The US Foundation for International Conservation Act (USFICA) will create a public-private partnership to save wildlife and wild places around the world. What that means is government funds will leverage private support, making those public dollars go much farther. And those monies would go directly to protected areas and parks management on the ground.

We thank the members—who led efforts on the Hill to secure passage of USFICA—including Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.); and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and Ranking Member Rep. Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY). We also thank our many partners and the thousands who expressed support for the legislation through a WCS campaign. It is estimated that USFICA will help generate $2 billion over ten years to support protected areas and communities

Well-managed protected areas provide employment, health and education services to a significant number of households in the local communities—which in turn, promotes global security. As the largest global conservation organization working on the ground in more than 50 countries, we know first-hand the power that public-private partnerships play in supporting people and nature.

What’s most critical for climate change mitigation is to ensure that the vast amounts carbon stored in peat stay there. Already, roughly 15% of peatlands globally have been drained, and another 5-10% have been degraded. We must protect what remains. It’s much cheaper to protect these high-integrity peatlands than it is to restore degraded ones