Senators Coons, Curtis lead bipartisan group of colleagues to reauthorize conservation legislation protecting tropical forests and coral reef ecosystems

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), co-chair of the International Conservation Caucus, and John Curtis (R-Utah) today introduced the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Reauthorization Act of 2026.

This legislation reauthorizes the debt-for-nature swap program that allows developing countries that meet certain criteria to be relieved of debt owed to the United States in exchange for protecting and preserving tropical forests and coral reefs. The Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation act was first passed in 1998 and most recently was authorized at $20 million per year for FY 2028 through FY 2032. Since its inception, this program has helped protect more than 67 million acres of tropical forests, which has not only preserved native wildlife and ecosystems, but has also helped protect the environment by sequestering over 50 million metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is the equivalent of taking more than 11 million cars off the road.

"From tropical rainforests to coral reefs, our global ecosystems sustain irreplaceable plants and wildlife while regulating our climate," said Senator Coons. "The Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation program has succeeded in saving millions of acres of those precious natural spaces, giving local communities control of their own futures while keeping our air and water cleaner and our futures brighter. I look forward to working with my colleagues here in the Senate to deliver this bill to the president's desk."

"Ecosystems like coral reefs and tropical forests are essential for the health of wildlife and the sustainability of our planet," said Senator Curtis. "By partnering with developing nations on efforts to protect these habitats, our bipartisan legislation will help sustain biodiversity, uplift local economies, and strengthen global security against coercive economic influences."

In addition to Senators Coons and Curtis, the legislation is also cosponsored by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

"The introduction of legislation to reauthorize the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act is an important step toward unlocking innovative financing for the world's most vulnerable tropical forests and coral reef ecosystems," said Kerry Cesareo, senior vice president for forests and freshwater at World Wildlife Fund. "By strengthening this proven approach, we can help nations reduce debt burdens while investing in the natural systems that protect communities, support biodiversity, and promote our prosperity. We welcome this bipartisan commitment to solutions that deliver lasting environmental and economic benefits."

"Senators Coons and Curtis are applauded for their leadership in introducing legislation in the U.S. Senate to renew the Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Reauthorization Act," said Kelly Keenan Aylward, Executive Director of Federal Affairs & Policy for the Wildlife Conservation Society. "This innovative policy converts eligible debt into long-term financing for on-the-ground conservation helping to protect intact forest and coral reefs while strengthening governance in the natural resource sector."

"Thanks to the leadership of then-Representative Rob Portman, and to the support of the International Conservation Caucus Co-Chairs in the Senate & House for the past 20 years, the Tropical Forest Conservation Act (now the Tropical Forest & Coral Conservation Act) is responsible for conserving 126,000,000 acres globally," said David Barron, ICCF Group Chairman. "Debt-for-nature swaps are the best investment America could make in setting aside land for local people and their economies."

"The Tropical Forest and Coral Reef Conservation Act has helped conserve vital forests and coral reefs that have both local and global significance," said The Nature Conservancy's Senior Director of Legislative Affairs Tom Cors. "The law additionally paved the way for innovative conservation funding, leveraging public funding with private and philanthropic investment to help advance U.S. foreign policy interests globally. The Nature Conservancy is grateful to Senator Coons and Senator Curtis for their bipartisan leadership in introducing this important reauthorization."

Read the one-pager here.

Read the full bill text here.