The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act will help safeguard habitats and biodiversity, slow extinction rates and secure a brighter future for people and nature.
Update: On March 30, 2023, U.S. senators reintroduced the Recovering America's Wildlife Act. If passed into law, the act would be the largest investment in U.S. wildlife conservation in decades. See TNC's statement.
Help Protect Wildlife
The Recovering America's Wildlife Act can help save struggling wildlife and provide jobs.
Tell Congress to Pass ItOver a third of America’s fish and wildlife species are at risk of extinction. It is just one part of a disturbing global biodiversity decline, drivers of which include habitat loss, invasive species, disease and the impacts of a shifting climate.
More than 1,600 species are already listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), another 150 are presumed extinct and state fish and wildlife agencies have identified more than 12,000 that need conservation help now.
The loss of this biodiversity is not just a threat to the species themselves. With Americans spending $140 billion on wildlife-focused recreation every year, this loss is a threat to communities and the economies that depend on them.
States' Successful Legacy on Recovering Species
State wildlife agencies are in a unique position to help avert this trend and protect America’s biodiversity.
Every 10 years, state wildlife agencies collaboratively assess how wildlife in their respective states are doing. They then make lists of species that are in decline and in need of proactive conservation attention.
Together with partners, state fish and wildlife agencies have had great success restoring species that were once on the brink, including bald eagles, peregrine falcons, white-tailed deer, turkey, elk, striped bass and more.
These are all examples of fish and wildlife that now have healthy and thriving populations thanks to dedicated funding for increased conservation efforts.
Currently, 80 percent of the funding for state wildlife agencies comes from state hunting and fishing licenses and permits as well as federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing gear.
While this funding model has worked for decades, the accelerating loss of biodiversity requires a new approach and more investment.
A Historic and Necessary Investment in Conservation
The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (S. 1149), or RAWA, would be the most significant investment in wildlife conservation in decades.
The $1.397 billion bill would fund local and state efforts to help wildlife at risk and to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. It will also help recover species that are already endangered.
The money will be used for on-the-ground conservation efforts such as conserving and restoring habitats, fighting invasive species, reintroducing native species and tackling emerging diseases.
Approximately $1.3 billion from the bill would be spent by state fish and wildlife agencies, in partnership with state-based conservation entities.
The state agencies will use the money to implement their congressionally mandated state wildlife action plans. These detailed plans incorporate science and public input and are approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The remaining $97.5 million will go toward tribal wildlife conservation efforts.
Local Decisions, Local Benefits
Taking action when species are just starting to decline rather than waiting until they are threatened with imminent extinction is a smart investment.
If a species is in such bad shape that it qualifies for the “emergency room” measures of the ESA, it is much more difficult—and more expensive—to recover the species.
Saving wildlife is an investment in a clean, sustainable, and thriving economy for rural and urban communities alike.
Efforts to recover a fish species by restoring a wetland, for example, not only benefit that species but can improve local water quality, protect that community from flooding and create jobs.
Overall, the bill could generate as many as 33,600 direct jobs every year in fields ranging from construction to forestry, as well as boost the country’s outdoor recreation economy.
This is a strategy that is good for wildlife, good for people and good for business.
More Policy Stories
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