Debbie Dingell
12/13/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Dingell Reintroduces Recovering America’s Wildlife Act
Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) today reintroduced the Recovering America's Wildlife Act, the most significant investment in wildlife and habitat conservation in a generation.
"The United States is facing an unprecedented biodiversity crisis. We've already seen our nation's beautiful monarch butterfly population plummet, and we've lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970. More than one third of our plant and animal species are currently threatened with extinction, putting ecosystems across America at risk," Dingell said. "Without a significant change in the way we finance conservation, more of the animals and wildlife we hold dear to our heart will become endangered. The Recovering America's Wildlife Act is landmark legislation that takes long-overdue action to address this crisis by using innovative, on-the-ground collaboration that will protect our nation's environmental heritage. We have a conservation, economic, and moral obligation to act in order to protect and recover America's wildlife for future generations. I'm proud of the broad, bipartisan coalition we've built since I first introduced this bill in 2016, and I won't stop fighting until we get it done."
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act builds upon America's longstanding conservation priorities by creating smart and strategic initiatives fitting to address the challenges of the 21st century. It would provide nearly $1.4 billion per year to address critical species recovery, boldly tackle pressing conservation needs, and prevent the need for more costly interventions in the future. The funds will be used to accelerate the recovery of the more than 12,000 species of greatest conservation need by implementing the strategies laid out in each state's unique State Wildlife Action Plan. It also includes a historic federal investment in Tribal Nations' fish and wildlife management that will support tribal sovereignty and help ensure tribes have the resources they need to build their fish and wildlife conservation programs.
"The United States is facing an unprecedented biodiversity crisis. We've already seen our nation's beautiful monarch butterfly population plummet, and we've lost nearly 3 billion birds since 1970. More than one third of our plant and animal species are currently threatened with extinction, putting ecosystems across America at risk," Dingell said. "Without a significant change in the way we finance conservation, more of the animals and wildlife we hold dear to our heart will become endangered. The Recovering America's Wildlife Act is landmark legislation that takes long-overdue action to address this crisis by using innovative, on-the-ground collaboration that will protect our nation's environmental heritage. We have a conservation, economic, and moral obligation to act in order to protect and recover America's wildlife for future generations. I'm proud of the broad, bipartisan coalition we've built since I first introduced this bill in 2016, and I won't stop fighting until we get it done."
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act builds upon America's longstanding conservation priorities by creating smart and strategic initiatives fitting to address the challenges of the 21st century. It would provide nearly $1.4 billion per year to address critical species recovery, boldly tackle pressing conservation needs, and prevent the need for more costly interventions in the future. The funds will be used to accelerate the recovery of the more than 12,000 species of greatest conservation need by implementing the strategies laid out in each state's unique State Wildlife Action Plan. It also includes a historic federal investment in Tribal Nations' fish and wildlife management that will support tribal sovereignty and help ensure tribes have the resources they need to build their fish and wildlife conservation programs.