest asset lies in the 130 million visitors—American citizens, tourists, people from abroad—who come to see our collections. You multiply that by the zoos worldwide and it can become a pretty dramatic effect in bringing these concerns and problems to light.
However, on the scientific side of the zoo community, there is a lot of work being done, all sorts of new technologies available—in vitro fertilization, the frozen zoos—again, last-ditch efforts that can be used to prevent animals from becoming extinct. But when you take an animal like that and try to release it back into the wild, it comes with costs. It is not easy just to take an animal from a zoo, a captive-born animal, and take it back to the wild. But in certain instances it becomes quite effective to at least boost genetic viability in wild populations.
So it is a last-ditch effort we would rather see not happen, one reason why these funds are so important, but we are involved very much in creating the technology today that can help the wild and help field technicians in the work they are doing in the countries where these animals live.
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Mr. GILCHREST. Jim, in recent decades a number of conservationists and biologists have had fairly strong negative comments, and I think in the present-day situation— at least in most instances in the United States, it is not true, but a number of conservationists have had very negative comments about zoos and the number of species that were—the manner in which those species were collected to bring to zoos and the number of species that were threatened or endangered at the time. And then because they were caught to bring to zoos, their populations further declined.
Do you have any comment to those statements?
Mr. RAPP. Certainly. I think decades ago, zoos were consumers of wildlife. ''Bring Them Back Alive'' Frank Buck and characters like that going overseas to bring animals to this country were the founding stock for a lot of animals in collections in zoos and aquariums today.
At this point, I feel pretty safe to say that in this day and age, when animals are brought into captivity, it is only because the scientific community has suggested as a last-ditch effort to bring animals from the wild into captivity for captive breeding—California condors, black-footed ferrets, a lot of the programs managed by Fish and Wildlife. The zoos have had a tremendous impact in working with the technology in situ in the zoo collections, out of the field, of course, also educating the public.
I think the role has changed quite a bit. I know at our collection at Salisbury, the only true wild animals we have in our collection are animals that are brought to us for injuries. We have bald eagles on exhibit. We have an orphaned river otter that helped make up our collection. But I know for the majority of zoos in this country, I think it is like 90 to 95 percent of animals in collections today have been captive-bred.
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Indeed, the technology for captive breeding is so far advanced these days there really isn't a need to go to the wild to supply zoos with animals. But, certainly, the history was that. That is how zoos got started. We are much more involved today than we were then.
Mr. GILCHREST. Thank you. Sort of an assisted living facility for injured or aged animals.
Mr. RAPP. Very well said.
Mr. GILCHREST. That is good. I think we may have a second round because I have some other questions, but I will yield now to recognize Mr. Faleomavaega.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I certainly want to thank our witnesses for their testimony. I do have a couple of questions.
Mr. Jones, in your efforts on behalf of our Government, and I guess in your efforts in coordinating these three important programs with the host countries, other than just to say that we admire the beauty of these animals, can you share with the Subcommittee why they are so important to the ecology? Why do we have to look at protecting the elephants and the rhinos and the tigers? Tigers eat other animals. Can you tell us how they protect the biodiversity of the environment in which they live?
Mr. JONES. Thank you, Mr. Faleomavaega. I would be pleased to do that, and I would like to build on the response Mr. Rapp just gave because if you think about that empty forest, or you could think of it in the same way, an empty marsh or an empty zone next to an island—if the coral reefs were gone or if the migratory birds didn't come back every fall, that would be an empty habitat. It is not the same thing.
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In the same way, the habitats we are talking about for these animals are all part of a web. If these, the major species, sometimes referred to as keystone species, are not present, everything else in that habitat suffers. Some species that depend on them may indeed disappear. Others may actually over-populate. If there are no tigers to keep deer numbers in check within the habitat, then the deer may overpopulate and eat the vegetation, and the result is then starvation and population collapse. Birds, monkeys, and other species may in turn suffer.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. What animals suffer if, let's say, the elephant becomes extinct?
Mr. JONES. Elephants, for example, Mr. Faleomavaega, maintain water holes. Elephants can dig for water, and in a time of drought they will go to the dry riverbed. They dig, they get to the water, they drink themselves. They are prodigious drinkers of water, but they also make a place where other animals then can come.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. What about tigers?
Mr. JONES. Tigers are part of a natural fabric. They certainly are predators. They even sometimes are predators on humans, but they also are critical to the functioning of that ecosystem.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. I have got a picture here, I think, on the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act, and you have got a poacher here taking care of these ungulates that are supposed to be one of the favorite species for tigers to eat. Shouldn't we also be concerned about conserving this ungulate that the tiger feeds on?
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Mr. JONES. Absolutely. Mr. Faleomavaega, if there is no prey species for tigers—if humans, for example, come in and poach all of the deer or pigs out of an area, then regardless of how good it may look to our eyes, to a tiger there is nothing to eat. Those are all issues that we, working with the partner organizations that are here today and with the range countries, are working on to make sure there is an ecological balance in these communities—that is, biological communities—where these animals live.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. You suggested earlier that you have some suggestions on how we might better improve the reauthorization of these legislations. Can you share with us in substance if there are any critical areas that we really need to look at in terms of improving the provisions of these proposed bills?
Mr. JONES. Yes, sir. One of the suggestions we have made is to pick up language which is in one, but not all of the bills—it is called Project Sustainability, but there is a lot more to it than you might think just by seeing those words.
