IV 

111TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1308 

Supporting the goals and ideals of the International Year of Biodiversity, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 29, 2010 

Ms. BORDALLO (for herself, Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA, Mrs. CHRISTENSEN, Mrs. 

CAPPS, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. SHEA-PORTER, Mr. SABLAN, Mr. PIERLUISI, 

and Mr. TANNER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred 

to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by 

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

RESOLUTION 

Supporting the goals and ideals of the International Year 

of Biodiversity, and for other purposes. 

Whereas ‘‘biodiversity’’ is the term commonly used by scientists to describe the variety of plant and animal life on 

Earth, the places they inhabit, and the interactions between them; 

Whereas 1,750,000 species of plants and animals on Earth 

have been identified, and ecologists conservatively estimate that 13,000,000 species may exist; 

Whereas the biodiversity of species, genes, and habitats helps 

increase the capability of Earth’s terrestrial and marine 


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•HRES 1308 IH 

ecosystems to be resilient in the face of a dynamic environment; 

Whereas human well-being is inextricably linked with biodiversity, which provides essential ecological goods and 

services including clean water, clean air, food production, 

pest control, energy creation, pharmaceuticals and medicinal goods, recreation, and cultural identity; 

Whereas nearly a sixth of the world’s human population depends on terrestrial or marine protected areas for a significant percent of their livelihoods and 70 percent of the 

world’s poorest people live in rural areas dependent directly on biodiversity for their survival and well-being; 

Whereas over 1,000,000,000 people live in poverty in urban 

areas and depend on the ecosystem goods and services 

imported from areas of biodiversity; 

Whereas many small island nations and territories are dependent on local biodiversity, which is particularly vulnerable to ocean warming, ocean acidification, and sea level 

rise; 

Whereas genetic biodiversity is important for global food security through harvested wildlife, fish, and plants, crops, 

livestock, and aquaculture species that can adapt to 

change; 

Whereas scientists estimate that 60 percent of ecosystem 

services, which are supported by biodiversity, have been 

degraded globally in the last 50 years with a cost of 

$500,000,000,000 for lost ecological services on land in 

the last ten years alone; 

Whereas the greatest threats to biodiversity are habitat loss 

through land conversion and fragmentation, introduction 


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of invasive species, exploitation of natural resources, and 

pollution; 

Whereas the present rate of human-caused species extinction 

is estimated by paleontologists to be 1,000 times more 

rapid than the natural rate of extinction typical of 

Earth’s long-term geologic history, and the majority of 

recorded species extinctions over the last 500 years have 

occurred on islands; 

Whereas of the world’s original habitats we have lost 35 percent of mangroves, 40 percent of forests, 50 percent of 

wetlands, and 20 percent of coral reefs globally due to 

human actions, with 70 percent of the remaining coral 

reefs threatened; 

Whereas the tropical South Pacific contains the highest proportion of threatened species in the world with an estimated 75 percent of total bird and mammal extinctions 

having occurred in that region; 

Whereas the United States has had a longstanding commitment to the preservation and conservation of the Earth’s 

biodiversity, as demonstrated through the passage and 

implementation of numerous laws, including the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (16 U.S.C. 703 et seq.), the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (16 U.S.C. 1361 et 

seq.), the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 

1531 et seq.), the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (16 U.S.C. 4401 et seq.), various Acts providing 

for the conservation of particular species (16 U.S.C. 

4201 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 4261 et seq., 16 U.S.C. 5301 et 

seq., 16 U.S.C. 6301 et seq., and 16 U.S.C. 6601 et 

seq.), the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act 

(16 U.S.C. 6101 et seq.), the Coral Reef Conservation 

Act of 2000 (16 U.S.C. 6401 et seq.), and other statutes; 


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Whereas the United States has demonstrated international 

leadership to protect and preserve biodiversity through its 

participation and leadership under a variety of global and 

regional conventions, treaties, and agreements that protect biodiversity, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna 

and Flora, the Convention on Wetlands of International 

Importance, the North American Waterfowl Management 

Plan, the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, 

and other international treaties, conventions, and accords; and 

Whereas the United Nations has declared 2010 as the International Year of Biodiversity as a celebration of life on 

Earth and of the value of biodiversity in our lives: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) supports the goals and ideals of the Inter3 national Year of Biodiversity, as it reinforces the 

4 United States’ interests in protecting and preserving 

5 threatened and endangered species under the En6 dangered Species Act of 1973 (16 U.S.C. 1531 et 

7 seq.); 

8 (2) acknowledges the importance of biodiversity 

9 to human well-being, the environment, and the eco10 systems and wildlife resources therein; 

11 (3) recognizes the persistent threats that under12 mine biodiversity, require the United States to re13 main diligent in its participation under numerous reVerDate Mar 15 2010 05:20 Apr 30, 2010 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR1308.IH HR1308

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1 gional, national, and international conservation 

2 strategies, plans, and agreements, and encourages 

3 complementary actions on the State and local levels 

4 to address these threats through wildlife and wildlife 

5 habitat conservation strategies, plans, and agree6 ments; 

7 (4) reaffirms the United States commitment to 

8 the preservation of global biodiversity, especially 

9 through its leadership and participation under the 

10 Convention on International Trade in Endangered 

11 Species of Wild Fauna and Flora; and 

12 (5) applauds the work of governmental and 

13 nongovernmental conservation and environmental or14 ganizations working to promote public awareness 

15 concerning the need to preserve, conserve, and pro16 tect wildlife and wildlife habitats that comprise bio17 diversity. 

Æ 


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