National Strategy to Protect our Nation’s Biodiversity Reintroduced to New Congress

As a result of human-related activities, the loss of species is accelerating faster than ever before in human history according to scientists. While there are federal agencies directly tasked with protecting and conserving our nation’s biodiversity, an important piece of this puzzle is missing ‒ a national strategy.  

To guide and mobilize a coordinated response to truly address the biodiversity crisis, today, Rep. Neguse (D-Colo.), along with Reps. Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and Huffman (D-CA),   re-introduced a resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives calling for a national biodiversity strategy. This resolution has been endorsed by a number of scientists and national environmental organizations. 

“With a new administration comes renewed hope of establishing a National Biodiversity Strategy,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, Former president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. “By establishing a National Biodiversity Strategy, needed now more than ever, we can focus our commitment to addressing wildlife and habitat loss and tackling species extinction. Defenders of Wildlife thanks Rep. Neguse for his leadership on this issue and urges Congress to adopt this legislation.” 

In May 2021, 196 nations that belong to the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity are meeting to set new goals and targets for preserving global biodiversity. In alignment with and complementary to the international community and yesterday's announcements by the Biden administration on climate policy, a component of a National Biodiversity Strategy is to affirm a goal to protect at least 30% of our nation’s lands and waters by 2030 as part of actions to comprehensively address the major drivers of the biodiversity crisis.

“Biodiversity decline is the proverbial canary in the coal mine, a symbol of what we are doing to the Earth,” said  Clark. “What befalls the Earth ultimately will come back to haunt us. There are many reasons to be alarmed about the loss of biodiversity, not the least of which is its ultimate impact on people. In addition to their intrinsic value, threatened and endangered species provide tangible services and benefits to us all, playing important roles in providing communities with clean water, food, medicines and more. The value of Earth’s biodiversity is, quite literally, incalculable.”