Press Releases

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was excited by last week’s announcement by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service that the American bald eagle population has quadrupled since 2009, from 417 known nesting pairs to 71,400 nesting pairs and an estimated 316,700 individuals today. Bald eagle populations are still growing strong thanks to dedicated resources and partnership efforts! This conservation success story is thanks in part to the State and Tribal Wildlife Grant Program. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association collaborated on a report that highlights the program’s successes since its inception.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies strongly supports the introduction of the Abandoned Mine Land Reauthorization Act. This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize the Abandoned Mine Land Trust Fund, which is set to expire in September 2021. Representative Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Representative Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15) introduced this bill today in the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

Today, the Association, along with the nation’s hunters, anglers, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts of every kind, celebrated the President’s signing of the most important fish and wildlife legislation enacted this congressional session, S. 3051, the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (ACE Act). The bill ensures continuation of two of the most successful conservation programs in the nation’s history, with reauthorization of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act and codification of the National Fish Habitat Partnership. It provides measures to combat the most pressing disease currently threatening deer species, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), through formation of a state and federal Task Force and the direction of research on CWD transmission and pathways. Among other vital provisions, the Chesapeake Bay program is reauthorized, and states are ensured the necessary authority to continue regulating types of fishing tackle based on localized effects for the next five years.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies applauds the final passage of The Great American Outdoors Act (H.R. 1957) through the full House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 310-107. This bipartisan legislation is historic for conservation, supporting state recreation and parks programs, increasing outdoor recreational access for the public, and rebuilding critical federal infrastructure for hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies strongly supports the inclusion of the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act (H.R. 4828) as part of the Moving Forward Act (H.R.2), which passed in the House of Representatives last week. This bipartisan legislation, originally introduced in the House in 2019 by Congressman Joe Cunningham (D-SC), along with Congressman Garret Graves (R-LA), Congressman Austin Scott (R-GA), Congressman Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI), would extend the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund through 2024.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies applauds the adoption of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act as an amendment to the Moving Forward Act, which passed today in the House of Representatives. The bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R.3742) will benefit the nation’s economy by creating as many as 33,500 new jobs annually, supporting future economic growth in the outdoor recreation sector through infrastructure improvements, and increase resiliency and recovery of imperiled species and their habitats. The Association would like to thank Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) for their leadership on this bill that has brought 182 bipartisan members of the House of Representatives together as cosponsors.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is pleased to see passage of the Great American Outdoors Act (S. 3422) through the full Senate yesterday, with a majority vote of 73-25. This historic bipartisan conservation legislation would support State recreation and parks programs, facilitate public access to outdoor recreation on state and federal public lands, and help rebuild much needed federal infrastructure that supports hunting, fishing, boating, and other aspects of the outdoor recreation economy.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies commends the support and leadership of Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID), Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) and Congressman Don Young (R-AK), who were joined by 220 of their colleagues on letters to the leadership of the U.S Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittees on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies Interior Appropriations. The Senate and House letters, respectively, are in support of the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program which provides a critical investment to sustain our nation’s most vulnerable fish and wildlife. In the letters, Members urge the Subcommittees to provide the most robust funding possible for the Program.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies applauds this week’s announcement by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt of the Administration’s significant efforts to increase recreational access on public lands. The new proposed rule would expand hunting and fishing opportunities to Americans by opening 2.3 million acres to public access and would represent the largest expansion of land to hunting and fishing in the history of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce the passage of critical habitat legislation that reauthorizes funding for projects in the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay. The Association would like to thank and congratulate the bills’ sponsors, Representative Elaine Luria (D-VA) for the Chesapeake Bay Program Reauthorization Act (H.R. 1620) and Representative David Joyce (R-OH) for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Act of 2019 (H.R. 4031), both of which passed the full House with bipartisan approval.