[MPWG] Public Comment/Meeting: Convention on International Ttrade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the Parties (CoP14)

Mon Mar 5 09:21:40 CST 2007

The fourteenth meeting of the Convention on International Ttrade in 
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Conference of the 
Parties (CoP14) will be held on June 3-15, 2007, in the Netherlands.  The 
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is requesting public input on the items in 
the provisional agenda for CoP14 and also announces a public meeting. 
Below is a summary of this notice; the full document is at: <
http://www.fws.gov/international/pdf/CoP14-FR3.pdf>. 

This e-mail contains the following information:

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PUBLIC COMMENTS ON COP14 AGENDA ITEMS: Accepted until April 23, 2007
PUBLIC MEETING: April 9, 2007, at 1:30 p.m.
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CITES IN A NUTSHELL…
THE PARTIES...
CITES MEETINGS…
RESOLUTIONS, DECISIONS AND AGENDA ITEMS…
SPECIES PROPOSALS…
CITES OBSERVERS…
THE SPECIES...
LISTED SPECIES…
THE CITES SPECIES DABTABASE…
MORE ABOUT CITES…

(Please note the links in this document are not live.  You must cut and 
paste them into your browser).

-Patricia

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural 
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>

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PUBLIC COMMENTS ON COP14 AGENDA ITEMS: Accepted until April 23, 2007

>>With this notice The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service…solicits your 
comments on the items on the provisional agenda.  In developing the U.S. 
negotiating positions on proposed resolutions, decisions, and species 
proposals, and other agenda items submitted by other Party countries and 
the CITES Secretariat for consideration at CoP14, we will consider written 
information and comments you submit if we receive them by April 23, 2007.

>>Comment Submission: 
>Comments pertaining to proposed resolutions, decisions, and/or agenda 
items should be sent to the Division of Management Authority; U.S. Fish 
and Wildlife Service; 4401 North Fairfax Drive; Room 700; Arlington, VA 
22203; or via E-mail at: cop14 at fws.gov; or via fax at: 703– 358–2298. 
>Comments pertaining to species proposals should be sent to the Division 
of Scientific Authority; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive; Room 750; Arlington, VA 22203; or via E-mail at: 
scientificauthority at fws.gov; or via fax at: 703–358–2276. 
>Comments and materials received will be available for public inspection, 
by appointment, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, at either 
the Division of Management Authority or the Division of Scientific 
Authority.

PUBLIC MEETING: April 9, 2007, at 1:30 p.m.

>>The public meeting will be held in the Rachel Carson Room at the 
Department of the Interior at 18th and C Streets, NW, Washington, DC. 

>>!!Due to building security at the Department of the Interior, persons 
planning to attend the meeting must notify the Division of Management 
Authority by March 30, 2007, to allow us sufficient time to provide the 
building security staff with a list of persons planning to attend.!! 
Division of Management Authority; phone 703–358–2095; fax 703–358–2298; 
E-mail: cop14 at fws.gov.

For more information on CITES, see below.

Patricia S. De Angelis, Ph.D.
Botanist - Division of Scientific Authority
Chair - Plant Conservation Alliance - Medicinal Plant Working Group
US Fish & Wildlife Service
4401 N. Fairfax Dr., Suite 750
Arlington, VA  22203
703-358-1708 x1753
FAX: 703-358-2276
Working for the conservation and sustainable use of our green natural
resources.
<www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal>

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CITES IN A NUTSHELL…

>>CITES is a treaty that aims to ensure that international trade in animal
and plant species is not detrimental to the survival of wild populations
through a system of permits.  The treaty entered into force in 1975.  The
CITES web address is: <www.cites.org>.

THE PARTIES...

>>Currently, CITES includes 169 members.  To see a list of the member
countries, go to: http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/parties/index.shtml

>>In the United States, CITES is administered by the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife
Service in conjunction with other agencies, such as the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.  For more information, see: <
http://www.fws.gov/international/>.

>>The CITES world is divided into six regions: Africa, Asia, Central and
South American and the Caribbean, Europe, North American and Oceania.  The
United States is part of the North American Region, which also includes
Canada and Mexico.  See <http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/AC_PC.shtml#dir>.

CITES MEETINGS…

>>Several regularly-scheduled international meetings are convened in order
to execute this treaty, including:

>>The Conference of the Parties (CoP) - Until CoP13, these meeting were 
held
every two years.  The time between CoPs has been changed to every three 
years.  Representatives from all 169 Parties may participate in this 
meeting. 
For more on previous CoPs (agendas, species proposals),
http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/index.shtml.

>>The Plants Committee - Held annually, this meeting is attended by
representatives from each region represented in CITES.  Currently, the
United States is the North American regional representative, with Canada 
as
the alternate.  See <http://www.cites.org/eng/com/PC/member.shtml>.

>>The Animals Committee - Held annually, this meeting is attended by
representatives from each region represented in CITES.  Currently, Mexico
is the North American regional representative, and the United States is 
the
alternate.  See: <http://www.cites.org/eng/com/AC/member.shtml>.

>>The Standing Committee - Meetings are held as needed.  Currently, Canada 
is
the North American regional representative, and Mexico is the alternate.
See: <http://www.cites.org/eng/com/SC/member.shtml>.

