NEWS FROM CAPITOL HILL

The Animal Welfare Institute is pleased to announce that it has merged with its companion organization, the Society for Animal Protective Legislation (SAPL), after nearly 50 years of operating side-by-side. Christine Stevens, AWI’s late Founder and President, launched SAPL in 1955 to address the dearth of Federal laws to protect animals. Her wise foresight led to the passage of literally dozens of bills to give animals national and international protection.

SAPL was at the forefront of efforts to convince Congress to enact some of the most important humane and conservation laws in our nation’s history: The Animal Welfare Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered Species Act, the Wild Bird Conservation Act, and many others.

SAPL was always hindered, however, by Internal Revenue Service regulations prohibiting organizations that spend a significant amount of time and money trying to affect national legislation from having donations deductible on contributors’ federal taxes. Now, AWI can benefit from SAPL’s rich history, experience, and talents, while donors to the effort are freed from the previous tax restrictions.

AWI will continue producing insightful documents, and SAPL, now a division of the Animal Welfare Institute, will carry that information to Capitol Hill to ensure that Members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives hear our message and bring all animals under the most protective umbrella that the Congress can bestow.

As part of our marriage, the AWI Quarterly will now carry a legislative page to provide updates on pending bills with which we are concerned or, as you will note in this issue’s feature on exotics and story on marine mammals, discussion of legislation will be covered as part of a larger story. We hope you will use this information to contact your Congressional Representative and both of your United States Senators to urge appropriate action on the bills we highlight. Please raise no more than two issues within each letter to a Member of Congress (write a second letter if you need) and send copies of the responses you receive from your elected officials to our office to assist us in our lobbying efforts.

Crane Conservation Act of 2003

The Red-crowned crane, thought to be the third most endangered crane species, may only be found in zoos someday (like this pair) if swift action is not taken to save them in the wild. Jen Rinick/AWI

On January 9, 2003, Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) introduced the Crane Conservation Act of 2003 to assist in the conservation of threatened and endangered crane populations across the globe. “Cranes are the most endangered family of birds in the world,” the Senator observed, “with ten of the world’s fifteen species at risk of extinction.” The Act would establish a Crane Conservation Fund with up to three million dollars each year from 2004 through 2007 to fund appropriate projects to protect cranes.

Numerous species could benefit from this assistance. The Siberian crane faces many threats throughout its habitat, notably the effects of a growing human population in China. The White-naped crane, found in the swamps and marshlands of Mongolia, Siberia, and China, is losing its habitat to agricultural expansion. The Black-crowned crane, Nigeria’s national bird, is rapidly declining throughout its African range, especially in West Africa. Other species at risk include the Blue crane, Hooded crane, and even North America’s own Sandhill crane. Upon introduction of this bill (S. 128) Senator Feingold expressed his “hope that Congress will do its part to protect the existence of these birds, whose cultural significance and popular appeal can be seen worldwide.” He concluded: “If we do not act now, not only will cranes face extinction, but the ecosystems that depend on their contributions will suffer. With the decline of the crane population, the wetlands and marshes they inhabit can potentially be thrown off balance.” A companion bill, H.R. 1647, has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2003

Costa Rica’s Environment Minister recently asked Florida Governor Jeb Bush for help protecting green sea turtles. Passage of S. 1210 would provide funds to help all sea turtles across the globe. Sea Turtle Restoration Project

Government funding is needed to assist the long-term conservation of highly endangered marine turtle species. On June 9, 2003, Senator James Jeffords (I-VT) introduced the Marine Turtle Conservation Act of 2003 “to assist in the conservation of marine turtles in foreign countries.” Senator Jeffords’ legislation, which recognizes the immense threats to the survival of loggerhead, green, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, and leatherback turtles, authorizes up to five million dollars a year to programs for their conservation.

The legislation, S. 1210, importantly recognizes that illegal trade seriously jeopardizes the viability of some turtles species such as the hawksbill sea turtle, whose shell is prized in international commerce for jewelry and curios.

Upon introduction of the legislation, Senator Jeffords noted that “marine turtles were once abundant, but now they are in serious trouble…. This legislation will help to preserve this ancient and distinctive part of the world’s biological diversity.”

H.R. 1800 prohibits the interstate and foreign commerce in furs from animals caught with steel jaw leghold traps as well as shipment of the traps themselves. The U.S. must ban these tools of torture. Fur-Bearer Defenders

A Bill to End the Use of Steel Jaw Leghold Traps

The steel jaw leghold trap is barbaric. Furbearing animals are caught with these cruel devices to obtain their fur. People’s pets, endangered species, birds, and children also fall prey to the trap’s vicious bite.

In 1991, the European Union (E.U.) banned use of the steel jaw leghold trap and import of furs from countries that still allow them. In 1997, after threats of a WTO challenge by the U.S., the U.S. Trade Representative reached an “Understanding” with the E.U., agreeing to end use of “all jaw-type leghold restraining traps” by 2002 on muskrat and nutria and to phase out “conventional steel-jawed leghold restraining traps” by 2004.

To implement this agreement and uphold our international obligations, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY) has introduced H.R. 1800, to stop the use of steel jaw leghold traps in the U.S. It’s high time that the U.S. join the 88 other countries that prohibit this awful trap.