Lawmakers have introduced a bill to boost funding and provide vital enhancements to conservation programs benefiting fish and wildlife.
(Washington D.C.)— Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership celebrated the introduction of “America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024.” The legislation would increase authorized funding levels and provide critical improvements to a wide range of conservation programs benefitting fish and wildlife such as the National Fish Habitat Partnership Program, the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), the Chronic Wasting Disease Task Force, and the Chesapeake Bay Program.
The bipartisan legislation was introduced by Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
”The reauthorization of the ACE Act will benefit fish and wildlife while enhancing outdoor recreation opportunities for millions of hunters and anglers,” said Becky Humphries, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership “We applaud Senator Carper and Senator Capito for their leadership on America’s Conservation Enhancement Reauthorization Act of 2024 and we look forward to building on the success of these crucial conservation programs.”
The ACE Act was originally signed into law in 2020 with strong bipartisan support and it cemented long-term funding for programs that improve fish habitat, restore wetlands, boost research into chronic wasting disease, invest in clean water solutions, and prevent bycatch fatalities of important gamefish species. This reauthorization of ACE builds on that legacy and makes critical improvements to programs that benefit fish, wildlife, and our sporting traditions.
Along with reauthorization of many important programs, the ACE Reauthorization Act of 2024 would:
- Increase annual funding for the National Fish Habitat Partnership Program from $7.2 million to $10 million.
- Better integrate fish habitat work through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management.
- Increase the number of eligible conservation projects by easing local cost-share requirements.
- Provide dedicated funding for the National Fish Habitat Assessment.
- Increase annual funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Act from $60 million to $65 million.
The ACE Reauthorization Act of 2024 is supported by Ducks Unlimited, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, the National Wildlife Federation, American Sportfishing Association, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies, and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.
TRCP works to maintain and strengthen the future of hunting and fishing by uniting and amplifying our partners’ voices in conserving and restoring wildlife populations and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve.
Read the blog version of this press release here.
Founded in 2002, the TRCP is the largest coalition of conservation organizations in the country, uniting and amplifying the voices of sportsmen and women by convening hunting and fishing groups, conservation organizations, and outdoor businesses to a common purpose.
