One hundred years ago, Americans across the eastern United States could have looked up into the sky and seen it filled with passenger pigeons. Their flocks numbered in the billions and could turn day into night. Now they are extinct, the victim of overhunting and habitat destruction. The loss of this species is one of the greatest examples of what can happen if we are not committed to conserving our wildlife. We must learn from their example, and work to ensure that species such as the African elephant, the white rhino, and marine turtle do not join them.
This week, Congress took a small step toward protecting our endangered species and preventing further extinctions with the passage of my legislation, The Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2013. Since 2011, a simple semipostal stamp with an Amur tiger cub on the front has raised over $2.5 million dollars to protect elephants, rhinos, tigers, great apes and marine turtles, at no cost to the tax payer. Unfortunately, authorization for sale of the stamps ended last year and they were taken off the shelf on December 31, 2013, leaving 74 million unsold semipostal stamps that were slated for destruction. Now, because of our bipartisan efforts, reauthorization of that legislation is on its way to the President. Once he signs it, the stamp will go back on sale.
And not a moment too soon. These animals are vanishing at an alarming rate. Recent studies have reported that over 100,000 elephants have disappeared over the past three years, and their deaths are not just upsetting, they are affecting our national security. I have written before about how the illegal ivory trade funds terrorism, and it is important we keep this discussion, and our efforts, moving forward. If we falter, we risk standing by as more animals disappear forever, just like the passenger pigeon.
Last week, I spoke at a ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the extinction of the passenger pigeon. The last living member of this once famous but now mostly unknown species holds powerful weight and significance for conservation groups. She also has an Ohio connection. Named Martha after America’s first First Lady, she passed away in the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914. She’s currently on display in the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, and she serves as a lasting example of what happens if we abandon efforts to stop poaching, fail to prevent habitat destruction, and neglect to shine a spotlight on tragedies like the rapidly disappearing African elephant.
Together we can avoid that kind of complacency. A small victory like the semipostal stamp reauthorization is just one step, but it’s a sign that we can come together to protect these natural wonders for this generation and the next.
Rob Portman is a United States Senator from Ohio.