The squo is bioD adaptation---that definitely solves.

The United States is committed to halting and reversing the loss of biodiversity globally. The global decline of nature represents an existential threat to livelihoods, food systems, and health. As countries meet in Montreal, Canada, at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United States reiterates its support for an ambitious and transformative Global Biodiversity Framework that enables biodiversity to thrive – and with it all life and livelihoods.

The United States is engaged globally and at home to support efforts to conserve, protect, connect, and restore nature, leading to healthy ecosystems, healthy people, and healthy economies. The United States has committed significant financial investment towards the first national conservation goal of conserving at least 30 percent of U.S. lands and waters by 2030, including the America the Beautiful Challenge – a $1 billion public-private partnership that offers a one-stop shop to support ecosystem restoration projects that invest in watershed restoration, resilience, equitable access to nature, workforce development, corridors and connectivity, and collaborative conservation, consistent with the America the Beautiful initiative. This initiative is a decade-long challenge to pursue a locally led and voluntary nationwide effort to conserve, connect, and restore the lands, waters, and wildlife upon which we all depend.

Taking an all-of-government approach, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Department of Transportation are coordinating on a $2 billion partnership for fish passage and culvert removal to promote the healthy functioning of our streams, rivers and aquatic ecosystems.

Internationally, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) supports the conservation of wildlife and critical ecosystems in over 60 countries. In 2021, USAID invested $319.5 million to conserve biodiversity, reduce wildlife trafficking and other nature crimes, and support the resilience of vulnerable and marginalized communities who depend on biodiversity and healthy ecosystems for food, jobs, and security. USAID’s biodiversity conservation activities support objectives within USAID’s new Climate Strategy, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing carbon storage by improving forest conservation and management, conserving coral reefs and mangroves, and driving innovative technologies.

Additional efforts to advance progress towards combating the biodiversity crisis include:

United States Leadership on Mainstreaming and Conserving Nature

Conserving at least 30 percent of U.S. Lands and Waters by 2030: In May 2021, the Biden-Harris Administration launched the America the Beautiful initiative, a decade-long effort to support locally led and voluntary conservation and restoration efforts across the country to tackle the climate and biodiversity crises as well as address inequitable access to nature. The initiative includes the first-ever national conservation goal for the United States to conserve at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030 – a goal President Biden established when he entered office and signed Executive Order 14008 in Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad. Since that time, the United States has expanded administrative and legislative protections for our lands and waters. The United States continues to undertake significant conservation actions that support our national conservation goal, including protecting the Tongass National Forest; withdrawing oil and gas development from the broader Chaco Canyon Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; protecting the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness from mineral development; designating the Connecticut National Estuarine Research reserve; expanding the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary; designating Camp Hale-Continental Divide National Monument; and restoring protections for Bears Ears National Monument, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, and Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.

Conserving Forests and Combatting Global Deforestation: On Earth Day 2022, President Biden signed Executive Order 14072 on Strengthening the Nation’s Forests, Communities and Local Economies, which advances efforts to safeguard mature and old-growth forests on federal lands, as part of a science-based approach to reduce wildfire risk; strengthen reforestation partnerships across the country to support local economies and ensure the nation retains forest ecosystems and sustainable supplies of forest products for years to come; combat global deforestation; and enlist nature to address the climate crisis with comprehensive efforts to deploy nature-based solutions that reduce emissions and build resilience.

Prioritizing Nature-based Solutions: At COP27, the Biden-Harris Administration released the Nature-Based Solutions Roadmap, outlining strategic recommendations to put America on a path that will unlock the full potential of nature-based solutions to address climate change, nature loss, and inequity. This marks the first time the United States has developed an all-of-government strategy to mainstream and scale up nature-based solutions. An accompanying Nature-Based Solutions Resource Guide provides stories of how U.S. federal agencies have already used these solutions and provides technical guidance and tools. The Roadmap spurred additional actions by agencies to ensure recent funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act can support nature-based solutions.

Incorporating Nature into National Economic Statistics and Accounts to Support Decision-making: The United States is developing a to put nature on our nation’s balance sheet – ensuring that the natural resources all Americans enjoy and depend on are accounted for and connected to the economic decisions that affect all American people.

Recognizing and Including Indigenous Knowledge: At the White House Tribal Nations Summit, the Administration released new government-wide guidance and an accompanying implementation memorandum for Federal Agencies on recognizing and including Indigenous Knowledge in Federal research, policy, and decision making, including protections for the knowledge holders.

