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Support the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act

Act today to help sea turtles!

Endangered and threatened sea turtles strand due to several threats, many of which are caused by human activities. Dozens of aquariums, zoos and other organizations around the country respond to and care for stranded sea turtles. The need for sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation continues to grow, but there is little to no federal support directly available to organizations helping the government fulfill its obligation to these protected species.

The Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act would address this longstanding funding gap. This bipartisan bill would establish a federal grant program to support the organizations that rescue and rehabilitate sea turtles, allowing for more stable and sustainable funding to help ensure more sea turtles recover and return to their ocean home.

Join more than 80 organizations across the country in urging Congress to pass the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act.

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Subject: Please pass the bipartisan Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act

Message:

As your constituent, I’m writing to encourage you to improve investment in sea turtle stranding response and rehabilitation by passing the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act of 2023 (H.R. 2560 / S. 2086). Organizations that make up the Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network face increasing demands to respond to and care for federally protected sea turtles that strand because of a variety of human-related threats. Although maintaining the stranding network is part of every sea turtle recovery plan, federal funding is woefully inadequate as most rescue and rehabilitation institutions voluntarily help fulfill federal mandates and currently operate with little to no direct federal support. In contrast, many of the same institutions also participate in marine mammal stranding networks and are eligible for direct support via the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, which provides funds that help support eligible stranding network participants to respond to and care for federally protected marine mammal species. Costs of care for stranded sea turtles are significant: in one year, just eight facilities collectively spent $5 million to rescue, rehabilitate and release hundreds of sea turtles. Over the past decade, at least 4,000 sea turtles nationwide are reported stranded each year. The level of voluntary contribution to federal efforts to protect animals covered by the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is not sustainable. Sea turtle rescue and rehabilitation facilities are committed to continuing to provide expert care to save sea turtles, but these organizations need to be able to access public support for the important role they play. It is time to invest in a solution that helps maintain the stranding network, as well as the data its institutions contribute to sea turtle recovery and conservation. The Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act will authorize direct support to institutions and organizations around the country that rescue and rehabilitate threatened and endangered sea turtles. Grant funding will also support additional data collection necessary for ongoing sea turtle conservation research. This bipartisan bill is modeled after the successful Prescott grant program and is supported by organizations across the country. I urge you to pass the Sea Turtle Rescue Assistance Act.

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