Recovering America’s Wildlife Act Will Protect Nation’s Outdoors Heritage

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, which Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.) re-introduced in the House, will improve wildlife habitat, prevent extinctions and enhance the outdoor economy by dedicating up to $1.3 billion annually to voluntary, locally-led efforts to help thousands of at-risk species nationwide.

“America’s wildlife need our help. One-third of all species face some degree of extinction risk. This bill is a commonsense, cost-effective approach to recovering wildlife species all across the country and restoring habitat for wildlife and people alike,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “It will empower states, territories, and Tribes to restore habitat and protect our outdoor heritage for our children and grandchildren.  Thank you, Rep. Debbie Dingell, for your unwavering commitment to wildlife and demonstrating that conservation unites us all.”

About the bill:

  • The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act dedicates as much as $1.3 billion annually to prevent vulnerable species from declining to the point where they require protections of the federal Endangered Species Act.
  • Last session, the House voted to pass a similar bill with a bipartisan (231-190) vote. 
  • A bipartisan Senate bill, introduced in March, has 19 co-sponsors (10 Republicans, 7 Democrats, and 2 independents). Forty-seven senators, including 16 republicans, co-sponsored it during the previous session of Congress. 
  • The bill would provide as much as $1.3 billion dollars to fund state and territorial efforts to implement their congressionally mandated State Wildlife Action Plans, which collectively identify 12,000 species of concern and strategies to recover them. You can find state-specific information here
  • The bill also provides $97.5 million to Tribal Nations’ fish and wildlife management programs. This is a historic opportunity to ensure Tribal nations finally have reliable, non-competitive funding for their wildlife conservation efforts. 
  • The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation will get short-term funding from the bill, totaling $750 million distributed over four years. These funds will be used for voluntary partnership programs, accelerating long-overdue recovery plans, and expediting reviews of federal infrastructure projects. 
 

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