Because We Care:
PSO is Involved in Bird Conservation Issues
November 2023
PSO Supports Funding for the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act
By Laura Jackson
Since PSO is a member of the Endangered Species Coalition, we are asked to support various initiatives to protect animals, especially birds and their habitats.
One example is the Migratory Birds of the Americas Conservation Enhancements Act of 2023 (H. R. 4389).
It would reauthorize the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA) at a higher appropriations level, as well as lower the match requirement. This federal grant program is critical for conserving migratory birds across the Americas. 75% of grants through NMBCA go to projects abroad, ensuring that critical wintering habitat is conserved, which helps birds thrive before moving to their breeding ground in the U.S. and elsewhere. The updates proposed by this bill would allow for more diverse projects to be funded, with the net benefit of conserving more birds.
According to American Bird Conservancy, which co-led this initiative with National Audubon Society, over 350 species of migratory songbirds are in perilous decline. Some face a projected 50% loss within the next 50 years without immediate intervention.1 Funding for the NMBCA would continue international conservation efforts started in 2002. Since then, NMBCA has funded 717 projects in 43 countries. It is important to note that this is a cost-effective program; for every $1 invested, $5 has been spent by partners involved in the conservation projects.
PSO signed on to the letter of support in late November 2023, along with over 210 other organizations, which means the Act has broad support across the United States. The letter was sent to the bill’s sponsors, Representatives María Elvira Salazar (R-FL), Rick Larsen (D-WA), Dave Joyce (R-OH), and Mary Peltola (D-AK). Their continued leadership is needed to move the bill forward.
The letter and signatories can be found here:
https://abcbirds.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/NMBCA-organizational-sign-on-letter-2023.pdf
August 2023
Meeting the Challenges of the Biodiversity and Extinction Crisis Over the Next 50 Years
Photo courtesy of Grigory Heaton/iNaturalist CC BY-NC, toned)
Just recently, the PSO Board agreed to join almost 300 other organizations to sign on as a signatory to a letter sent to President Biden regarding the biodiversity crisis. The letter was entitled, “Meeting the Challenges of the Biodiversity and Extinction Crisis Over the Next 50 Years” and spearheaded by the Center for Biological Diversity.
In the letter, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act, “one of the most successful conservation laws ever enacted by any nation.” Although the Act has prevented the extinction of most of the species under its protection, the natural world is now facing an existential crisis of species extinction across the globe. The signers of the letter asked President Biden to:
- Implement a national biodiversity strategy.
- Increase funding and engage a broad spectrum of government agencies to boost recovery of endangered species.
- Develop an Ecosystem-based Framework to rebuild American’s wildlife populations.
Click here to see a copy of the letter that was sent to President Biden.
If you know of a conservation issue that deserves PSO’s attention, please contact Laura Jackson, PSO Conservation Chair at jacksonlaura73@gmail.com.
Since 2019, PSO has been involved in a number of conservation issues, taking diverse actions such as letter writing, emails and phone calls to legislators, and speaking at public hearings.
PSO is also a member of the Endangered Species Coalition and the American Bird Conservancy.
Future articles will keep you updated on PSO’s efforts to protect birds and their habitats.
As you most likely know, since 1970 we have lost nearly three billion birds in North America.
