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[[underlined]] Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute [[/underlined]]

Mr. Ripley reported that the Act of July 2, 1940 (54 Stat. 724), which set aside Barro Colorado Island in the Canal Zone in order to preserve and conserve its natural features for research purposes, authorized the appropriation of $10,000 for necessary administrative and maintenance expenses related to the Island. Subsequently, P.L. 89-280, approved October 20, 1965, amended the authorization to $350,000, and P.L. 96-89, approved October 19, 1979, further amended it to $750,000.

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) now manages, as custodian, the Barro Colorado Nature Monument established under Article VI of the 1940 Convention on Nature Protection and Wildlife Preservation in the Western Hemisphere to which both the United States and the Republic of Panama are signatories. This was reiterated in the Exchange of Letters between the United States and the Republic of Panama annexed to the Panama Canal Treaty of 1979. The Barro Colorado Nature Monument is nearly 5,000 hectares in area, compared to the area of Barro Colorado Island alone which is 1,641.83 hectares. The expanded area under our care is forested and protected by fences as well as a game warden force.

Although current obligations are within the statutory limit, this greatly increased responsibility, the more intensive use of Barro Colorado Island and the rest of the Nature Monument for scientific purposes, the pressure of inflation prevalent in Central American and the need for improvements make the existing spending limit unrealistic.