Washington, D.C. – As climate chaos intensifies, threatening more than one million species and creating an unprecedented biodiversity crisis, Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley reintroduced a resolution in the Senate to establish a National Biodiversity Strategy.
“The impacts of climate chaos are only becoming deadlier and more frequent, and we must do all we can to protect the precious biodiversity that keeps our planet strong, balanced, and healthy,” said Merkley. “That means implementing smart, well-coordinated efforts and solutions that work across all levels of government, business, and community leadership to preserve biodiversity for future generations.”
Thriving and healthy ecosystems support the security, health, and well-being of communities around the globe. Wide and diverse ranges of animals, plants, and microorganisms support healthy ecosystems, and without these critical components, life on our planet as we know it cannot function properly. Species biodiversity contributes to pollination for food and flowers, water filtration, soil replenishment, production of medicinal products, and creation of a natural buffer for zoonotic disease.
Currently, there is no overarching coordination between the federal government, state and local governments, Tribes, private landowners, and nongovernmental stakeholders to maximize conservation efforts around the country. Many of these entities are working on their own biodiversity plans, but without a combined national effort, those plans risk being fragmented and siloed. This resolution emphasizes the need to establish a strategy that would encourage federal agencies to identify and pursue a full range of actions within existing laws, encourage consideration of new ones, and establish a new four-year assessment to monitor the progress in addressing the biodiversity crisis.
Joining Merkley in sponsoring this resolution is U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT). The resolution is endorsed by 70 organizations, including Defenders of Wildlife, Sierra Club, Endangered Species Coalition, and Oregon Wild.
“Defenders of Wildlife deeply appreciates Senator Merkley’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the nation’s response to habitat destruction, climate change and other drivers of extinction and biodiversity loss,” said Robert Dewey, vice president of government relations at Defenders of Wildlife. “America needs forward thinking policies to preserve our wildlife, lands and resources for future generations. The National Biodiversity Strategy is an example of science and expert-based policy at a time when many lawmakers are instead focused on reckless and politically motivated legislation.”
“We are facing a biodiversity crisis of unprecedented proportions, which could have disastrous effects on wildlife, ecosystems, and the communities that rely on them,” said Ben Greuel, manager of Sierra Club’s wildlife campaign. “The United States should be an international leader when it comes to taking on this crisis, and that means leading by example. Developing a national biodiversity strategy is essential to that leadership, as is funding global efforts to assist developing countries in achieving their own biodiversity goals. Senator Merkley’s resolution makes it clear that this is a moment for the U.S. to join global efforts, not retreat from them.”
“Thank you, Senator Merkley, for your leadership in championing a National Biodiversity Strategy. This is a pivotal time for wildlife. In North America, we have lost nearly 70 percent of our native mammals since 1970, and scientists estimate that one in four animals is threatened with extinction. It is critical that we have a comprehensive plan to effectively confront the biodiversity crisis and to safeguard the wildlife we love for future generations,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition.
“Though the Endangered Species Act has an impressive 50-year history of keeping native plants and animals from vanishing from our landscapes, we urgently need more tools that prevent species from needing the Act in the first place,” said Danielle Moser, Wildlife Program Manager for Oregon Wild. “Senator Jeff Merkley’s introduction of the National Biodiversity Strategy resolution is a crucial step toward addressing the dire threats facing our wildlife and ecosystems, including here in Oregon.”
Full list of organizations endorsing the resolution can be found by clicking here.
Full text of the resolution can be found by clicking here.
###
English 
Spanish