The annual National Defense Authorization Act that has now passed in the House and Senate includes three bipartisan measures that will benefit conservation: the Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver Reauthorization (WILD) Act, the U.S. Foundation for International Conservation Act, and a provision to make additional resources available to help stop illicit maritime activities, including illegal fishing.
The WILD Act, championed by Reps. Bruce Westerman (R-AR), Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) and Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) and Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), renews two U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service programs: the Multinational Species Conservation Funds, which help protect elephants, rhinos, tigers, great apes, and sea turtles in the wild; and the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, which supports efforts by landowners, tribes, and other local stakeholders to improve wildlife habitat on their lands.
The U.S. Foundation for International Conservation Act, sponsored by Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), as well as Reps. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Rep. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio), and Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.) , unlocks new resources for global conservation by creating a congressionally chartered foundation that will leverage US government funds to draw a 2:1 match of additional investments from private and philanthropic entities.
In response, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) issued the following statement from Alejandro Pérez, senior vice president of policy and government affairs:
"Natural security is national security. By investing in international conservation and stopping the illegal trafficking of wildlife, fish, and other natural resources, the U.S. is helping combat organized crime, promote regional food and water security, and prevent scarcities that disrupt social stability and sustainable supply chains.
"Supported by Congress for over three decades, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds have been core to U.S. global leadership on conservation by helping protect endangered wildlife and playing an important role in efforts to prevent illegal trafficking.
"By leveraging federal funds to bring more private sector dollars to the table, the creation of a new U.S. Foundation for International Conservation will help ensure conservation efforts in the developing world are built to last. This innovative mechanism will amplify longstanding U.S. investments and provide another tool in the toolbox as we work to halt the loss of nature around the world.
"Finally, allowing the Department of Defense to help build local capacity for stopping illicit maritime activities like illegal fishing will help prevent criminal trafficking on the high seas and protect livelihoods, food security, and American jobs. As all these measures make clear, only by defending nature can we protect the people who depend on it."
