LETTER

Former US Members of Congress Voice Bipartisan Support of 30x30

October 21, 2019

Ms. Cristiana Paşca Palmer
Executive Secretary Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity
World Trade Centre
413 St. Jacques Street, Suite 800
Montreal, Quebec H2Y 1N9 Canada

Dear Executive Secretary Palmer,

We are writing as former members of the United States Congress. Although the United States of America is not a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity, we are happy to note that individuals, organizations, businesses, and subgovernments within our country remain engaged and committed to supporting bold targets to help safeguard biodiversity around the world and are helping mobilize financial resources to meet those ambitious goals.

We do not believe that this issue - the crisis facing biodiversity and the profound need to do something about it - is partisan. What is at stake is the health of the natural world and, as such, the very foundation on which our communities, our cultures, and our livelihoods depend. As a group of Democrats and Republicans, we hope to underscore the need for bipartisan action - both domestically and internationally - to confront this escalating challenge.

A recent global assessment of the state of the planet’s biodiversity found that global wildlife populations have declined dramatically and that up to one million species are currently on the path to extinction. Importantly, scientists did not simply outline the problem. They also underscored some of the critical and transformative actions necessary to protect wildlife, safeguard our food sources and clean water, and stabilize our climate.

One action that scientists have recommended is increasing the amount of land and ocean protected around the world to at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030. This represents roughly twice as much land and four times as much ocean as is currently protected. Scientists note that new protections should focus on the most biologically important and representative areas, that sufficient financial resources must be generated to ensure that these protections are effectively managed and enforced, and that a range of management frameworks - including Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas - are utilized in order to provide flexibility and support for local communities.

We enthusiastically endorse this global goal of protecting at least 30 percent of the planet by 2030. We understand this target to be a global goal and not one that every country will be expected to meet. That said, we do hope that all countries, the United States of America included, redouble their efforts to advance significantly more land and marine conservation within their own borders.

Ultimately, there is still time to safeguard nature around the world, but it will require leadership, bipartisanship, and a commitment from all countries around the world to work in support of a common cause. Thank you for considering our views.

Sincerely,

Russ Feingold
US Senator
Wisconsin
1993-2011
Honorary Ambassador-Campaign for Nature