Action Alert: Support Coral Reefs in the Refuge System!

Support Coral Reefs in the Refuge System!

You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the directions at the bottom.

Issue

Including refuges in Coral Reef Conservation Act Reauthorization

Background

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) is responsible for managing approximately 3 million acres of coral reef habitat in 13 refuges throughout the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Pacific, making it the agency with the largest holdings of coral reef habitat in the United States.

The 13 national wildlife refuges shield reefs from commercial fishing and other ecosystem-altering activities. Those refuges set aside by President Theodore Roosevelt as part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1909 have been under FWS oversight for nearly a century!

Worldwide, coral reefs are declining rapidly. Coral reefs face numerous stresses: disease, hurricanes, ship groundings, pollution, overfishing, and climate change. Pacific coral reefs support many endemic and threatened or endangered species, such as the Hawaiian monk seal, the most endangered U.S. marine mammal. At Palmyra Atoll NWR, scientists have identified 170 species of coral and 343 species of fish.

The Coral Reef Conservation Act (CRCA) of 2000 was introduced with the purpose of restoring, sustaining, and preserving coral reef ecosystems of the United States. The Act authorizes funding and provides grants for various projects of coral reef conservation. CRCA also allocates money for emergency funding of disasters involving coral reefs.

New legislation introduced by Rep. Richard Pombo (R-CA) would reauthorize the CRCA while also incorporating the Department of the Interior (DOI) into the legislation. This amendment to the original bill will authorize funding for the FWS and other DOI agencies that preserve and protect coral reefs and increase cooperation among federal agencies and departments in coral reef management.

Take action today on behalf of our coral reef refuges by urging your elected officials to support H.R. 5622. Please write an instant letter to your two U.S. Senators and Representative urging them to support Rep. Pombo’s bill to reauthorize the Coral Reef Conservation Act!

For additional information on the National Wildlife Refuge System’s coral reefs see our new Web pages devoted to this amazing treasure!

Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:

Your U.S. Representative
Your U.S. Senator

A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.

Support H.R. 5622 and Coral Reefs in the Refuge System

Dear Representative,
I stand with the National Wildlife Refuge Association in urging you to support H.R. 5622, the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. This bill includes funding for the Department of the Interior (DOI) for the first time and authorizes funding in the Act for coral reef management by DOI agencies like the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).

Coral reefs are vital to ocean ecosystems and promote biodiversity. They provide protection for harbors and beaches from heavy waves caused by intense coastal storms. Many organisms, like the threatened Hawaiian green sea turtle and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, rely on coral reefs for food and shelter. The ocean’s biodiversity depends on healthy coral reefs. Unfortunately, many reefs today are declining due to biological and human causes.

The FWS oversees 13 national wildlife refuges in the Pacific, Hawaii and the Caribbean, which protect approximately three million acres of coral reefs and ocean habitat, making it the agency with the largest holdings of coral reef in the United States. Those set aside by President Theodore Roosevelt as part of the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge in 1909 have been under FWS oversight for nearly a century. The 13 national wildlife refuges shield coral reefs from commercial fishing and other ecosystem-altering activities.

Please support H.R. 5622. By supporting this legislation, coral reef ecosystems will be better protected and the biodiversity of the ocean will be preserved.

Sincerely,
Your name and address here

This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.

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