Ed Royce: “This bill, H.R. 2264, authorizes the administration's Congo Basin Forest Partnership. It is authored by the gentleman…”

“This bill, H.R. 2264, authorizes the administration's Congo Basin Forest Partnership. It is authored by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Shaw), who is an international conservation leader. I am a cosponsor of this measure, and I think the importance of it is that the tropical forests of central Africa's Congo Basin are a key economic resource for an estimated 20 million people, and these forests play a very critical role in sustaining the environment. The Congo Basin contains the most diverse grouping of plants and animals in all of Africa, including many rare and endangered species. These plants and animals are invaluable for so many reasons, including their genetic and biological information which could spark technical advances in medicine and agriculture. This is all threatened, though, as Congo Basin forests are coming under growing pressure. Ten years ago, these forests were virtually untouched. Today, logging operations are shrinking these forests. As a matter of fact, logging operations are taking out the Congo Basin forest at the rate of twice the size of Rhode Island every year. Meanwhile, the construction of logging roads is putting intense hunting pressure on wildlife.”