The Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act, 2008

THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE, FOREIGN OPERATIONS, AND RELATED PROGRAMS APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008 (CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2008) -- (House of Representatives - December 19, 2007)

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Mr. McCAUL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Committee has spoken and the result is positive. I appreciate the words of the Committee in the Statement of the managers accompanying the Omnibus Appropriations legislation specifically regarding the USAID and hunting conservation programs in Africa and around the world.

The initial problem that came to light earlier this year was language that denied USAID funding of recreational, sport and trophy hunting in its assistance programs in Africa. The language in the Statement of the Managers to accompany the Omnibus legislation offers out the opportunity for the USAID conservation projects to continue and states that they need to come before the Committee and explain these important conservation programs. I support this effort and commend the Committee on this language.

These USAID projects are very important tools in the effort to promote conservation. Tourist hunting in foreign lands has proven to be vital and critical to community-based natural resource management programs such as the CAMPFIRE Program in Zimbabwe and the LIFE Plus Project in Namibia. The CAMPFIRE and the LIFE Plus Projects in Africa are just two examples of working conservation programs that involve controlled, regulated sport and trophy hunting. These programs literally support the entire tribal system in many areas of Africa. Without them, literally millions of acres that are properly managed now would fall prey to poachers and the land would prove to have no economic value. Animals in this environment would be killed for food, over-

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hunted and poached. None of us want that result.

These programs provide conservation and social benefits like growth, revenue, poverty reduction, improved livelihoods and empowerment--all of which alleviate human suffering.

The facts are in: in twenty-three African countries that allow licensed, regulated hunting, approximately 18,500 hunters generate over $200 million annually in remote rural areas. The USAID programs are extremely important to the survival of many species worldwide and I thank the Appropriations Committee for recognizing the flaw in the House Report language and speaking to it appropriately in the Statement of the Managers that accompanies the Omnibus legislation.

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