LOC Amphibian Survival Alliance
AMPHIBIAN SURVIVAL ALLIANCE
LETTER OF COMMITMENT
This Letter of Commitment (LOC) constitutes the commitment of [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] to act as a
Partner Organization within the Amphibian Survival Alliance (ASA) and to fulfill the obligations required
of ASA partner organizations. The Amphibian Survival Alliance is a partnership acting for amphibians for
the environment and for people.
Background
Because amphibians have significant ecological, cultural, economic, scientific, medical, and educational
importance—as well as being indicators of many aspects of environmental quality—the rapid population
declines and extinctions that started late in the 20th century within this class of vertebrates, is one of the
most important conservation challenges of this century, with alarming implications for the health of
ecosystems globally.
An Amphibian Conservation Action Plan (ACAP) was the primary outcome of the 2005 Amphibian
Conservation Summit to address the substantial losses of amphibian populations and species documented
by the Red List of Threatened Species. This multidisciplinary plan provides a framework to address the
causes of drastic amphibian population declines, and to halt the rapid extinctions of amphibian species.
The ASA is created to assure fuller implementation of the ACAP and the conservation actions indicated
thereby.
Vision and Mission
The ASA protects amphibians and their habitats through dynamic partnerships worldwide.
We envision a world in which the extinction of known threatened species of amphibians has been
prevented and their conservation status, particularly of those most in decline, has been improved and
sustained.
In 2010 nearly 200 countries that support the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) agreed on 20
targets to save biodiversity and enhance its benefits for people, and committed to meet them by 2020. The
ASA´s vision is fully aligned with the target that refers specifically to threatened species, and the Alliance
is therefore well positioned to help the CBD Parties meet their commitment to saving biodiversity. By
focusing on amphibians, and the sites and habitats upon which they depend, the ASA is working to
improve the quality of life for amphibians, for other wildlife (biodiversity), and for people around the
world.
Statement of Intent
Partners enter into the Alliance agree to mutually undertake or support conservation actions and research
to address the global amphibian conservation crisis. The ASA, using a priority actions framework provided
by the IUCN SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG), will work with Alliance partners to facilitate the
implementation of conservation initiatives at all scales, from global to local levels, that:
PO Box 129, Austin, TX 78767 USA • www.amphibians.org •
+1 512-537-8951
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LOC Amphibian Survival Alliance
a. Prevent the extinction of any amphibian species
b. Maintain or improve the conservation status of all amphibians, with priority given to
threatened species.
c. Build broad partnerships and engage stakeholders to advance effective conservation actions
d. Protect, manage and restore important habitats for amphibians at key sites worldwide
e. Provide decision makers with conservation advice based on the best scientific knowledge
f.
available
Educate, empower and inspire partners to protect broader biodiversity and improve the
quality of lives by adopting amphibians as flagships.
Responsibilities

Partner Organizations pledge to work with ASA secretariat and with each other to
incorporate the recommendations of the Alliance into actionable frameworks, as well as to
develop new initiatives that further one or more of the thematic areas delineated in the
priority actions framework provided by the ASG.
 Each Partner Organization will appoint a person to serve as its official contact and coordinate
its activities in assisting in the implementation of amphibian conservation actions. In addition,
Partner Organizations are encouraged to contribute staff time and/or other resources,
including financial when possible, as well as to help secure funding to support core ASA
staffing and initiatives aligned with ASG’s priority actions framework.
 Each Partner Organization will be encouraged to inform ASA of significant activities on a
yearly basis.
Specifically, [NAME OF ORGANIZATION] pledges to undertake the following activities to advance
amphibian conservation in line with ASG’s priority actions framework:
• TEXT TO BE ADDED HERE SPECIFIC TO EACH PARTNER ORGANIZATION BASED ON ASA PRIORITY
ACTIONS AND THE PRIORITY ACTIONS OF THE PARTNER ORGANIZATION
Terms of Understanding
It is mutually agreed and understood by and among the Partner Organizations hereto that:
• This Letter of Commitment reflects an entirely voluntary agreement among the parties
hereto to cooperate and work together to achieve the vision articulated herein. This
commitment in no way obligates or restricts the activity of any party hereto in any way.
• No Partner shall obligate, or purport to obligate, any other with respect to any matter.
• Any Partner may withdraw from the Amphibian Survival Alliance at any time by
providing written notice of the Partner’s intent to withdraw from the Alliance to the
Executive Director. A Partner may be removed by a majority vote of the Board of the
ASA for unwillingness or inability to contribute to the mission of the Alliance.
This LOC may be modified at any time through the vote of a quorum of the ASA Global Council.
PO Box 129, Austin, TX 78767 USA • www.amphibians.org •
+1 512-537-8951
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LOC Amphibian Survival Alliance
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Party agrees to this Letter of Commitment, which will be acted upon as of the
date below.
__________________________________________________________
Organization name
________________________________________________________________
CEO Individual name and signature
Date
________________________________________________________________Chair of the Board, Amphibian Survival Alliance
________________________________________________________________Individual name and signature
Date
PO Box 129, Austin, TX 78767 USA • www.amphibians.org •
+1 512-537-8951
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