As your constituent, I'm writing to thank you for Congress's support of international conservation, pandemic prevention and COVID-19 economic response in the FY2021 funding package, including for the USAID Biodiversity Program, programs at the Department of State and USAID to combat wildlife trafficking, the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the Multinational Species Conservation Fund (MSCF), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service International Affairs program and Office of Law Enforcement, and included the Shuttered Venue Grant Program (SVGP) in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.

The nation’s cultural institutions--including museums, zoos, and aquariums, have struggled during the pandemic, losing an estimated $33 million a day due to partial or full closures of facilities. Nonprofit organizations operate on thin margins of financial sustainability, without large designated operational reserve funds, and are often largely dependent on earned revenue from people visiting in-person. The bill passed in December included the SVGP, which contained $15 billion in relief for these institutions, performing arts venues, and many other entities that either were not able to access the PPP or can demonstrate the need for additional relief. We are grateful for the inclusion of the SVGP in the final package.

U.S. government international conservation programs provide critical resources to tackle the biodiversity, pandemic and climate crises. These programs also conserve vulnerable species in the wild, strengthen ecological integrity, support prevention of pandemics of zoonotic origins, halt land conversion contributing to climate change, and protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples.

As Congress begins to work on FY2022 appropriations legislation, I urge you to support continued funding for these vital programs to support the conservation mission of zoos and aquariums, including international conservation, pandemic prevention and climate programs globally. Thank you for your consideration.