IMMEDIATE ACTION ALERT

The U.S. Senate is now considering the bipartisan Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Enhancements Act of 2022, an important bill that would provide a major funding increase to migratory bird conservation, as well as more equitable access to the funding.

This new bill would boost the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Act (NMBCA)⁠ — the only federal grants program specifically dedicated to the conservation of migratory birds across the Western Hemisphere.

Saving migratory birds requires collaboration from experts and communities throughout the Americas. Since 2002, the NMBCA has supported more than 500 conservation projects in 36 countries, on more than 4.2 million acres of critical bird habitat. Nearly 400 migratory bird species benefit from these efforts, including the Red Knot and Cerulean Warbler.

Please let your U.S. Senators know that birds matter to you! Ask them to co-sponsor the Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Enhancements Act of 2022.

For more information visit https://abcbirds.org/results/news/

ACTION ALERT: Strengthen our most important bird law

UPDATED ACTION ALERT….Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act!

ACTION ALERT NOVEMBER 7, 2021

“A bill to amend the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act to make supplemental funds available for management of fish and wildlife species of greatest conservation need as determined by State fish and wildlife agencies, and for other purposes” has been introduced in both the U. S. House of Representatives (HR – 2773) and the U. S. Senate (S.2372). The bill is known by its short title “Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2021.” The Senate version currently has 32 co-sponsors (16 Republicans, 15 Democrats and 1 Independent), while the House version currently has 132 co-sponsors (101 Democrats and 31 Republicans). Co-sponsor lists are current as of 6 November.

The Act would provide 1.3 billion dollars annually to state fish and wildlife agencies and an additional 97.5 million dollars annually to Indian Tribal fish and wildlife agencies. Under the Act, The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency will receive substantial funding.

Representatives Charles Fleischmann (R-TN 3), Jim Cooper (D-TN-5), David Kustoff (R-TN 8) and Steve Cohen (D-TN-9) are co-sponsors.  If not already a co-sponsor, please consider contacting your representative and urge him or her to sign on as a co-sponsor. Representatives Fleischmann, Cooper, Kustoff and Cohen deserve our thanks.

Senator Bill Hagerty has signed on as a co-sponsor. He deserves our thanks. Please consider contacting our other Senator, Marsha Blackburn, and urge her to sign on as a co-sponsor.

www.congress.gov/bill/117^th-congress/house-bill/2773.

www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2372.

Conservation Policy Committee – October 11, 2021

Laura Cook, Ashley Heeney, Dev Joslin (special advisor), Dick Preston (co-chair), Cyndi Routledge and Melinda Welton (co-chair).