Please consider signing the attached letter. The letter was submitted to Science magazine by the Native Plant Conservation Campaign and other organizations in response to two recent biodiversity conservation initiatives. These laudable initiatives call for desperately needed increases in funding for biodiversity conservation. However, the initiatives focus on animals; neither ensures that imperiled plants would also benefit from any expanded funding.

 

This is not a new phenomenon. Plants have often been overlooked in biodiversity conservation. For this reason, native plant conservation and gardening organizations, including the Native Plant Conservation Campaign, Plant Conservation Alliance Non-Federal Cooperators Committee, Center for Plant Conservation, Botanic Gardens Conservation International United States, and The Garden Club of America drafted a letter (click here for text) asking that both plant and animal species be explicitly included in biodiversity conservation proposals and initiatives.

 

The letter does not take a position on any piece of legislation or conservation proposal. It simply asks that both imperiled plants and animals benefit from species conservation initiatives.

 

If your organization has not yet signed this letter, please review it and consider using the Google form to add your organization’s name in support of increased funding for conservation of all imperiled species.

 

Thank you,

 

Emily B. Roberson