WASHINGTON, D.C. – On the heels of the ivory crush in New York City’s Times Square of more than one ton of confiscated elephant ivory and the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell next week will travel to Vietnam and China to continue efforts by the United States to crack down on illegal wildlife trade.
The black markets in the United States, China and Vietnam are contributing to record high demand for wildlife products that is having a devastating impact, with species like elephants and rhinos facing the risk of significant decline or even extinction. Secretary Jewell will meet with government officials in both countries to deepen and expand our cooperation on key conservation issues.
In advance of next year’s Centennial of the National Park Service , Secretary Jewell will also promote efforts to increase Asian travel and tourism to the United States’ public lands. Nearly 40% of the 2.2 million annual Chinese tourists to the United States in 2014 visited at least one national park or monument.
Secretary Jewell will also make her first official visit to the U.S. Territory of Guam to further the United States’ commitment to insular areas and Guam’s importance to the region.
Vietnam: This year marks the 20th anniversary of normalized diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam. Secretary Jewell will hold bilateral meetings with government officials, tour the Cuc Phuong National Park, hold a roundtable discussion with stakeholders on wildlife trafficking and meet with members of the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI).
In Cuc Phuong National Park, Secretary Jewell will visit the Endangered Primate Research Center, Pangolin Conservation Program and Turtle Conservation Center, and take a hike to enjoy the park’s natural richness.
China: Secretary Jewell will hold bilateral meetings with government officials, hold a roundtable discussion with stakeholders on wildlife trafficking, make an announcement regarding a U.S.-China national park agreement, and participate in a Brand USA travel and tourism promotion event.
Guam: Secretary Jewell will meet with government officials, tour the War in the Pacific National Historical Park, provide keynote remarks at a Guam business leaders forum and meet with Department of Defense leaders.
As Secretary of the Interior, Jewell is responsible for overall coordination of federal policy for the U.S. insular areas, advocating for the islands within the Federal Government, overseeing the distribution of appropriated funds for island territories, and administering U.S. financial assistance for the freely associated states.
Source: Department of Interior
