of dolphins in the tuna fishery to the lowest possible level. Over the last three decades, purse-seine tuna fishery operations have killed large numbers of dolphins, where the two species swim together. The agreement establishes a strict schedule to reduce mortality to 5,000 dolphins by 1999, which is onetenth of 1 percent of the estimated dolphin population in these waters. The conservation program includes a research component to develop techniques for catching yellowfin tuna without harming dolphins and provides detailed procedures to ensure that mortality limits are not exceeded. In October President Bush signed into law the International Dolphin Conservation Act of 1992, amending the Marine Mammal Protection Act to require a dolphin-safe U.S. tuna market by June 1994.

High Seas Driftnet Fishing. This highly destructive fishing technique

results in large incidental takes of marine mammals, seabirds, and other forms of life. In keeping with a U.S.led resolution of the U.N. General Assembly, a moratorium on driftnet fishing went into effect on January 1, 1991.

The High Seas Driftnet Fisheries Enforcement Act of 1992 reflects the U.S. commitment to translate international commitments into domestic action. The Driftnet Act extends the domestic prohibition on high seas driftnet fishing and prohibits the import of all fish and fish products and sport fishing equipment from any country engaged in high seas driftnet fishing beginning January 1, 1993. The law provides for denial of port privileges and navigation in U.S. waters for vessels engaged in the prohibited fishing practice. The act includes measures to establish an international regime for the

management of the high seas fishery in the Central Bering Sea.

U.N. Conference on Environment and Development. UNCED addressed high seas fishing issues in Agenda 21, the document intended to provide guidance for setting a global course to sustainable development. In the Agenda 21 chapter on oceans, the United States supported language to ensure that populations of marine species are maintained at healthy levels, that populations of marine mammals are protected, and that fishing gear minimizes the incidental catch of nontarget species. Following UNCED, the U.N. General Assembly adopted a resolution endorsing an intergovernmental conference on high seas fishing issues to be held in late 1993. The United States is cooperating with the U.N Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to address conservation as well as trade questions pertaining to high seas fishing.

Whaling Moratorium. The United States has supported an international moratorium on commercial whaling since inception of the ban in 1985 under the auspices of the International Whaling Commission (IWC). Because several nations other than the United States desire an easing of the ban, the commission, at its annual meeting in 1992,

moved toward adopting a sustainable, scientifically based procedure for calculating whale quotas. IWC parties agreed that until this procedure is adopted and in force, the moratorium on commercial whaling should continue, a stance supported by the United States.

Sea Turtles. Commercial shrimpfishing operations in the Caribbean region often result in the incidental capture and drowning of threatened and endangered species of sea turtles. In response, during the past three years, the United States has implemented legislation prohibiting Caribbean shrimp imports unless those countries adopt specific measures to reduce incidental capture of sea turtles.

For example, shrimp fishermen in the United States are required by law to equip their nets with a piece of gear known as a "turtle excluder device" (TED), which reduces the incidental capture of sea turtles by more than 97 percent. TED usage is considered essential for the survival of endangered sea turtle populations in the wider Caribbean. Caribbean nations that do not undertake comparable steps to install TEDS and reduce incidental turtle takes may face shrimp import embargoes. The United States offers technical assistance to help affected countries incorporate TED technology into their shrimp fleets.

Forestry

varying from sparse scrub forests of the arid interior West to the highly productive forests of the Pacific Coast and the South. The majority of U.S. forests, about 525 million acres, are in state and private ownership, with the balance in federal forests. Most eastern forests are in state or private ownership, and western forests are divided between the federal government and other owners.

Americans reforested 2.9 million acres of public and private forestland in fiscal 1991, near record highs, and a comparable acreage was regenerated naturally. On managed acres, forest growth exceeded harvests by 37 percent, up threefold over the 1920s, but the nation continues to lose half a million acres of private forestlands per year because of conversions to such uses as urban expansion and agricultural crops. At this rate, total U.S. forests could decrease from 731 million acres in 1992 to 703 million acres in 2040, a 4-percent decline.

Reforestation can improve damaged ecosystems and help protect watersheds, soil, and crops. The number of

Source: USDA Forest Service, State and Private Forestry, Cooperative Forestry, Tree Planting in the United States-1990, (Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service, March 1991).

trees planted in 1991 was the seventh highest of any year in U.S. history. Of acres planted in trees, 82 percent were on private lands, and of these, 39 percent had nonindustrial private owners.

U.S. forests, on the whole, are healthy, but problems arise, especially on managed forests, in response to stresses such as insects and drought. In some managed forests, past harvesting practices and fire suppression have resulted in stands poorly adapted to the

site, prone to insect and disease problems, and stressed by drought. Potential for catastrophic wildfire is high because of the accumulation of dead and dying vegetation.

Throughout the nation, forest pests are causing serious damage. The European gypsy moth defoliated 4 million acres in 14 states in 1991, affecting the health of oaks and associated species. The southern pine beetle reached epidemic levels in 7 states and threatened timber, wilderness values, and habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. The Douglas-fir tussock moth and western spruce budworm were at elevated levels in the Pacific Northwest. Root diseases and dwarf mistletoe in the West, fusiform rust in the South, and dogwood anthracnose in the East and South are causing concern.

International Forestry

According to a 1990 estimate by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, tropical forests are disappearing at a rate of 17 million hectares (42 million acres) a year. Responding to population pressures and widespread poverty, many nations provide incentives for forest conversion to farmland and pasture. Other causes include destructive logging practices, overharvesting of commercial forests, subsidized timber sales, and large-scale development projects such as hydropower and mining.

Temperate and boreal forests, although expanding in some areas, are substantially degraded in other areas because of factors affecting forest health that include air pollution, inefficient harvesting, and lack of reforestation. In some parts of Eastern Europe, forest dieback caused primarily by air pollution is as high as 50 percent. In