The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee on December 5, positioning it for a vote on the House floor. The bill would fund proactive conservation efforts to prevent species from becoming endangered and would provide additional funding for species that are already listed.

“Forty percent of aquatic species are now imperiled and those numbers will only get worse without a solution that matches the scale of the problem,” said AFS Executive Director Doug Austen. “The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will providing scientists and managers with the resources to reverse this disturbing statistic and change the prospects for fish.”

About the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act:

• The bill will provide $1.397 billion in dedicated annual funding for proactive, on-the-ground wildlife conservation efforts in every state and territory.
• The bill will fund additional recovery efforts for the approximately 1,600 U.S. species already listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
• The majority of the money—$1.3 billion—will go to wildlife recovery efforts led by state wildlife agencies. This spending will be guided by the Congressionally mandated State Wildlife Action Plans, which identify 12,000 species of concern nationwide.
• Tribal Nations would receive $97.5 million annually to fund proactive wildlife conservation efforts on tens of millions of acres of land.
• The bill complements the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson) and Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act (Dingell-Johnson), which funds state-led recovery efforts on behalf of game and sport fish species that faced potential extinction in the 20th century.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act is the most significant piece of conservation legislation in a generation.  We need your help to get the bill to the finish line.  Call your member of Congress today to help secure passage in the full House.