Benjamin Gilman: “I am pleased to bring H.R. 2870, the Tropical Forest Protection Act, to the House for its consideration. This bill was…”

“I am pleased to bring H.R. 2870, the Tropical Forest Protection Act, to the House for its consideration. This bill was introduced last November by the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Rob Portman), the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. John Kasich), and the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Lee Hamilton). The bill enjoys wide bipartisan support and is now supported by the administration. Mr. Chairman, tropical forests are home to roughly half of all known species and plants and animals, and, under pressure from man, these forests are disappearing at a rate of almost 1 percent per year, roughly one football field lost every second or an area the size of Pennsylvania each year. Most of the forests are also located in developing nations, and most of those nations are poor, with crushing debt burdens. With the twin crisis of tropical forest loss and the Third World debt crisis, many of us in the Congress saw an opportunity. And I will note that two of our colleagues, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. John Porter) and the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Doug Bereuter) introduced the first debt-for-nature swap bill in 1988.”