Knowing Nature with a National Nature Assessment: This periodic assessment of nature will build on the wealth of existing data, scientific evidence, and Indigenous Knowledge to create a holistic picture of America’s lands, waters, wildlife, ecosystems and the benefits they provide to the U.S. economy, health, the climate, environmental justice, and national security. This information will enable us to identify opportunities for nature to help achieve our societal and economic goals. The framing of this first-of-its-kind assessment is currently open for public comment.

Strengthening Action for Nature Deprived Communities: As part of the America the Beautiful initiative, federal agencies signed a “Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Equitable Access to Nature in Nature-Deprived Communities” by strengthening investments in communities who have been locked out of the benefits nature provides and by expanding access to local parks, tree canopy cover, conservation areas, open space and water-based recreation, public gardens, beaches, and waterways. President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act will also supercharge these efforts with more than $12.4 billion in funds that can be accessed by nature-deprived communities to promote equitable access to parks and green and blue spaces.

Conserving Arctic Ecosystems: The 2022 National Strategy for the Arctic Region affirms that rapidly changing environmental conditions and shifting fish and wildlife migration patterns are threatening the region’s endemic ecosystems, the livelihoods and food security of Arctic residents, and the traditional ways of life of the Indigenous Peoples of the Arctic. Comprehensive analyses presented in NOAA’s 2022 Arctic Report Card detail how the Arctic is heating up faster than any other part of the world, with profound impacts on wildlife abundance and migratory patterns, as well as the food security, wellbeing and cultural traditions of Indigenous people. As an Arctic nation, the United States has committed to increased research on marine ecosystems, fisheries, and wildlife, and to conserving and protecting Arctic ecosystems, including through co-production and co-management with Indigenous Peoples. With Executive Order 13754, the U.S. government is working in partnership with Indigenous communities represented through the Bering Intergovernmental Tribal Advisory Council to conserve the region’s ecosystem, including those natural resources that provide important food security to the people of the region.

Supporting Global Conservation Efforts and Combatting Drivers of Biodiversity Loss

The United States is leading efforts to reverse the decline in biodiversity globally by advancing conservation of lands and waters, combating drivers of nature loss, protecting species, and supporting sustainable use, while also enabling healthy and prosperous communities through sustainable development. The 2022 National Security Strategy makes clear that biodiversity loss is a wide-reaching crisis that also impacts governments’ abilities to meet basic human needs and contributes to policy, economic and social instability.

Supporting Species and Ecosystems

Pledging $600 Million to Combat Global Environmental Threats: In April 2022, the United States pledged $600.8 million over the next four years to support the eighth replenishment of the Global Environment Facility (GEF-8). This is the United States’ largest GEF pledge ever. This pledge aligns with continuing U.S. priorities and supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to addressing climate change, conserving global carbon sinks and other critical ecosystems, and restoring the health of our ocean, and addressing biodiversity loss. The United States joined 28 other donors in collectively pledging $5.33 billion to support GEF-8, a 31 percent increase over GEF-7. GEF-8 funding for the Biodiversity Focal Area increased significantly, totaling over $1.9 billion, a 49 percent increase over GEF-7.

Working Bilaterally to Support Biodiversity Conservation: USAID’s international biodiversity programs, received over $319 million during FY 2021, which financed activities in more than 60 countries. USAID allocated approximately 56 percent of these funds to 13 countries and regions, including Indonesia, Colombia, Brazil, and the Central African Regional Program for the Environment. To combat wildlife trafficking, USAID invested over $55 million in FY 2021 funds to support the prevention or reduction of poaching and illegal trade in animals—including illegal fishing of freshwater and marine species. USAID’s comprehensive strategy strengthens law enforcement from parks to ports, reduces consumer demand for illegal wildlife products, and builds international cooperation. USAID invested $43.3 million in great ape conservation, including support for critical habitat for gorillas, chimpanzees, and orangutans. USAID’s funding for biodiversity continues to grow with FY 2022 appropriated biodiversity funding set at $385 million. USAID’s forestry investments and activities promote the conservation and sustainable management of forests are part of the $9 billion pledge and partially supported through biodiversity funds. In FY 2021 these investments of biodiversity and sustainable landscape funds totaled $256.5 million in more than 50 countries, with $249.1 million focused on tropical forests. In addition, more than $32 million in other USAID funding indirectly contributed to biodiversity conservation. For example, funding streams for the protection of natural resources and the environment reduce emissions by combating deforestation and the degradation of woodlands; in addition, such programs manage and protect watersheds, fisheries, and mangrove forests.