In a bipartisan vote Tuesday evening, the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation to ensure the survival of U.S. fish and wildlife conservation funds.
The Wildlife Society applauded the House's landmark move in a news statement announcing the passing of the "Recovering America's Wildlife Act" (H.R. 2773).
Recovering America's Wildlife Act
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act will provide much-needed funding to wildlife specialists entrusted with preserving America's natural species variety. These funds will go toward multi-stakeholder initiatives to protect and monitor these endangered species, identified as Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN) in some states, to reverse population reductions.
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A Proactive Move
The Wildlife Society's president, Gordon R. Batcheller, said, "This law would permit proactive protection of all fish and wildlife species with a focus on preventing population decreases." "We are one step closer to ensuring that state and tribal natural resource experts have the tools they need to protect the complete array of fish and wildlife diversity because of bipartisan action in the House of Representatives."
The Wildlife Society's Conservation Affairs Network participated in several grassroots lobbying initiatives leading up to the vote, with over 100 TWS members calling and over 460 TWS members emailing their U.S. representatives to express their support. These efforts come after years of support for the law from TWS headquarters and organization units.
Modifications
Several modifications were accepted for further discussion in the Senate, with the majority concentrating on expanding the bill's permissible uses and improving the monitoring of funds provided. A language that expands allowable activities under the legislation's federal endangered species funding title to include invasive species and disease management, language that imposes additional administrative fee caps and language that authorizes nonprofit eligibility for competitive grant funding were all approved as amendments.
Many opponents of the measure abstained from voting in the House owing to uncertainties over a financing source, which is now being investigated by legislative leadership. Despite this, the bill got bipartisan support, with some lawmakers praising the legislation's urgency and cost-effectiveness.
At a House Rules Committee hearing on Monday, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), the bill's initial co-sponsor and proponent, stated, "The longer we delay addressing this issue, the more resources we will eventually need to defend our nation's wildlife and environment."
The House's passage shifts the spotlight on the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, which is awaiting a vote on the Senate floor. If enacted, the measure will be referred to a conference committee by both chambers of Congress to reconcile discrepancies between the House and Senate versions before moving further.
Wildlife Conservation
The economic, ecological, and spiritual worth of American wildlife is immense. Wildlife helps us form meaningful ties with our natural world by providing jobs through outdoor recreation, sustaining food and water sources, and creating meaningful occupations. Unfortunately, many of our animal species have suffered significant declines during the last century due to quick and large-scale changes to their habitats and ecosystems. We're attempting to increase animal populations by changing how we think about conservation.
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