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The N ture CONSERVATION UPDATE Consemancyo Saving the Last Great Places MEMORANDUM TO : Conservancy Members FROM : W . William Weeks Executive Vice Presiden Am DATE : July 3 , 2000 RE : The Nature Conservancy ' s 2000 Mid -Year Report Because all living things on our beautiful planet are interconnected in a marvelous web , and because nature observes no national boundaries , The Nature Conservancy strives to preserve plants , animals , and natural ecosystems in the United States , Canada, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific . If you were to travel to one of the other 27 nations where we pursue our conservation mission, you would find The Nature Conservancy working shoulder-to - shoulder with like - minded , in- country organizations , people from local communities , and government agencies . And while each of the places we work contains many rare, threatened , and endangered species, there is — thankfully — still much to be saved . So long as steps are taken now, that is . As the following pages of this Mid- Year Report will make clear, The Nature Conservancy and our local partners, backed by the financial support of loyal friends like you, stand ready to take these steps — by protecting tropical forests , acquiring critical lands , and conserving migratory bird habitat . FOREST PROTECTION Rain forests , home to two -thirds of our planet ' s wildlife species, continue to be cut , burned, bulldozed, flooded , and otherwise destroyed . In fact , less than 5 % of the world ' s remaining tropical forests receive an type of protection . Today, however, The Nature Conservancy has the extraordinary opportunity to save three of the world ' s last great remaining rain forests — in Brazil , China, and Panama . Brazil : The Atlantic Forest is widely recognized as one of the planet ' s highest conservation priorities and is designated a World Biosphere Reserve . Scientists have learned that 171 of Brazil ' s 202 endangered species rely on the Atlantic Forest for their existence . More than half of its tree species and nearly three - quarters of its other plants are endemic = that is , they are found nowhere else on Earth . Sadly, after centuries of unsustainable use, the Atlantic Forest has been reduced to only 5 - 7 percent of its original range , and the remaining areas are under imminent threat of deforestation . International Headquarters • 4245 North Fairfax Drive • Suite 100 • Arlington , Virginia 22203 - 1606 • www . tnc . ora