The FY 2022 annual federal spending bill is still pending in Congress, and millions of dollars for birds are at stake. A stopgap measure was just passed to fund the federal government through February 2022, with a vote on the final bill expected early next year.
Let's use the extra time to speak up for birds — Conservation programs urgently need more funding to prevent future extinctions and reverse bird declines.
Last month, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced that eleven U.S. bird species will soon be declared extinct, but there is still hope for the remaining bird populations protected under the Endangered Species Act.
Federally funded conservation programs get results, helping to save species like the Bald Eagle and California Condor from extinction. These programs also help protect and restore habitat for other beloved species, such as the Costa's Hummingbird.
Help imperiled birds now by asking your Senators and Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick to support increased funding for conservation programs in the Interior Appropriations Bill.
With the loss of nearly three billion birds in the United States and Canada since 1970, we need to do more to conserve bird species and their habitats. I am particularly concerned about the decline of one-third of all U.S. migratory bird species, the increasing threats to Greater Sage-Grouse, and the fate of critically endangered birds in Hawai'i — known as the "bird extinction capital of the world."
In addition to opposing harmful policy changes to the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and other critical environmental laws, I ask that you please prioritize funding for the following areas critical to conserving America's birds during the FY 2022 appropriations process:
- Increase the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act to $7.9 million.
- Increase Migratory Bird Joint Ventures to $25 million.
- Increase State of the Birds funding for critically endangered Hawaiian birds to $10 million.
- Increase funding for invasive species control by $10 million.
- Support endangered species recovery and Greater Sage-Grouse conservation by opposing the one-year ESA listing moratorium. The sage grouse rider erodes the ESA and undermines efforts to conserve the grouse and reverse severe population declines.
Increased funding for these programs and initiatives can help chart a better future for our native birds and their habitats, helping reverse this widespread population loss.
Thank you for considering these requests.
