WASHINGTON, D.C. (July 2, 2018) – The National Wildlife Federation urged congressional leaders to prioritize passing the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act as they begin discussions about the best way to improve efforts to recover imperiled wildlife under the Endangered Species Act.

“America’s wildlife are in crisis — with more than one-third of all species imperiled. This monumental problem demands solutions that match the magnitude of the challenge. The truth is that we, as a nation, could save the vast majority of species through proactive and collaborative conservation efforts on-the-ground, just as we have recovered species like deer, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, ducks, and wild turkeys,” said Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Yet we have failed to invest in the recovery of thousands of species.

“The most important action that Congress can take to restore at-risk wildlife populations is to pass the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. The Act would hasten the recovery of the more than 12,000 species of greatest conservation need through the implementation of the State Wildlife Action Plans mandated by Congress.

“As the Senate considers Chairman Barrasso’s draft legislation, which draws upon work by the Western Governors Association and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, we urge senators to invest in proactive, collaborative conservation solutions and to replicate the same level of bipartisan cooperation displayed during recent negotiations over the Farm Bill and the fire fix for the U.S. Forest Service. Specifically, we urge the Senate to prioritize bipartisan recommendations which bolster science-based decision-making, foster collaboration among conservation partners, and accelerate on-the-ground habitat restoration projects — and to reject recommendations that erode the scientific integrity that is the bedrock of the Endangered Species Act.”