Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act (S.231), clearing the way for it to be signed into law and requiring the U.S. Postal Service to resume sales of the Save Vanishing Species Stamp – also known as the Tiger Stamp for the image it bears – for at least another four years. The Senate had unanimously passed the bill on July 31st.
The stamp functions as a regular postal mail stamp that sells at a small premium, the additional money going to fund conservation efforts of some of the world’s most at risk species.
“I congratulate Congress for passing this reauthorization bill,” said Service Director Dan Ashe. “In particular, I would like to applaud the leadership of Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tom Udall (D-NM) and Representatives Michael Grimm (R-NY), Jose Serrano (D-NY) and Ander Crenshaw (R-FL). Funds from the sale of the Save Vanishing Species stamp are vital to saving some of our fastest disappearing and most treasured species, such as elephants, rhinos, tigers, marine turtles and great apes. These funds are also empowering and equipping people in local communities to help conserve key habitats and form innovative partnerships for conservation worldwide.”
The tiger stamp has already generated more than $2.5 million dollars for international conservation from the sale of 25.5 million stamps, leveraging an additional $3.6 million in matching funds for forty seven projects in 31 countries. Examples of projects include:
- In the Democratic Republic of Congo, funding is enabling the training and deployment of a team of five bloodhounds and handlers in Virunga National Park. These teams are specifically trained to track poachers, and have already been successful in locating poachers and black-market ivory.
- In Vietnam, funding is reducing the demand for tiger products by strengthening efforts by law enforcement agencies to combat illegal trade.
- In Costa Rica, funding is supporting efforts to conserve leatherback marine turtles by conducting nest surveys and nest protection activities at Playa Langosta.
- In Indonesia, grant funding is reducing human-elephant conflict by promoting a conflict hotline to report incidents, which will help local police departments track the illegal killing of elephants.
- In Cameroon and Nigeria, funding is supporting increased patrols, camera trapping and completion of a conservation action plan to ensure the survival of the critically endangered Cross River gorilla, which is the most endangered subspecies of gorilla on Earth.
- In Russia, grant funding is enhancing anti-poaching efforts of the Amur tiger by developing and implementing a camera trap surveillance system to help monitor and combat poaching in critical tiger habitat. The surveillance system will allow monitoring of human behavior and illegal activity, and record any suspicious activity.
The Save Vanishing Species stamp will be available in U.S. post offices and at USPS.com. To learn more about the Wildlife Without Borders Multinational Species Conservation Funds and the Save Vanishing Species stamp, visit: www.tigerstamp.com.
