Included bills would modernize public access to federal waters, address Colorado River water issues, and improve wildlife habitat

Today, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee chaired by Senator Joe Manchin (I-W.Va.) with ranking member Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) held a markup on 74 bills which could ultimately be included in an end-of-Congress package advancing public lands, outdoor recreation, wildlife conservation, forestry, and fisheries conservation legislation. Several of the bills marked up today would improve the quality of hunting and fishing in America. 

“TRCP joins hunters and anglers across the country in thanking Senators Manchin and Barrasso and other members of the committee for their continued efforts to craft a bipartisan public lands package,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “Our community stands ready to work to advance legislation that will enhance wildlife habitat, bolster rural economies, and expand hunting and fishing access.”

Below is a list of bills passed out of committee today that we hope to see become law this Congress:

• S. 373: The RISEE Act (Reinvesting In Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act) would establish several dedicated streams of funding for coastal infrastructure and resiliency to protect vulnerable communities and businesses most impacted by sea level rise and coastal erosion, in turn conserving coastal habitats.
• S. 2169: The Watershed Results Act would ensure a streamline approach for identifying watershed improvement projects for improved water quality and quantity, at the lowest cost to taxpayers.
• S. 3123: The MAPWaters Act (Modernizing Access to our Public Waters Act) would direct federal agencies to digitize water and fishing access and recreational use information on federal waterways and make those resources readily available to the public. 
• S. 4576: The Colorado River Basin System Conservation Extension Act would reauthorize the Department of the Interior to fund or participate in pilot projects to increase Colorado River System water in Lake Mead and the Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs through FY2026.

For more than 20 years, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has been at the forefront of conservation, working diligently on behalf of America’s hunters and anglers to ensure America’s legacy of habitat management and access is protected and advanced. Learn more about TRCP’s work supporting the wildlife and fish we love to pursue HERE.