Sponsored by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX), H.R. 6727 would establish the United States Foundation for International Conservation to promote long-term management of protected and conserved areas.
Tuesday, December 13, 2023 in Washington, D.C. - On Monday, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul (R-TX), introduced H.R. 6727, the United States Foundation for International Conservation Act of 2023. Original cosponsors of the bill include Ranking Member Gregory Meeks and International Conservation Caucus Co-Chairs Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH), Betty McCollum (D-MN), and Henry Cuellar (D-TX). Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) and Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) had introduced the bill in the Senate in March 2023, along with Senators John Boozman (R-AR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Thom Tillis (R-NC), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
The bipartisan measure is to establish and authorize funds for a charitable nonprofit, independent of the United States government, to carry out activities to:
- identify and support implementation-ready projects that would promote the long-term management of protected and conserved areas in developing countries;
- increase private-sector investment in international conservation and collaborate with partners;
- and coordinate with eligible foreign governments, local communities, Indigenous Peoples, and other stakeholders to ensure positive outcomes.
This new public-private partnership would aim to mobilize significant new funding from both public and private sources to help solidify the type of long-term funding and resources required for the effective management of protected and conserved areas while leveraging the strengths of both sectors.
A long list of CEOs and philanthropists have already committed to partnering with the USFIC, including:
- Simon Chaplin, CEO, Arcadia Fund
- Andrew Steer, President & CEO, Bezos Earth Fund
- Wendy J. Paulson, Chairman, Bobolink Foundation
- Laurene Powell Jobs, Founder and President, Emerson Collective
- Harvey V. Fineberg, President, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
- Molly Bartlett, Executive Director, International Conservation Fund of Canada
- Peter Seligmann, CEO, Nia Tero
- James Deutsch, CEO, Rainforest Trust
- Wes Sechrest, CEO and Chair, Re:wild
- Rob Walton, Founder, Rob Walton Foundation
- Molly McUsic, President, The Wyss Foundation
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