Sporting Groups Unite Around Policy Recommendations to Strengthen Wetlands Conservation Efforts

September 17, 2024

Conserving wetlands and streams is critical to the hunting and angling community.

Today, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, along with valued partners representing sporting and conservation interests released its Sporting Community Wetland and Stream Platform which outlines several policy recommendations seeking to strengthen federal wetland conservation efforts.

Conserving wetlands and streams is critical to the hunting and angling community. Wetlands and streams provide crucial public benefits, including supporting fish and wildlife habitat, helping to recharge water supplies, reducing flood impacts, and enhancing water quality. Yet, wetlands and streams are at risk more than ever. The most recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife Wetlands Status and Trends Report finds that more than half of wetlands in the lower 48 states are gone, and loss rates have increased by 50 percent since 2009. Additionally, the recent loss of federal protections for many wetlands and streams has made it much more difficult for federal agencies to safeguard some of our most vulnerable waters from pollution and destruction. Without additional conservation actions to protect these ecosystems, wetland loss will likely continue, reducing ecosystem benefits for people and habitat for fish and wildlife.

These waters provide habitat for more than half of North American waterfowl, critical spawning grounds for salmon and trout, and drinking water for millions of people.

Given these challenges, the sporting and conservation community acknowledges that lifting up federal and state wetland and stream conservation efforts will be important. Our platform includes recommendations for action by both Congress and federal agencies. “With these recommendations, we intend to unite and amplify the voices of hunters, anglers, and conservationists whose outdoor traditions depend on conserving wetlands and streams,” said Alex Funk, Director of Water Resources at the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP is eager to work with partners to advance these recommendations while working to secure long-term protections for our country’s wetlands and streams.

“Conservation and restoration of wetlands and tributary streams are essential to securing safe drinking water for all Americans, fighting the climate crisis, and providing essential habitat for fish and wildlife,” said Jared Mott, Conservation Director of Izaak Walton League of America. “These recommendations are a helpful roadmap for limiting alarming declines in the number and productivity of these ecosystems in the face of the elimination of longstanding Clean Water Act protections. The League is proud to collaborate with our partners and announce these proactive steps we must take to save the nation’s wetlands and waterways and ensure a future with clean water.”

Photo Credit: Christian Fritschi

“Hunters and anglers understand that wildlife rely on healthy, abundant water bodies. Last year, the Supreme Court unwisely removed longstanding protections for many streams, wetlands and floodplains – leaving them vulnerable to pollution and destruction,” said Glenn Watkins, Senior Policy Specialist of Water Resources at National Wildlife Federation. “While a full restoration of federal protections is needed to safeguard our waters, this platform lays out commonsense actions Congress and federal agencies can take in the meantime,” said Abby Tinsley, vice president for conservation policy at the National Wildlife Federation. “These measures will help support healthy populations of ducks, fish and other game species while protecting drinking water supplies and reducing flooding.”

Read the full suite of recommendations and policy platform HERE.

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

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by: TRCP Staff

posted in: Press Releases

September 11, 2024

American Wildlife Conservation Partners Release Conservation Policy Recommendations in the Seventh Edition of Wildlife for the 21st Century

Today, the American Wildlife Conservation Partners (AWCP) – comprised of the nation’s top 52 sporting-conservation organizations that represent America’s hunter-conservationists, professional wildlife and natural resource managers, outdoor recreation users, conservation educators, and wildlife scientists – released Wildlife for the 21st Century, Volume VII (W-21). This comprehensive publication focuses on solutions to conserve wildlife and their habitats across the nation, bolstering public access, and protecting our outdoor traditions. The recommendations in W-21 will aid policymakers in the next Administration and the next two Congresses in making decisions on sporting-conservation issues and practices that are vital to current and future generations of sportsmen and sportswomen and other conservationists.

“I am proud to have worked alongside the members of AWCP to develop a thoughtful and comprehensive set of priorities that are contained in W-21. AWCP is a unique and collective force, and it is through our coordination, communication, and vision that the priorities in W-21 will be recognized,” said Taylor Schmitz, AWCP Chairman and Director of Federal Relations for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “While this document is intended for the next two Congresses and Presidential Administration, there are numerous W-21 priorities that can be delivered on in 2024, and we look forward to making that a reality”

Every four years since AWCP was first convened in 2000, the partners have put forth their collective priorities in Wildlife for the 21st Century, which serves as the roadmap for AWCP’s vision for wildlife and sportsmen and sportswomen. Although the 52 partner organizations of AWCP may have diverse primary missions, the recommendations contained in W-21 Volume VII represent a consensus amongst the AWCP organizations and shared commitment to advancing and promoting pro sporting-conservation priorities.

“Our partners that make up AWCP should be proud of their ability to coalesce around a shared set of policy priorities which, should they be adopted, would produce real and meaningful benefits for hunters, habitat, and wildlife across the United States. It is a comprehensive suite of recommendations that can serve as a blueprint for conservation and hunting policy in the future,” said John Devney, AWCP Vice-Chair and Chief Policy Officer for Delta Waterfowl.

“The ability of AWCPs partners to rally around a common set of policy priorities is truly commendable. Together, we have formulated a well-thought-out and comprehensive set of priorities encapsulated in W-21,” said Joel Webster, interim Chief Conservation Officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “If these priorities are adopted, they will foster tangible and significant benefits for hunters, wildlife, and their habitats throughout the United States.”

The specific recommendations made by the AWCP are featured in nine distinct sections of the report. Each recommendation includes detailed descriptions of the issues and action items to address the issues. These recommendations encourage collaboration and cooperation between federal agencies, state fish and wildlife agencies, and private landowners and support the implementation of sound, science-based conservation efforts.

Recommendation 1: Funding for Conservation – Protect and secure permanent and dedicated conservation funding
Recommendation 2: Access – Enhance access for hunters, shooters, and other outdoor recreationists
Recommendation 3: Wildlife Migration – Institutionalize and support wildlife migration corridors and seasonal habitats
Recommendation 4: Energy Development – Ensure wildlife and habitat goals are integrated into planning, development, and operations of all energy sources and impacts are mitigated
Recommendation 5: Private Land Conservation – Incentivize private landowners to conserve wildlife and habitat and provide access for hunting
Recommendation 6: Active Management of Federal Lands – Increase active management of federal lands and reduce litigation through collaboration
Recommendation 7: Species Conservation – Achieve greater results from an improved Endangered Species Act
Recommendation 8: Wildlife Health – Support and assist state fish and wildlife agencies in addressing wildlife health challenges
Recommendation 9: Climate Change -Sharpen climate policy focus on habitat conservation, restoration, and carbon solutions

Wildlife for the 21st Century, Volume VII is the culmination of more than a year of work by the AWCP and will define the sporting community’s priorities for the next four years. The recommendations act as a blueprint for decision makers to lead policy changes that will make a meaningful difference to ensure our country’s unique outdoor heritage remains and thrives for years to come.

While the focus of W-21 is the incoming administration and new Congress, several of the priorities are still being considered in the current Congress. Wrapping up some of these issues in the 117^th Congress will open the opportunity to achieve even more of the recommendations in the coming years.

You can find a copy of Wildlife for the 21st Century, Volume 7 HERE.

by: Zach Bodhane

posted in: Press Releases

House Committee on Natural Resources Hears Testimony on Conserving Wildlife Migration Corridors

Hearing highlighted bipartisan legislation aimed at formalizing migration conservation programs that provide financial and technical assistance to states, Tribes, and private landowners

This week, the House Committee on Natural Resources conducted a hearing that included the bipartisan, bicameral Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act led by Senator Padilla (D-Calif.), Senator Hoeven (R-N.D.), Congressman Zinke (R-Mont.) and Congressman Beyer (D-Va.).

“Successful migration conservation requires collaboration between local, state, Tribal and federal governments, private landowners, and the NGO community,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “This legislation would authorize existing federal programs that support locally driven, collaborative conservation projects that restore and conserve the most important areas wildlife need to migrate and move to fulfill their lifecycle needs. TRCP thanks Senator Padilla, Senator Hoeven, Representative Zinke, and Representative Beyer for their leadership on this critically important, bipartisan legislation.”

The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act would formally authorize existing federal programs initiated by the Department of the Interior during the Trump Administration through Secretarial Order 18-3362, to conserve big game migration corridors. These crucial programs have been supported and expanded by the Biden Administration but remain discretionary. Congressional action to formalize these discretionary programs would guarantee that the work will persist regardless of future administration changes. This is important because state and Tribal wildlife agency annual budgets are unable to meet the full demand for resource management. The financial and technical assistance from these federal programs would help to bridge that gap.

The bill seeks to expand the scope of existing work to support corridor conservation efforts nationwide for a wider range of species and provides Congress the opportunity to support collaborative partnerships, policies, and funding to advance the research and conservation of migration corridors and seasonal habitat.

The legislation would:

– Establish the Wildlife Movement and Migration Corridor Program at the Department of the Interior, to be administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to fund projects that improve or conserve habitat quality in movement areas including habitat treatment projects, fence modification, and wildlife crossings.

– Establish a State and Tribal Migration Research Program at the Department of the Interior to provide funds directly to state fish and wildlife agencies and Tribes for research that improves understanding of wildlife movement and migration routes.

– Allow for funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program to provide technical and financial assistance to private landowners undertaking voluntary conservation projects that support wildlife movement and migration routes on their land.

– Support the U.S. Geological Survey’s Corridor Mapping Team to provide technical assistance to states and Tribes to map priority routes.

During the hearing, witnesses demonstrated broad support for the bill:

“CSF is proud to support this vital legislation, and we are excited to see a thoughtful and locally driven approach to the ecologically critical topic of wildlife migration and movement and overall landscape connectivity,” said Taylor Schmitz, Federal Relations Director with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. “Advancing this legislation will not only support wildlife, but also, sportsmen and women, state and federal agencies, tribes, and interested private landowners.”

“The Wildlife Movement Through Partnerships Act extends the benefits of successful existing federal programs to more wildlife, and more states,” said Mike Leahy, Senior Director of Wildlife, Hunting and Fishing Policy with the National Wildlife Federation. “Important terrestrial wildlife migrations and movements for a wide range of species are at risk throughout the country, so this bill provides an opportunity for states and tribes and communities throughout the US. to receive grants, research funds, or technical support.”

Learn more about migration corridors HERE

Photo Credit: USFWS

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Press Releases

August 30, 2024

New BLM Solar Plans Seek to Balance Conservation and Renewable Energy Goals

Hunting, fishing organizations welcome a responsible approach to solar energy development on public lands

Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published the Final Programmatic EIS and Proposed Resource Management Plan Amendments that would support an updated siting and permitting framework across 11 western states for management of utility-scale solar energy development on public lands. The plans would allow development near existing and planned transmission lines and on previously disturbed lands, all while avoiding important fish and wildlife habitat, cultural and Tribal resources, and recreational opportunities.

“Trout populations throughout the West face many challenges, not the least of which is climate change and land uses that place additional stress on shrinking native and wild trout habitat. While the plan does not include specific criteria for important fish habitat, we are encouraged that the exclusions would preclude development in areas subject to conservation agreements, such as habitat for many native trout species,” said Tasha Sorensen, Western Energy Lead with Trout Unlimited. “We look forward to working with the BLM to implement this important safeguard appropriately and ensure renewable energy development balanced with the protection and restoration of wild and native trout.”

“As the country grapples with the need to meet energy demands, it’s crucial to approach the development of solar energy with the perspective that wildlife and solar can coexist on the landscape,” said Joel Webster, interim Chief Conservation Officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP appreciates refinements made by the BLM to the Western Solar Plan that will help maintain seasonal habitats that are crucially important for the West’s big game herds.”

“Our nation’s public lands are at the center of our outdoor traditions, providing countless opportunities for sportsmen and women. We thank the BLM for taking into consideration the importance of intact wildlife habitat, including migration corridors, in their final Western Solar Plan,” said Kaden McArthur, Government Relations Manager for Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “Doing so will ensure that as our country continues to develop energy, we avoid detriments to treasured public resources like our wildlife.”

“Renewable energy buildout on public lands must be thoughtful, cautious and informed, ensuring that we conserve important wildlife habitat, protect hunting and fishing opportunities, and avoid impacts to cultural and Indigenous resources, as we strive for cleaner energy.” said Bailey Brennan, Public Lands Counsel with the National Wildlife Federation. “The BLM’s improved approach to siting and permitting solar development will help achieve these goals, balancing public lands’ many uses.”

Publication of the proposed final resource management plan amendments initiates a 30-day protest period running through September 30. The BLM anticipates finalizing the plan before the end of the year.

Read the Big Game Guidelines for Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Solar Development by clicking HERE

by: Jen Leahy

posted in: Press Releases

August 27, 2024

Interior Department Retains Safeguards on 28 Million Acres of Public Lands in Alaska

The department’s decision conserves valuable habitat for salmon, caribou, moose, and Dall sheep

Today, the Interior Department moved to maintain existing conservation safeguards on 28 million acres of public lands in Alaska, including large swaths of intact fish and wildlife habitat that offer world-class hunting and fishing opportunities.

The decision and the associated Public Land Order—which implements the Bureau of Land Management’s preferred action following a robust public process and environmental review—is good news for local subsistence harvesters and non-resident hunters and anglers who value rural Alaska’s undisturbed and unbroken habitat.

“We applaud the Bureau of Land Management and Interior Department’s actions to retain conservation measures that have stood for decades on these public lands in Alaska,” said Jen Leahy, Alaska senior program manager for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Hunters and anglers can continue enjoying these incredible public hunting and fishing grounds without wondering if these lands will be privatized and developed.”

The 28 million acres encompassed in the decision includes important winter range for the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, one of Alaska’s largest caribou herds, and renowned hunting and fishing habitat in other areas of the state, including Bristol Bay—home to the world’s most prolific sockeye salmon fishery—and moose country in the Yukon and Kuskokwim watersheds. Alaska’s “D-1” public lands are also adjacent to many celebrated and remote rivers that anglers and hunters enjoy floating.

Learn more about why these public lands are prized by hunters and anglers in our guest blog by Bjorn Dihle, a lifelong Alaskan and outdoorsman.