Representatives of the United States of America,

In recent weeks, the White House and the federal government have engaged in efforts to raise public awareness about the dangers of climate change, while advocating for new federal policies. In a similar span of time, public outrage over the killing of Cecil the Lion garnered widespread attention, dominating headlines for weeks and spurring UK Ambassador Peter Wilson to speak to the UN General Assembly in late July regarding the illegal trafficking of wildlife.

On August 19, 2015, an international team of scientists published a study concluding that the Sumatran rhinoceros is now extinct in Malaysia. Its survival as a species depends upon the fewer than 100 individuals remaining in Indonesia.

With the President calling attention to the strategic, economic, and moral dimensions of environmental issues like climate change, the international community demonstrating ardent concern for wildlife, and scientists declaring that only quick action will save the Sumatran rhino and other critically endangered species, there has never been a more appropriate time to discuss this important conservation issue.

 

I. Purpose

The purpose of this message is to call on you, a representative of the interests of United States citizens, to support policies that will affirm our national commitment to the protection of critically endangered wildlife. In particular, we urge you to support and produce policy that will increase America’s contribution to wildlife conservation efforts in Indonesia and the Southeast Pacific, particularly efforts that will protect the critically endangered Sumatran rhinoceros.

 

II. Recommendations

Many Americans are frustrated by the perception that they cannot make a difference in conservation, especially at the international level. Opponents of conservation use these frustrations to discourage elected officials from meaningfully supporting conservation causes with clear and urgent status. But recent history contradicts cynicism. In 2014, the U.S. negotiated a deal to reduce debt payments owed by Indonesia in exchange for a $12.7 million commitment toward the conservation of critically endangered species in Indonesia. The deal, part of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act’s “debt for nature” strategy, clearly demonstrates that Congress and diplomatic officials have the power to directly support and advocate for the protection of treasured species, such as the Sumatran rhinoceros.  

Here are seven clear ways that the U.S. could increase its support for the Sumatran rhino and other species, through legislation and diplomatic action:

·             Craft and pass a bill offering greater debt relief to Indonesia in exchange for protection of more tropical forest acreage.

·             Appropriate more money to the Multinational Species Conservation Fund, which seeks to protect rhinos along with a handful of other species.

·             Strengthen bureaucratic cooperation with groups aiming to protect the Sumatran rhino, such as the Cincinnati Zoo.

·             Pressure U.S. Fish & Wildlife to approve the export of the last rhino kept in captivity in the U.S. (at the Cincinnati Zoo) to Indonesia.

·             Partner with the Indonesian government to increase funding for anti-poaching efforts.

·             Negotiate further financial incentives (i.e. beyond debt relief) for Indonesia to preserve forests.

·             Strengthen U.S. diplomatic ties to Indonesia and partner with the Indonesian government on bilateral conservation efforts.

 

III. Conservation Issues

The Sumatran rhinoceros is a topical example of a species whose future existence is dependent on the actions of governments. A recent article in Newsweek draws attention to what scientists and conservationists have known for years: our current efforts—including the 2014 deal—are not enough to save this species. Most experts agree that there are fewer than 100 individual Sumatran rhinos left in the wild. U.S. groups like the Cincinnati Zoo are attempting to save the relocate the last captive breeding individual to the Indonesian wild, but they face bureaucratic and financial hurdles in their efforts. 

Habitat destruction also prevents the species from reproducing: ranges that are separated by infrastructure and development potentially leave breeding individuals isolated in perpetuity.  Meanwhile, current anti-poaching efforts have not satisfactorily combated trade in illegal rhino horns. The massive decline in the wild rhino population illustrates this.

Alarmingly, the study reported in Newsweek confirms that the species is now extinct in Malaysia. This tragedy is an international failure, but it also sounds an alarm. There is no time to delay, and action in Indonesia needs to be backed up by commitment to protecting the Sumatran rhino internationally.

Malaysia is a member of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which—according to the White House’s website—promises “establishment of a means for the public to raise concerns directly with TPP governments if they believe a TPP member is not meeting its environmental commitments, and requirements that governments consider and respond to those concerns.” This message is intended as just such a means of raising concerns, and it is the responsibility of public officials to follow through with the promise above, ensuring that it is read and considered.

What affects Indonesia will affect neighboring nations. This new partnership, if it is realized in the coming months, carries with it a responsibility to coordinate internationally on issues like conservation. Other Pacific nations may be willing to contribute to efforts to protect the region’s important wildlife if the U.S. steps up to lead the initiative.

 

IV. Public Interest

You may ask why citizens or public servants in the U.S. should care about protecting foreign endangered species. The answer is simple: Americans already do care. It has long been acknowledged that wildlife is a cultural treasure worthy of protection. The Endangered Species Act, the National Parks system, and the Tropical Forest Protection Act are all examples of American leadership in conservation. The reintroduction of the gray wolf in the Northern Rockies, though not without its critics, proved that some species are able to resurge.

Theodore Roosevelt said, “While my interest in natural history has added very little to my sum of achievement, it has added immeasurably to my sum of enjoyment in life.” Roosevelt’s words are not simply about ecotourism, bird watching, or other forms of “enjoyment.” They are indicative of the American spirit. Being an American has always been about more than pursuing one’s own self-interest. Americans feel a responsibility to preserve and extend our values across the world. The American sense of shared responsibility is why we engage in international aid, use military force to promote democracy, and ally ourselves with other free nations.

This principle also extends to wildlife. Roosevelt’s statement about natural history adding to “enjoyment in life” is symbolic of the belief that certain prized cultural items should be preserved for future generations. This is why outrage over the shooting of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe was widely felt in American public discourse, and led lawmakers to draft a bill banning trophy hunting shipments. American citizens care about iconic species, even ones outside the U.S.

Protecting wildlife does not mean prizing animal lives over human ones. It represents the belief that nature—like a public space, war memorial, or work of art—belongs to everyone and all generations. Wildlife is a part of the world’s heritage, a heritage that should be safeguarded by all civilized nations.

Protecting this species will not come up during the presidential debates. Critics of international conservation will say that this effort is uncalled for, a niche concern for a little-known species.

But the truth is that these are actually reasons for government action. The amount of funding that would make a significant difference in conservation efforts—say, as a generous conjecture, 50 million dollars of debt relief targeted at Indonesian rainforests—is insignificant in comparison with the U.S. national debt, the defense budget, or health care costs.  

There are also concrete benefits. A commitment to our partners’ natural resources is a commitment to our partners. Working to protect the Sumatran rhino would strengthen cultural, political, and commercial ties with Indonesia. Domestically, there is little political risk or potential for unintended consequences in taking action to protect endangered species. This is an uncomplicated, apolitical issue.

We urge you to consider the contents of this message, and to act according to the suggestions it puts forth. A comeback by the Sumatran rhino would be a remarkable conservation success story, and the public officials responsible for assisting this comeback will be remembered for generations to come.

 

Sincerely,

Concerned citizens: