December 22, 2017 Washington, DC – An unprecedented alliance of government, business, education and conservation leaders have united to provide a solution for one of America’s greatest threats - the decline of our fish and wildlife and their natural habitats, and what this means for people and the economy. Scientists estimate that one-third of wildlife species in the United States are at risk of becoming threatened or endangered without much needed funding for their conservation.
The Alliance for America’s Fish & Wildlife’s (AAFW) purpose is to create a 21st-century funding model for critically needed conservation of our nation’s most precious natural resources - our fish and wildlife. This effort has expanded out of the strong partnership created by the Blue Ribbon Panel on Sustaining America’s Diverse Fish & Wildlife Resources, consisting of members representing the outdoor recreation, retail and manufacturing sector, the energy and automotive industries, private landowners, educational institutions, conservation organizations, sportsmen’s groups and state and federal fish and wildlife agencies.
The solution to this wildlife challenge is passage of the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 4647), introduced in Congress this week. The bill will redirect $1.3 billion in existing royalties annually from the development of energy and mineral resources on federal lands and waters to conserve the full array of fish and wildlife. This solution will not require taxpayers or businesses to pay more, but instead allows all Americans to become investors in fish and wildlife conservation.
It currently costs the American public hundreds of millions of dollars each year to restore threatened and endangered species, costs that could be avoided or greatly reduced if proactive conservation measures were implemented first. Proactive conservation is good for wildlife, good for taxpayers, good for business and good for our communities. The AAFW believes the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would provide the needed resources for proactive conservation nationwide.
