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Office of the Press Secretary
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release February 4, 2000
PRESIDENT CLINTON AND VICE PRESIDENT GORE:
PROTECTING FORESTS AND BIODIVERSITY AROUND THE WORLD
February 4, 2000
President Clinton's FY 2001 budget will propose $150 million for a new
Greening the Globe initiative to help curb the loss of forests worldwide
-- especially tropical forests, which harbor a greater diversity of life
than any place else on earth. The initiative aims to help developing
nations strengthen their economies by preserving, rather than
destroying, their irreplaceable forests.
It would provide training and technical assistance to developing
countries; support debt-for-nature swaps that preserve rain forests
while relieving poor nations of crippling debt; protect endangered
tropical species; and build the first complete set of satellite imagery
tracking forest loss worldwide.
A Global Resource at Risk. Tropical forests are the world's richest
ecosystems, supporting more than half the known species on earth. Yet
despite growing worldwide concern, tropical forests continue to
disappear at a rate of more than 50 acres a minute -- an area the size
of North Carolina each year. Leading causes include illegal logging,
subsidies that promote overlogging, and deliberate burning to clear land
for agriculture. At present rates, most remaining tropical forests
could be lost over the coming century, destroying priceless biological
resources and limiting options for sustainable growth.
Greening the Globe:
A New Initiative to Protect Forests and Biodiversity Around the World
Tropical forests sustain a greater diversity of life than any place else
on Earth. Yet despite growing worldwide concern, tropical forests
continue to disappear at a rate of more than 50 acres a minute -- an
area the size of North Carolina each year. To help curb this devastating
loss, President Clinton and Vice President Gore are proposing a record
$150 million in FY 2001 -- a $70 million increase -- for a new Greening
the Globe initiative. This initiative will give developing countries
tools and resources to strengthen their economies by protecting, not
destroying, their irreplaceable forests.
A Global Resource at Risk. Tropical forests are the world's richest
ecosystems, supporting more than half the known species on earth. They
play an important role in maintaining a stable climate, and are a vital
source of medicines and new materials. Only half the tropical forests
that stood in 1800 survive today. Every day, another 100 species are
lost to tropical deforestation. The leading causes of deforestation
include illegal logging, subsidies that promote overlogging, and
deliberate burning to clear land for agriculture. At present rates,
most remaining tropical forests could be lost over the coming century,
destroying priceless biological resources and limiting options for
sustainable growth.
Promoting Prosperity through Conservation. The Clinton-Gore
Administration has been a worldwide leader in the protection of tropical
forests and biodiversity. From promoting forest conservation policies
at the World Bank and other international lending agencies to
negotiating strengthened international agreements on biodiversity and
forest protection, the United States has sought effective solutions that
couple conservation with economic growth. U.S. agencies also provide
direct technical assistance and financing to protect the world?s most
important tropical forests.
Through the Greening the Globe initiative, the Administration seeks to
dramatically increase U.S. investment in forest and biodiversity
conservation worldwide in FY 2001. The proposed funding, an 88 percent
increase over FY 2000, would provide additional training and technical
assistance to developing countries; support debt-for-nature swaps that
preserve forests while relieving poor nations of crippling debt; protect
endangered tropical species; and help build the first complete set of
satellite imagery tracking forest loss worldwide.
Greening the Globe priorities total $150 million and include:
Targeted Conservation Investments -- $100 million in FY 2001 (up from
$62 million in FY 2000) for tropical forest and biodiversity
conservation programs through the U.S. Agency for International
Development (USAID). This funding will help over 60 developing
countries across Latin America, Africa and Asia address the causes of
deforestation and build their capacity for forest conservation and park
protection activities. Funding would be targeted to areas especially
rich in biological diversity that face significant threats. Projects
include:
In Southeast Asia: Indonesia is the world's leading exporter of tropical
timber. Its forests face tremendous threats from destructive logging,
the conversion of natural forests to palm oil plantations, and unchecked
slash-and-burn agriculture. USAID will work to improve management of
the country's vast but rapidly dwindling tropical forests, which are
home to over 10 percent of the world's primate species and among of the
most biologically diverse in the world. This initiative will enable
USAID to expand its support of local forest management efforts, and will
promote forest-friendly policies and agricultural practices.
