of having photographed forbidden subjects, and scholarly papers and equipment in the possession of Americans traveling officially have been confiscated and never returned. In the last 3 months, several Soviet delegations who had accepted invitations to visit the U.S. failed to arrive as scheduled or provide any explanation for such arbitrary cancellation. For these and other reasons, the Service does not intend to pursue extensive continuation of this work, limiting ourselves to meeting Service obligations under the Migratory Bird Treaty and assisting NMFS and one non-government organization to maintain their project affiliations with the USSR. We have been approached by the People's Republic of China to enter into a cooperative venture, and should there be sufficient interest within the Service, we will explore this possibility. I understand that the Committee is interested in the subject of Biological Diversity. The Office of International Affairs participated in the recent interagency effort to develop a strategy for the maintenance of biological diversity in AID countries. A Service employee was detailed to AID to draft that strategy. A second Service employee is on loan to AID to begin the process of implementing that strategy, and in recent weeks, we entered into a reimbursable agreement with AID to provide a small grants program related to biological diversity maintenance in the Middle East. Mr. Chairman, that concludes my statement. I appreciate the opportunity to be here today, and the Service appreciates your interest in our international program. OCT 8 1985 STATEMENT OF ARNOLD E. PETTY, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, MANAGEMENT SERVICES, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON PUBLIC LANDS, COMMITTEE ON INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, ON THE INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE ACTIVITIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR. It is a pleasure to appear before the Subcommittee today to discuss the Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) participation in international programs. BLM works closely with other government agencies in providing assistance to other countries. All of BLM's involvement in such assistance occurs as a result of special requests by the Agency for International Development, the Treasury and Agriculture Departments, other Department of the Interior agencies, and international organizations. The assistance projects involve such fields as forestry, range, public land records, land planning and land surveys. To date, the assistance rendered by BLM has been focused on developing countries of the Middle East, Africa, and South America. In addition, a limited exchange of information has occurred between BLM and Russia and Japan. BLM also participates with Canada and Australia in exchanging information on fire presuppression and suppression techniques. Through agreements negotiated by the State Department, BLM and Canada actively participate in mutual fire suppression programs. I will highlight some of BLM's activities. Forestry The Department of the Interior participates in meetings of the "United States - Japanese Committee on Natural Resources" in a program that was begun by the United Nations in the mid 1960's. In 1968, a "forestry panel" was established by the Committee with BLM being designated as lead agency. The panel is comprised of delegates from BLM, USFS and Japan. Meetings are held every 1 1/2 years. At the June 1985, meeting, the BLM representative presented a paper prepared by BLM and the Forest Service regarding forest research and its applicability to both private and Federal lands. Like the United States, Japan has intermingled private and government owned lands. We are studying how Japan manages its forestry program with the intention of adopting those techniques which might be beneficial. The "North American Committee on Natural Resources", an affiliate of the Food & Agriculture Organization of United Nations (FAO) coordinates forest activities among Canada, the United States and Mexico. BLM is a member of the Committee and of several subcommittees including those involved with forestry, wildlife, fire, and engineering. The last meeting of the Committee was held in February 1984, in El Paso, Texas. The theme of the meeting was the problem of trespass and the use of forest lands for subsistence, that is, cutting down trees for use as firewood. This is a problem in many small villages in Mexico, as well as in States with arid forest lands, such as New Mexico and Arizona. 64-294 0 - 87 - 8 The "Tropical Forestry Committee" is the United States' affiliate of the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization. The Committee oversees the activities of the United States in assisting developing countries to resolve problems associated with tropical forestry. BLM and other Federal agencies participate on the Committee. BLM participates in the "Union of Forest Research Organizations," a worldwide independent research organization that works to improve the forest situation through research. In the past, BLM has coordinated with the Chinese, Japanese, Germans, Fire BLM's fire experts have been involved in international coordination and assistance for several years. This involvement has included exchanging information through international committees, developing fire training courses, and providing firefighting equipment, personnel, and supplies. In particular, BLM works with the Canadian Committee on Forest Fire Control which meets annually to discuss and take action on current Canadian forest and range fire control matters as well as matters of joint Canadian and U.S. interest. |