What we want to do is to have the authority to fund projects which will be broadly sustainable. For example, training programs where many of the participants are people who are involved with rhinos or tigers or elephants, but maybe some of them aren't. Would we want to train the game guards from nine parks in a country which have elephants and say to the tenth park, you don't have any elephants, so your game guards can't come to the training? Tomorrow, the game guard who is at that park may well be reassigned to another one.
Broad ecosystem projects which would result in benefits to the habitat that is essential for the survival of the elephant or the other species. These are the kinds of projects where we may have funded some of those already, but we have been kind of careful and we would like to have a more explicit congressional recognition.
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Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Now, in response to some of these countries that we are working in with these programs, do you sometimes get the idea that we are telling these countries what to do? How receptive have they been in our efforts in trying to work with them closely and making sure that we are not overbearing and saying we know better what should be done with these animals? Perhaps these animals live the way they do as best suited with the way those host countries provide for them. I don't know. Tell us which countries have been the most critical of these programs.
Mr. JONES. Mr. Faleomavaega, I am not sure that I know of any country that has been critical of these programs. We have some countries that we don't work in right now, but they are mostly countries that are too dangerous for us and countries that the U.S. State Department has advised us not to go into.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Like?
Mr. JONES. Angola is a country that is still in civil war with mine fields and other dangers. We want to work there.
But going to your main point, we have learned from our experience that it doesn't work to go into a country and try to tell them how their wildlife should be managed. That does not work. We work with partners to respond when they come to us. A partner may come to us and say, we are interested in a project in country ''x.'' Let's say it is Nepal. We are not going to go ahead and fund that project unless we know that the government of Nepal agrees that this is a good project that fits within their view of the cultural and biological priorities for their country. If Nepal says no, regardless of what we may think, that is not a viable project and we won't fund it. We will say instead to Nepal, well, what kind of projects might be a priority for you, and then work to structure a program that meets their needs.
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Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. The other concern I may have also, Mr. Jones, is that a country may have a critical need, but we are putting the carrot out there, like if you don't conform to what we expect you to do, then we won't give you the funding. Do you find that perhaps this is something that we could also learn to adjust in terms of how we can best assist these countries?
Mr. JONES. There is no doubt, Mr. Faleomavaega, that we can always learn to do things better, and we are always looking for ways that we can make sure that we are a good partner and not a dictator. So we would be pleased to talk to you further or to get any advice that you might have from your experience about how we can make sure that that doesn't happen.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Well, there is an African proverb—I know my time is almost up—that I want to share with the Chairman that says that when two African elephants fight, the grass is trodden. But those of us from the islands say when two elephants make love, the grass is still trodden.
[Laughter.]
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. GILCHREST. I think the grass will grow back, Eni.
We are joined by the gentleman from California, Mr. Pombo.
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Mr. POMBO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I think, to follow up on what Mr. Faleomavaega was talking about, unquestionably there are times when other countries feel like if they don't do it our way, they are in trouble. But I do think that, in the aggregate, these programs have been very worthwhile.
Something Mr. Jones just said was that the purpose of this program is not to dictate to other countries how to manage their wildlife, but to assist them in managing their wildlife, which is very much, in my opinion, the basis for CITES, not to dictate to an individual country what they can and can't do, but to assist them in conserving their endangered species.
I wanted to start with Ms. Hemley. Your organization or the organization that you represent has done some very good things to help with conservation, and I am familiar with some of the things that they have done in Africa. I was wondering if you could explain to the Subcommittee how some of these grants are used. Give me an example of a specific project, how the money was used, and what the result was of that particular project, just so that we understand exactly how this money is being used.
Ms. HEMLEY. I would be happy to, Mr. Pombo. World Wildlife Fund is both a recipient organization for some grants and we also are a co-funder in many places in the world, which I think is an example of how well these programs work. They are helping us to get matching amounts of support.
In parts of Asia, we have received funds, for example, in Vietnam to protect a very, very endangered population of Javan rhino. It is the vestigial population that was only recently rediscovered by Western scientists in the last 10 years. It is such a dire situation that there are needs across all fronts, helping to develop an education program for local people to appreciate this heritage they have left in this rhino that has only recently been rediscovered.
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We have been helping with training of wildlife managers around the area in Vietnam, and we have been helping with the government to get stronger legislation passed, as well, to ensure that this critical habitat is protected well into the future. So, that is one area where we have, I think, been able to cross various types of project activities.
Mr. POMBO. One of the things in your testimony that you talked about was you used the phrase that the habitat is highly threatened. I know in every different habitat there are different threats to that habitat. Can you give the Subcommittee an idea of what some of those threats are in particular places?
Ms. HEMLEY. Sure. I think perhaps one good example, because the situation is so critical, is in Southeast Asia, particularly in Sumatra, where in the last few years, according to World Bank satellite imagery data, the rate of forest conversion is probably twice as great as we thought it was three or four years ago today. I mean, it is changing so quickly, and the biggest force behind that change is conversion to develop oil palm plantations and paper pulp plantations.
These are areas that are critical not for just one of these species under consideration, but for three—Asian elephants, the tiger, and the Sumatran rhino. A lot of the conversion is the result of increased trade and importation of these products to East Asia, China, Japan. But this, for us, is one of the most urgent situations in terms of critical habitats today. This is tropical lowland forest, of which there is very little remaining in Southeast Asia, and it happens to be areas where three of these very important species live. So, that is one good example.
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Similarly, in other parts of Asia—in India