A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that President Juan Manuel Santos has restructured and significantly strengthened the environmental sector and management capacity of the Colombian Government and has led the country to become a global environmental leader.

Mr. President, today I am introducing a sense-of-senate resolution commending Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his extraordinary leadership in protecting Colombia's natural environment. Anyone who has lived in, traveled to, or read about Colombia knows it is a country of exceptional beauty and biological diversity. It is also home to many indigenous groups who have played an indispensable role as environmental stewards of their territories. During the years of his Presidency, President Santos's efforts have not only established Colombia as a global environmental leader, they will provide lasting benefits to future generations and to the international community.

On September 21, President Santos will be honored by the National Geographic Society for his efforts to protect Colombia's natural environment, and I believe the U.S. Senate should also recognize his achievements.

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Whereas Colombia is one of the world's ``megadiverse''

countries, hosting close to 10 percent of the planet's

biodiversity and producing an estimated 15 percent of the

world's oxygen;

Whereas Colombia occupies--

(1) first place worldwide in the number of birds and

orchids;

(2) second place in species of plants, amphibians,

butterflies and fresh water fish;

(3) third place in species of palm trees and reptiles;

(4) fourth place in biodiversity of mammals; and

(5) fifth place in marine and continental ecosystems;

Whereas Colombia's extraordinary mix of ecological,

climatic, and biological components are dispersed among its

311 ecosystems and 59 protected areas;

Whereas Colombia's biodiversity is at risk, mainly because

of habitat loss, urbanization, illicit drug cultivation and

production, mining and other extractive industries,

deforestation, and overfishing;

Whereas on the day of his inauguration in 2010, and

continuously since that date, President Santos has made

environmental management and resource conservation top

priorities of the Colombian Government;

Whereas since his inauguration, 14,800,000 hectares of

territory have been incorporated into the National System of

Protected Areas, including Chiribiquete National Park,

Corales de Profundidad National Park, Acandi, Playon and

Playona Wildlife Sanctuaries, and Bahia Portete -Kaurrele

National Natural Park;

Whereas Colombia now has 28,400,000 hectares incorporated

into the National System of Protected Areas;

Whereas the Colombian Government approved the establishment

and expansion of indigenous reserves to protect indigenous

cultures and curtail deforestation of critical ecosystems;

Whereas the Colombian Government adopted measures to reduce

carbon emissions resulting from deforestation in the

Colombian Amazon;

Whereas the Colombian Government developed a national

strategy to combat climate change;

Whereas, through the Vision Amazonia initiative, the

Colombian Government has set an ambitious goal of achieving

zero net deforestation in the Colombian Amazon by 2020;

Whereas for the first time in 2016, the Colombian

Government completed a greenhouse gas emissions inventory

that includes data from both department and municipal levels;

and

Whereas Colombia played a primary role in the Rio+20

Conference agenda for a green economy and continues to be an

active member in the international environmental dialogue:

Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--

(1) President Juan Manuel Santos has restructured and

significantly strengthened the environmental sector and

management capacity of the Colombian Government and has led

the country to become a global environmental leader;

(2) President Santos has enhanced public awareness of the

importance of protecting indigenous cultures and of the

indispensable role of indigenous people in protecting the

environment;

(3) President Santos' efforts to protect Colombia's

biodiversity will provide lasting benefits to future

generations of Colombians and to the international community;

and

(4) President Santos should be recognized and commended for

these efforts and achievements.

Mr. President, I wish to inform all Senators that on Friday, May 19, 2017, the Committee on Rules and Administration adopted amendments to the U.S. Senate Travel Regulations and corresponding changes to the committee and administrative office staff regulations, which are published as part of the travel regulations. All amendments are effective immediately.

I ask unanimous consent that a summary of these modifications and the text of the amended regulations be printed in the Record.