U.S. Funding for International Conservation and Biodiversity

The United States supports international conservation efforts through foreign assistance programs, diplomatic engagement, and other tools. Members of Congress have supported such efforts on a bipartisan basis and have debated the level, scope, prioritization, and potential unintended consequences of U.S. international conservation activities. International conservation efforts focus on protecting species, restoring habitats, and recovering forests, among other things. Multiple federal departments and agencies administer and implement these initiatives, and Congress appropriates funding for them via several annual appropriations laws. Congress has shaped U.S. policy on international conservation through its authorization and appropriation of foreign assistance in part, as well as through its oversight activities. Congressional interest in international conservation issues stems from a range of factors, including concerns about human-caused threats to global biodiversity; constituent engagement; interest in global biodiversity and protected areas; potential connections between conservation and U.S. national security; and concerns about conservationists’ respect for human rights. Reports of global biodiversity loss, land use degradation, and focus on zoonotic diseases in the context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic have amplified these concerns for some Members. Funding for international conservation issues has steadily increased or has been maintained by Congress over the last several years. The Administration budget request for FY2022 would maintain funding levels in several programs while reducing Biodiversity funding and increasing Sustainable Landscapes Program funding (which addresses deforestation and forest degradation), both under the U.S. Agency for International Development. Congress might consider several issues as it authorizes, appropriates funding for, and continues oversight of U.S. international conservation activities. Members may debate how much foreign assistance, if any, to provide for international conservation programs; the goals and objectives of international conservation programs; interagency coordination of international conservation programs; whether assistance is aligned with host countries’ priorities; and the implications of international conservation spending for human rights and Indigenous peoples.