Press Releases

Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA), co-chair of the Congressional Endangered Species Caucus, today introduced a resolution in support of Dr. E.O. Wilson’s Half-Earth vision to protect fifty percent of our lands and waters to better support America’s biodiversity and promote a sustainable Earth.  

“As an avid hiker and climber, I recognize the innate value of connecting to, accessing, and protecting our natural world. We need to be intentional about protecting these special spaces for our future generations so they too can have parks, bees, and wildflowers.” said Rep. Don Beyer. “I’m a strong believer in E.O. Wilson's life's work to protect our planet's biodiversity and believe it’s important for Congress to commit to his vision in order to have a functional planet for future generations.”

“We are very grateful to Congressman Beyer for his continued support of the Half-Earth resolution,” said Paula J. Ehrlich, CEO and President of the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation and co-founder of the Half-Earth Project. “Biodiversity holds the world steady. E.O. Wilson envisioned the goal of Half-Earth – protecting half and land and sea – as a hopeful solution for our planet. The Half-Earth resolution provides an extraordinary opportunity to address the extinction crisis and reimagine how we care for the web of life.”

“To save and recover wildlife, we need to protect the wild places they call home,” said Susan Holmes, Executive Director of the Endangered Species Coalition. “Congressman Beyer's Half-Earth resolution shows a commitment to reversing biodiversity loss and keeping our planet healthy for future generations. When we protect nature, we're also protecting our shared home.”

“Defenders of Wildlife is proud to endorse Rep. Beyer's resolution to protect and conserve the lands and waters that are home to America's unique wildlife,” said Lindsay Rosa, Vice President of Conservation Research and Innovation at Defenders of Wildlife. “Habitat destruction is among the most pressing dangers to our nation's imperiled species and to the benefits that nature provides us all. With more than one million species at risk of extinction, we must act now to address the severity of this crisis.” 

The resolution is endorsed by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, the Endangered Species Coalition, and Defenders of Wildlife.

Full text of the resolution is available here.