Additional Context: The Central African Regional Program for the Environment, or CARPE, aimed to address local and regional resource management capacity in the Congo Basin by strengthening institutions, laws, and civic participation in environmental conservation. Funding came through USAID and the USFWS, along with technical assistance from the USDA. Despite predating the Congo Basin Forest Partnership Act of 2004, CARPE had been the primary body ensuring the practical implementation of this piece of legislation

According to the Pulitzer Center, USAID funded one of only two projects specifically dedicated to community forests. Direct grants to communities to support local forest management are also implemented through the Global Environment Facility and the Food and Agriculture Organization, which has sustained relatively equal levels of U.S. funding since the initial cuts due to strong Congressional support.

Devex Researcher Note: According to information cited on Mongabay, the U.S. contributed about $600 million toward environmental protection in the Congo Basin since 1995. Along with broader project disruptions, the end of funding for CARPE has resulted in local project workers losing their jobs and declining income for affected communities.

Source: Pulitzer Center