Legislative Education Center

Over the past two decades the Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF) programs have supported public-private partnerships that conserve wild tigers, elephants, rhinos, great apes, and marine turtles in their native habitats. Through the MSCF programs, the United States supplements the efforts of developing countries that are struggling to balance the needs of their human populations and endemic wildlife. MSCF programs help to sustain wildlife populations, address threats such as illegal poaching, reduce human-wildlife conflict, and protect essential habitat. By working with local communities, they also improve people’s livelihoods, contribute to local and regional stability, and support U.S. security interests in impoverished regions. This program benefits accredited zoos and aquariums in their field conservation efforts and partnerships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

 

Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives to reauthorize the MSCF programs. H.R. 50, the “Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act,” would reauthorize through FY2016 the Elephant Conservation Act, the Rhinoceros and Tiger Conservation Act of 1994, and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act of 1997 while H.R. 1760, the “Great Ape Conservation Reauthorization Amendments Act of 2011,” and H.R. 1761, the “Marine Turtle Conservation Reauthorization Act,” would extend the authorization for each act through FY2017. 

 

We need your help to let Congress know about the importance of the MSCF programs to preserving these species for future generations. Please send a message to your representative urging him or her to cosponsor these important bills. 

 

Thank you for standing up for zoos and aquariums!

 

Representative Darrell Issa (R-CA), chair of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and Senator John McCain (R-AZ) have introduced bills that would make significant changes to existing U.S. Postal Service operations including rate preferences for nonprofit organizations. Section 403 of H.R. 2309 and S. 1625, the “Postal Reform Act of 2011,” would reduce the current discount rate of 40% by 5 percentage points each calendar year after the date of the bill’s enactment until the discount rate drops to 10%.

 

During consideration of H.R. 2309 by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee on October 13, 2011, an amendment was offered which would provide that starting three years after the bill’s enactment the non-profit discount rate would be reduced by 2% a year until it reaches a 20% discount instead of the current 40% discount. The amendment passed by voice vote, which means it was included in the version of the bill that passed the committee by a vote of 22-18.

 

We need your help to let Congress know about the harmful impact that a reduction in the nonprofit discount rate would have on the business operations of accredited zoos and aquariums.

 

Please send a message to your representatives and senators to share with them how increased nonprofit mailing rates would affect your institution.

 

Thank you for standing up for zoos and aquariums!