Washington, D.C. — The newly introduced Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Act will help address America’s wildlife crisis through innovative solutions. The WILD Act reauthorizes the Marine Turtle Conservation Fund, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program, establishes Theodore Roosevelt Genius Grants for solutions to pressing wildlife threats such as poaching and trafficking. The bill also improves invasive species control through amendments to the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act. The National Wildlife Federation heralded the bill’s reintroduction today in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives by Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.) and Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska).

“The National Wildlife Federation believes that collaborative conservation and innovation are essential to ensuring that wildlife thrive in our rapidly changing world. We are proud to support the WILD Act, sponsored by Chairman Barrasso and Ranking Member Carper — as well as Rep. Lowenthal and Rep. Young — which will spur unprecedented conservation partnerships and unleash innovation to overcome some of the greatest threats facing wildlife,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation.

The Wildlife Innovation and Longevity Driver (WILD) Act:

• Reauthorizes the Marine Turtle Conservation Act through 2024 and expanding it to cover freshwater turtles and tortoises in the United States and its territories; 
• Reauthorizes the Partners for Fish and Wildlife program to incentivize landowners who provide habitat for migratory birds and threatened and endangered species;
• Establishes a Theodore Roosevelt Genius Grant program to incentivize solutions to prevent wildlife poaching and trafficking; invasive species, and promote non-lethal wildlife conflict management.
• Amends the Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act to increase invasive species management, prevention, monitoring and control. 
• Reauthorizes multinational species conservation acts to reduce poaching, trafficking and habitat loss for great apes, Asian and African elephants, tigers, rhinoceros and sea turtles.