Tell Congress: Support the US Foundation for International Conservation Act
We are currently facing unprecedented and urgent threats to nature. We will need to mobilize significant new resources to address the alarming scale of species and habitat loss – from governments, from civil society, and from the private sector.
Ask your Member of Congress to support the US Foundation for International Conservation Act, which would increase funding to strengthen global conservation efforts.
This action is only open to US residents. We encourage you to personalize your message on the next page, and let your representative know why strengthening global conservation efforts is important to you.
Dear Representative/Senator,
As your constituent, I ask you to cosponsor the bipartisan US Foundation for International Conservation Act (S.618/H.R.6727) and support its passage into law this Congress.
The loss of nature in the developing world is a threat to both wildlife and people. Species populations have declined globally at a staggering rate of 69% on average since 1970. The illegal trafficking and poor management of natural resources in the developing world contributes to food and water insecurity and undermines local livelihoods and regional stability. Congress has a chance to pass bipartisan legislation that would help address these problems by mobilizing additional resources to complement the ongoing work of USAID and other federal agencies to protect wildlife and wild places worldwide.
Helping US dollars go farther: The US Foundation for International Conservation Act would establish a new Foundation to support public-private partnerships that protect nature and would authorize up to $100 million per year in US government funding for eligible projects in partnership with private sector donors, conservation organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities. Every federal dollar invested by the proposed US Foundation for International Conservation would be matched by two more in private sector funding. The Foundation would help US government investments in global conservation increase their leveraging power to bring significant additional funding to the table.
Recognizing natural security is good for national security: There's a national security imperative for the US to promote regional stability in the developing world. Countries where we have strategic interests in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are often places that are home to some of the world’s richest and most diverse ecosystems. These natural resources are the lifeblood of both local communities and national economies. By investing in conservation, the US is not only protecting nature and local livelihoods; it is also promoting regional food and water security, preventing scarcities and social instability that can result in conflict, and ensuring sustainable and reliable supply chains for US companies.
Investing in conservation that is built to last: For projects to qualify for support from the new Foundation, they would need to demonstrate an ability to provide transparent and effective long-term management of protected or conserved areas over at least 10 years. Projects approved by the Foundation would need to show how they will protect nature and biological diversity and promote economic growth and benefits for local communities.
Please cosponsor the US Foundation for International Conservation Act (S.618/H.R.6727) and support its passage by Congress before the end of this year.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
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