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WASHINGTON, August 2, 2010 – The U.S. Senate on Friday passed a bipartisan bill that would establish a new postage stamp, the proceeds of which would fund species conservation efforts.  World Wildlife Fund first proposed such a stamp in 2000 and creation of the program has been a priority for WWF for the past 10 years.

The bill, H.R. 1454, the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act, would direct the U.S. Postal Service to offer a premium-priced stamp above the standard first-class rate and dedicate the additional revenue raised to wildlife conservation projects. It would not affect the cost of a regular first-class stamp.

H.R. 1454 cleared the Senate on Friday by voice vote.  An earlier version passed the House in December 2009 with strong bipartisan support and with more than a third of the House signed-on as cosponsors.  The bill, which was amended by the Senate, must now go back to the House and is expected to be voted on again this fall and sent to the President to be signed into law.

“This legislation will give people the opportunity to not only demonstrate their commitment to wildlife conservation, but also take meaningful action by financially supporting on-the-ground efforts to protect tigers, elephants, rhinos and many other threatened and endangered species,” said Ginette Hemley, WWF’s senior vice president for Conservation Strategy and Science. 

“At a time when there is much concern about budgets and deficits, this program represents an innovative way to fund critical conservation work without relying on any taxpayer funding.  All of the revenue generated will come from members of the public who choose to support species conservation by purchasing a premium stamp,” said Hemley. An analysis by the Congressional Budget Office found that the bill would pose no cost to taxpayers.

Funds raised by the stamp would be directed to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Multinational Species Conservation Fund, which administers grants to help combat poaching, protect habitats, control diseases and support public education efforts.  The program is credited with helping to significantly improve the status of wildlife, including elephants and rhinos in southern Africa, rhinos in Nepal and tigers in Russia.

“The cause of wildlife conservation is a bipartisan one,” said Hemley. “The consistent support for these programs on both sides of the aisle and the broad consensus that we have seen in both the House and Senate for the passage of the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Act continue to demonstrate that this is an issue where both parties can come together and make good things happen.  WWF would like to thank Representatives Henry Brown (R-SC) and Madeleine Bordallo (D-Guam) and Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC), Sam Brownback (R-KS), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tom Udall (D-NM) for their leadership and support in passing H.R.1454.”