In South America: Bolivia's Madidi National Park is considered by some
to be the world's most biologically diverse national park, with 1,200
species of birds, nearly twice the total bird species breeding in the
continental United States. USAID will expand efforts to conserve
national parks like Madidi in the Amazon. This initiative will allow
USAID to work with conservation organizations, local park managers, and
communities in many of these parks to address the serious threat posed
by deforestation.
In East Africa: With 79 percent of the 150 most widely used prescription
drugs coming from nature, it is essential to address the staggering rate
of species loss in tropical forests. For example, Madagascar is home to
the Rosy Periwinkle, a plant from which medicine used to successfully
treat childhood leukemia was developed. USAID will enhance its
partnerships with key conservation organizations and governments to help
African countries strengthen their national protected areas systems and
promote sustainable conservation-based economic development to protect
the unknown life-saving potential locked in the tropical forests.
Debt-for-Nature Swaps -- $37 million, almost three times current
funding, to save threatened forests while relieving developing country
debt. Under the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (TFCA), the United
States can grant reduction of debt owed by developing countries when
they commit to invest local currency in conservation of tropical forests
and promote economic reform. Under the TFCA, debt can be reduced
through debt buybacks, swaps, and debt cancellation. Interest payments
on the remaining debt will be channeled into local currency funds
supporting tropical forest conservation programs. Priority countries for
these innovative debt-for-nature swaps could include countries such as
Bangladesh, Peru, and the Philippines.
Protection of Endangered Species -- $3 million, a 50 percent increase,
for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service International Biodiversity
Conservation programs that help other countries conserve wildlife and
protect global biodiversity. The budget includes an increase in funding
for:
Implementation of the African Elephant Conservation Act, Asian Elephant
Conservation Act, and Rhino/Tiger Conservation Act. Each of these laws
establishes a fund for assistance to African and Asian countries that
harbor these species, to be matched by contributions from other
governments and private organizations. Projects will include activities
such as providing anti-poaching patrols in national parks and reserves,
developing community outreach programs to involve local villagers in
conservation, and conducting monitoring programs for populations of
elephants, rhinos, and tigers.
Expanded Research and Wildlife Protections -- $10 million, more than
three times current funding, for the International Programs Office of
the Forest Service to give additional technical assistance for
sustainable forest management and tropical forest conservation. Programs
will focus on:
Promoting the establishment and preservation of protected areas in
tropical forests, including boundary demarcation, skills training,
monitoring site status and management effectiveness, and buffer zone
management; Working with domestic and international partners to restore
and maintain critical habitat areas for the protection of migratory
species; and Expanding research on the causes and prevention of wild
forest fires, such as those that devastated parts of Mexico, Brazil, and
Indonesia over the last several years.
Monitoring Forest Loss from Space -- A new program led by NASA and USAID
to use satellite imagery to compile the first comprehensive maps of the
world?s tropical forests. These agencies will work with national and
international partners, including the Forest Service and the U.S.
Geological Survey, to provide the tools for regularly monitoring and
reporting on future changes in forest cover. This new effort will
provide governments, scientists and conservationists accurate
information for maximizing forest protection investments and
safeguarding these unique and valuable ecosystems for future
generations.
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
| Agency | 2000 | 2001 | Increase | % Increase |
|________________|___________|____________|_____________|____________|
| |(Budget | | | |
| |authority; | | | |
| |in millions| | | |
| |of dollars)| | | |
|________________|___________|____________|_____________|____________|
| | | | | |
|AID tropical | 62 | 100 | 38 | 61% |
|forests & | | | | |
|biodiversity | | | | |
|________________|___________|____________|_____________|____________|
| | | | | |
|TFCA(debt swaps)| 13 | 37 | 24 | 185% |
|________________|___________|____________|_____________|____________|
| | | | | |
|US Fish & | 2 | 3 | 1 | 50% |
|Wildlife Service| | | | |
|________________|___________|____________|_____________|____________|
| | | | | |
|US Forest | 3 | 10 | 7 | 233% |
|Service | | | | |
|________________|___________|____________|_____________|____________|
| | | | | |
|Total | 80 | 150 | 70 | 88% |
|________________|___________|____________|_____________|____________|
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