We need you to convince Congress to increase funding for the Marine Turtle Conservation Act (MTCA).  The MTCA directs the U.S. government to fund international conservation projects protecting nesting sea turtles and their habitat, and will help to thwart illegal trade in sea turtle shell, meat and eggs.  It ensures that the successes of ongoing sea turtle conservation efforts in the U.S. are not lost when the animals migrate through other countries.  The MTCA is doing great for turtles… but it could do so much more!

Funds for the MTCA are appropriated each year by Congress.  Funding for sea turtle projects lag behind the money spent to protect other endangered species. With your help, we can begin to bring the MTCA into greater equality with the other older programs for elephants, rhinos, tigers, and great apes.  

TAKE ACTION BY APRIL 1ST!

Contact your Congressional Representative's Washington DC office via the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 or go to https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

SAMPLE LETTER / PHONE CALL:

Dear (insert the name of your Representative here):

I urge you to sign a Dear Colleague letter to the Interior Appropriations Subcommittee in support of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds (MSCF) for this year.  These funds safeguard marine turtles, elephants, tigers, rhinos, great apes, and neo-tropical migratory birds from extinction.  A letter of support for these programs is being circulated by Representatives George Miller, Don Young, Madeleine Bordallo and Henry Brown.  

These funds have an excellent record of success, despite continuing threats from disease, poverty, insurgency, and natural disasters.  I urge you to request $2.75 Million each for the Marine Turtle Fund, Asian Elephant Fund, African Elephant Fund, and the Great Apes Fund; $4 Million for the combined Rhino-Tiger Fund; $6.5 Million for the Neo-tropical Migratory Bird Fund; and $4 Million for the Wildlife Without Border Program.

The Marine Turtle Conservation Fund especially needs more support, as grant requests have far outstripped the resources of this newest program.  Over the last five years only about a quarter of the marine turtle applications have been funded.  The grants which have been made to date have protected thousands of vulnerable turtles.

The deadline for signatures is April 1, 2009. Signatures are being collected by Ben Miller (202-225-2095) on Congressman George Miller's staff.

Sincerely,

Add (Your name and address)