John,

Imperiled wood turtles depend on healthy floodplains and wetlands—and so do communities faced with the fast-approaching flood season. These vital habitats mitigate the impact of devastating floods by naturally absorbing excess rainfall.

Tell the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support investments in natural solutions that can save the lives of people and wildlife.

TAKE ACTION FOR WOOD TURTLES

As floodplains and creeks are polluted and destroyed for development, wood turtles need us to stand up for their habitat. Investing in restoration of naturally-occurring landscapes like the wood turtle’s home is a vital step in recovering this cherished species—and one that protects human communities, too.

From floodplains to marshes to forests, our natural environment can oftentimes better protect people from flooding than built infrastructure like levees. When FEMA collected stakeholder input last year to inform development of its new mitigation program, a significant number of the comments submitted wrote in support of prioritizing natural infrastructure. Despite this, FEMA’s proposed program guidelines do not even mention natural solutions for resilience. Natural solutions may be left out of a new disaster preparedness grant program if the agency doesn’t hear from you today.

We have an opportunity to ensure natural solutions that protect wildlife like wood turtles are a priority in disaster preparedness efforts. Doing so could create the dual benefits of protecting habitat while also saving taxpayer dollars—for every $1 we invest in mitigation measures, we could save $6 in post-disaster recovery.

Please speak out now, we are counting on your voice for wildlife-friendly disaster protection.