RESOLUTIONS, DECISIONS AND AGENDA ITEMS…
The CoP14 Provisional Agenda (at: <
http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/14/doc/index.shtml>) provides the list of 
items to be discussed at the meeting, along with the documents received 
thus far to support these discussions.

>>Comments on the resolutions, decisions and agenda items listed here 
should be directed to: Division of Management Authority; U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service; 4401 North Fairfax Drive; Room 700; Arlington, VA 22203; 
or via E-mail at: cop14 at fws.gov; or via fax at: 703– 358–2298, by April 
23, 2007. 

SPECIES PROPOSALS…
>>Note Item 68 on the provisional agenda: Proposals to Amend Appendices I 
& II.  These proposals are found at the following link: <
http://www.cites.org/eng/cop/14/prop/index.shtml>.

>>Comments pertaining to species proposals should be sent to the Division 
of Scientific Authority; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; 4401 North 
Fairfax Drive; Room 750; Arlington, VA 22203; or via E-mail at: 
scientificauthority at fws.gov; or via fax at: 703–358–2276, by April 23, 
2007. 

CITES OBSERVERS…

>>Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that are technically qualified in 
protection, conservation, or management of wild fauna and flora are 
permitted by CITES (under Article XI, Paragraph 7) to apply to become an 
observer at the CoP.  Observers at a COP may attend all plenary and 
committee sessions, and comment in these sessions on any of the issues. 
However, they are not permitted to vote on proposals.  Individuals that 
are not affiliated with an NGO do not qualify for approval as observers.

>>An NGO may apply for observer status in one of three ways:

1. International NGOs with offices in more than one country should apply 
to the CITES Secretariat at the following address: 

CITES Secretariat
International Environment House
Chemin des Anémones
CH-1219 Châtelaine-Geneva
Switzerland
tel: (+4122) 917-8139
fax: (+4122) 797-3417
E-mail: cites at unep.ch

2. NGOs based in a country other than the United States should apply to 
the CITES Management Authority of that country.

3. NGOs based in the United States should apply to the U.S. Fish and 
Wildlife Service, Division of Management Authority (DMA), at the address 
below or e-mail the request to <managementauthority at fws.gov>.

Division of Management Authority
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Room 700
Arlington, VA 22203

>>The USFWS maintains a number of weblinks concerning CITES Observers at: 
http://www.fws.gov/international/cites/cites.html

THE SPECIES...

>>Under CITES, species may be listed on one of 3 appendices, each
conferring a different level of regulation, with the most stringent
controls for Appendix I species.  Species listed on Appendix I are
threatened with extinction and trade is permitted only under strict
circumstances.  Species listed on Appendix II are impacted by trade at a
level that requires monitoring in order to avoid threats to extinction.
Appendix III listings essentially provides a monitoring system that allows
countries to enlist assistance of international trading partners to better
understand the level of trade in those species.  For more information on
the CITES appendices, see: <http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/how.shtml>.

>>Permits are required for species that are listed on any of the three
CITES appendices.  For more on permits, see: <http://www.fws.gov/permits/
>.

LISTED SPECIES…
>>Current totals for U.S. native species listed on CITES are: 654 plants
and 832 animals.  Several U.S.-native medicinal plants are listed on 
CITES,
including goldenseal and American ginseng.  To find out more about these
species, go to the CITES-listed species database at:
http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html

THE CITES SPECIES DABTABASE…

You can search the database two ways:

To look just at the species native to the United States:
      From the CITES species website: 
http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html
      Under the column "Search by country", there is a pull-down menu.
            Select United States.
            Click on "Go"

      You will see a tabular summary of the number of listed animals and 
plants native to the United States.
            You can click on any of the appendices or click on the link 
below each table to get a full list of the species that are listed.

To search by species name:
      Start at the main CITES species website: 
<http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/species.html>.
      Under the "Search by name" column, select "Genus."
      Type in the genus of the native plant of interest.
            Hit enter.
            Click on "Display Results" at the bottom half of the screen.
      You'll see a list of all species in the genus of interest.
            Click on the species of interest.
            Click on any of the tabs above the species entry to get more
information on the species.

MORE ABOUT CITES…

>>CITES World - biennial newsletter of CITES.  You can view issues dating
back to 1999 at: <http://www.cites.org/eng/news/newsletter.shtml>.

Highlights from previous issues that may be of interest to you:
      Issue 16 (Dec 2005) - U.S. procedures for handling confiscated
      species
      Issue 15 (July 2005) - U.S. and the Lacey Act
      Issue 14 (Dec 2004) - Accessing CITES trade data

You can now subscribe to the "CITES World" newsletter on-line.  To receive 
the newsletter by email, please visit <
http://www.cites.org/eng/news/world/subscribe.php>and fill in the request 
form. 

>>Endangered Species Bulletin - The September 2005 issues of the 
Endangered
Species bulletin focused wholly on CITES.  You can view this issue at: 
<http://www.fws.gov/endangered/esb/2005/ESB09-05.pdf>.

While supplies last!  I have copies of this issue that I am happy to mail 
to you.  If you would like copies of this issue, please e-mail your name 
and address to: <Patricia_DeAngelis at fws.gov>. 

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