Press RoomPress ReleaseFor Immediate Release
October 20, 2006
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Terry Riley, (505) 286-8602 Sportsmen Applaud President’s Signing of Conservation Bills
Coalition Hails Passage of North American Wetlands Conservation Act Reauthorization and Partners for Fish and Wildlife ActWASHINGTON - The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) today applauded President Bush’s signing of H.R. 5539, which reauthorizes the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA), and S. 260, the Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act. “If given the appropriations they need, these two bills will provide important vehicles for moving wildlife conservation forward,” said TRCP President and CEO Matthew B. Connolly Jr. The North American Wetlands Conservation Act encourages partnerships among federal and state agencies and others to protect, restore, enhance and manage wetlands and other habitats for migratory birds, fish and wildlife. The act obligates annual appropriations for the implementation of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, which provides a broad framework for waterfowl conservation and management in North America. On the reauthorization of NAWCA, Scott Sutherland, Director of Governmental Affairs for Ducks Unlimited, said: "This is a tremendous victory for wetlands, waterfowl and other wildlife. The renewal of NAWCA is an important step to continue on-the-ground conservation work in key habitat areas across the continent.” The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Act provides official endorsement of the existing U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners program, which provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners to enhance wildlife habitat on their lands. The act provides up to $75 million in funding each year. The program will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year and has become extremely popular with landowners and conservationists alike. “Several aspects of the Partners program are particularly appealing to the community of American sportsmen,” said Dr. Terry Riley, TRCP Vice President of Policy. “Foremost among these are the fact that it continually improves habitat, but the ways it does so are also attractive – its conservation strategies are voluntary, non-regulatory and incentive-based. Also, in focusing on the almost three-quarters of the country that are privately owned, this program shines a light on an important facet of the American landscape.” *** The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership is a coalition of leading hunting, fishing and conservation organizations and individual partners working together to guarantee access to places to hunt and fish, conserve fish and wildlife habitat, and increase funding for conservation. |