The Florida panther is struggling to avoid extinction/NPS

Nearly 200 countries have developed various forms of biodiversity strategies, but the United States is not one of them, according to a coalition of conservation groups that wants the Biden administration to create a national biodiversity strategy in a bid to slow the sixth mass extinction.

Worldwide, 1 million species are threatened with extinction, according to Defenders of Wildlife, Earthjustice, World Wildlife Fund, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Natural Resources Defense Council. Against that threat, the United States must adopt an effective, whole-of-government approach to prevent the loss of species, "the collapse of ecosystems, and the increasing threats these pose to our health, security and well-being," the groups said in a joint release. 

The United States lacks a comprehensive and coordinated approach to tackling the five main drivers of the biodiversity crisis: habitat loss, direct exploitation of species, climate change, pollution, and invasive species, the groups said in urging the Biden administration to establish a national biodiversity strategy.

There is support for such an initiative, as 120 environmental organizations, leading scientists, and university students across the country back its creation, the organizations said. The movement is also gaining significant support in Congress, led by Rep. Joe Neguse, a Colorado Democrat, and in several state legislatures, including in New Mexico, where a resolution calling for a national strategy sponsored by Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart is advancing.

“We are at a pivotal moment in history. As human activity continues to threaten the health and well-being of our planet’s wildlife and biodiversity, it is with the utmost urgency that the United States must take this opportunity to be a world leader in conservation and climate action,” said Rep. Neguse, chair of the U.S. Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. “Establishing a whole-of-government approach will help to preserve our environment not only for ourselves, but for all generations to come.”

“New Mexico has the fourth-highest native species richness of any state. We are proud to lead the way to support a national biodiversity strategy,” said New Mexico Senate President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart. “We must do everything we can to protect our vital biodiversity now and for future generations.”

Building on the momentum of Rep. Neguse’s proposal for a national biodiversity strategy detailed in H.Res. 69, which currently has 39 cosponsors, Rep. Neguse and 49 cosigners brought the issue directly to the White House this week with a letter highlighting the urgent need to combat the extinction crisis.  

“Biodiversity is the foundation our planet is built on. We all depend on nature and the richness of species within it,” said Jamie Rappaport Clark, president and CEO of Defenders of Wildlife. “If the extinction crisis continues unabated, our nation will lose our unique landscapes, wildlife and biodiversity forever. It is imperative for President Biden to establish a national biodiversity strategy before it’s too late.”  

“Simply put, biodiversity functions as a critical life support system across the entirety of our shared planet,” said Azzedine Downes, CEO of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. “It is as fundamental and foundational to all natural systems that support human health and livelihoods. Addressing the biodiversity crisis is essential to protecting against future pandemics as well as to meeting our urgent goals related to climate change. A robust future where both humans, wildlife and the natural environment thrive can only be achieved by elevating biodiversity protection to the highest priority.”

A national biodiversity strategy would address the extinction crisis by requiring more effective and coordinated use of laws and policies to protect biodiversity and reverse its decline, while reasserting the United States’ international leadership in advance of the next meeting of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity. It would help protect and retain highly intact ecosystems, secure and restore ecosystems and their services, promote environmental justice and coordinate local, state, tribal, federal, and private landholder efforts to tackle the biodiversity crisis while also complementing the Biden administration’s other habitat loss and climate change initiatives. 

“The U.S. must take action to address the biodiversity crisis that continues to worsen alongside the climate emergency because our own fate is inextricably linked to the plants and animals with which we share this planet. By showing leadership and establishing a national strategy, President Biden can take concrete steps to prevent extinctions, like restoring and strengthening the Endangered Species Act and investing in species recovery,” said Addie Haughey, legislative director at Earthjustice.

Ginette Hemley, senior vice president for Wildlife Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, pointed out that “In 2020, WWF’s Living Planet report showed that the overall abundance of wildlife populations globally has declined by more than two-thirds in just 50 years. This shocking number reinforces the alarms many scientists have sounded about the dangerous decline of our planet’s biodiversity and the urgent need to reverse this trend. This matters to all of us, because the health of nature underpins our own health and prosperity, as well as our long-term security. The United States has long been a leader in efforts to protect nature globally, but it also needs to lead by example. This is why we believe the Administration should put in place a strategic, whole-of-government approach to conserving America’s rich biodiversity while also taking stronger steps to ensure nature-positive growth and economic development, both at home and abroad.” 

“Biodiversity loss is inextricably linked to the other great crises threatening our planet: climate change and zoonotic pandemics,” said John Calvelli, executive vice president of public affairs for the Wildlife Conservation Society. “Protecting biodiversity is the foundation we must build on to help safeguard our planet’s life support systems now and into the future. We urge the Biden Administration to establish a national biodiversity strategy because life on earth depends on a vibrant, healthy, and biodiverse planet.”

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