Press Releases

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.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies is pleased to announce the passage of critical conservation legislation through the full Senate via unanimous consent for the America’s Conservation Enhancement Act (S. 3051). The Association thanks Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) for their leadership in advancing this bipartisan legislation through the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and successfully championing agreement by unanimous consent on the Senate floor late last evening. Passage by the full Senate followed a December 17th legislative markup on S. 3051 in the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works, during which it passed by unanimous consent.

The Association applauds Congress for the inclusion of two legislative packages that contain conservation initiatives that work to ensure future generations can enjoy our nations valuable natural resources. Included in H.R 1865 are important conservation priorities for the Association, including the Modernizing the Pittman-Robertson Fund for Tomorrow's Needs Act, funding for USDA APHIS to combat Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), increased funding for State and Tribal Wildlife Grants and increased funding for the North American Wetlands Conservation Fund, to name a few.

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies (AFWA) applauds the passage of the National Fish Habitat Conservation Through Partnerships Act (H.R. 1747). This bipartisan legislation, led by Rep. Rob Wittman (R-VA) and Rep. Marc Veasey (D-TX), was packaged with the Coastal and Great Lakes Communities Enhancement Act (H.R. 729) and passed in the House by a floor vote of 262-151 on December 10.

Today, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was pleased to witness the House Committee on Natural Resources markup to advance bills that protect our rivers and restore our wildlife populations, including Recovering Americas Wildlife Act (H.R. 3742). The Association applauds Chairman Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ) and Ranking Member Rob Bishop (R-UT) for their leadership in bringing H.R. 3742 up for a full committee markup and looks forward to working with members of the committee to advance this important legislation that has 157 bipartisan cosponsors toward final passage in the House.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies strongly supports the introduction of the Sport Fish Restoration and Recreational Boating Safety Act of 2019. This bipartisan bill will extend the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund through 2024. 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) introduced this bill in the House of Representatives today in Washington, D.C.

Today, the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies was pleased to witness the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Oceans and Wildlife hearing on two bills, including the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R.3742). The Association applauds Chairman Jared Huffman (D-CA) for his leadership in bringing H.R. 3742 up for a subcommittee hearing and looks forward to working with him and his colleagues in the subcommittee to advance this important legislation that has over 130 bipartisan cosponsors.

The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies strongly supports the introduction of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. This bipartisan legislation would dedicate $1.3 billion in existing revenue annually from the U.S. Treasury to State Fish and Wildlife Agencies to implement their State Wildlife Action Plans and an additional $97.5 million for tribal fish and wildlife managers to conserve fish and wildlife on tribal lands and waters. State Wildlife Action Plans are congressionally mandated plans outline proactive solutions to conserve those species in greatest need and prevent wildlife from becoming threatened or endangered. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-MI) and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry (R-NE) announced the introduction of this bipartisan bill today in Washington D.C.