Wayne Gilchrest: “Mr. Speaker, the bill H.R. 643, as amended in committee, is a bipartisan, non-controversial bill that will reauthorize…”

“Mr. Speaker, the bill H.R. 643, as amended in committee, is a bipartisan, non-controversial bill that will reauthorize one of the most successful wildlife conservation laws ever enacted by the Congress. Since 1988, the African Elephant Conservation Act has stopped the slaughter of this flagship species, and it has kindled hope that African elephants can be saved from extinction in the wild. With only a limited appropriation of $11 million, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has generated an additional $51.7 million in private funds. These resources have funded 115 conservation projects in 22 range states throughout Africa. These projects are making a real difference in the world, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The service says this is not a hand-out policy, it is a helping-hands policy, which does significant progress toward encouraging the local people to develop an economy that will be based on tourism to see these magnificent creatures.”