Hunters and Anglers Unite to Push for Stronger Wildlife and Infrastructure Policies in Upcoming Transportation Bill

posted in: General

Hunters, anglers, and conservationists present a united front to advocate for wildlife-friendly, resilient infrastructure in the next national transportation bill

As Congress begins shaping the next Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill, the nation’s leading hunting, fishing, and conservation organizations, which represent millions of Americans, are proud to unveil a united platform: “Hunt and Fish Priorities for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill.”

The Surface Transportation bill represents an opportunity to advance several priorities for the broader sporting community ranging from enhanced public access and wildlife connectivity. The platform acknowledges these opportunities and builds upon recent bipartisan support for integrating wildlife connectivity and habitat restoration efforts into surface transportation programming to achieve common sense co-benefits including increasing motorist safety, reducing travel delays, enhancing the structural integrity of the nation’s transportation infrastructure, and creating good paying jobs.

Millions of hunters, anglers, and outdoor enthusiasts across the country depend on healthy habitat and accessible public lands and waters and the hunting and fishing community strongly support initiatives that integrate wildlife connectivity, habitat restoration, and disaster resilience into the nation’s transportation framework.

“Conservation is infrastructure, and our platform provides commonsense recommendations further integrating the two for the benefit of all Americans,” said Alex Funk, TRCP’s director of water resources. “Investing in wildlife crossings, culvert upgrades, and climate-resilient roads makes travel safer for people and animals—and it protects the places we love to hunt and fish. We’re eager to work with Congress to advance these commonsense recommendations.”

“Congress provided great leadership to hunters and fishers in the last transportation bill by addressing wildlife vehicle collisions, wildlife crossings, fish passage, sport fish restoration, boating, and other needs,” said Mike Leahy, senior director of wildlife, hunting, and fishing policy for the National Wildlife Federation. “We look forward to working with this Congress to renew and build on those achievements in the upcoming transportation bill.”

Public support is overwhelming. Recent polling shows that Americans from all backgrounds and political affiliations back investments in habitat restoration and wildlife connectivity to protect both people and wildlife.

The upcoming surface transportation bill reauthorization presents a rare opportunity to double down on smart, forward-thinking investments. The platform ensures transportation planning works with the sporting community’s values and priorities – not against them.

Read the Hunt and Fish Priorities for the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill 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.

by: Christian Fauser

posted in: General

May 6, 2025

Lawmakers Tour Innovative Water Projects in Southeast Arizona

Bipartisan delegation explores federally funded water initiatives aimed at boosting Arizona’s resilience amid growing challenges.

On April 22, the TRCP and partners hosted a legislative field tour of four innovative water resilience projects in Southeast Arizona, all critical to ensuring water availability in the state for communities, fish and wildlife, and aquatic and terrestrial habitats.

TRCP’s Western Water Policy Associate Christian Fauser, along with Audubon Southwest’s Haley Paul and Business For Water Stewardship’s Harold Thomas, brought Representative Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz., CD 6) and staff from Senator Gallego (D-Ariz.)’s office to projects that collectively demonstrate the extensive impact that large-scale state and federal funding for water resilience have on Arizona’s water future. The tour featured works from the Metropolitan Domestic Water Improvement District (Metro Water), Marana Water, the Santa Cruz Watershed Collaborative (SCWC), and Tucson Water.

One key project the tour highlighted was a Metro Water well site that treats Tucson’s drinking water for PFAS—chemicals that are linked to health conditions including cancer and reproductive issues. Marana Water also discussed improvements to water meters, and Tucson Water discussed the replacement of grass with turf to improve efficiency, save water users money, and conserve water supplies. The water conservation-oriented organizations all emphasized the importance of federal and state grant funding for water resiliency efforts.

Representatives from Tucson Water also discussed their Tucson Airport Remediation Project (TARP), in which a groundwater treatment plant produces up to seven million gallons of highly treated groundwater per day. Most of this water is delivered to the reclaimed water system and used for irrigation throughout the community. Treated water also goes into the Santa Cruz River, which has helped create new habitat for species such as quail and javelina, in the previously dry site.

While stopped along the banks of Tanque Verde Creek, Representative Ciscomani acknowledged the important role of federal and state funding for water resilience projects, through programs such as the Bureau of Reclamation’s Cooperative Watershed Management Program, in enhancing water security for the benefit of Arizona’s communities, ecosystems, and wildlife. Following his remarks, representatives from SCWC discussed their efforts to improve local drought responses that increase water resilience for the local community, as well as nearby habitat for numerous species.

Tucson’s local watersheds and the shallow groundwater areas beneath them sustain remnant riparian habitat, which has been impacted by drought and groundwater pumping over time. To address mounting pressure on the local water supply, SCWC, which includes government, nonprofit, Tribal, and university partners, is working to develop a Drought Coordination Blueprint to establish watershed-wide coordination between 40 varied stakeholders. The project will also develop a coordination plan for the collaborative and recommendations for local partners to help mitigate impacts during periods of local shortages and drought.

TRCP greatly appreciates Representative Ciscomani for his leadership on securing federal funds for watershed restoration efforts and we look forward to working with him, and other members of the Colorado River Caucus, as we strive to enhance water security in Arizona for the benefit of communities, wildlife populations, and their habitat as challenges continue to evolve. We also extend our thanks to Tucson Water, Marana Water, Metro Water, Watershed Management Group, Pima Association of Governments, and the Santa Cruz Watershed Collaborative for sharing their incredible examples of resilience projects in Arizona’s 6th Congressional District.

Learn more about TRCP’s commitment to habitat and clean water 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.

by: Noah Davis

posted in: General

April 3, 2025

Urge Lawmakers to Oppose Public Land Sales!

Now is the time for you to reach out to your elected officials

Media outlets have recently reported that some lawmakers are considering the sale of some public lands to help pay for a budget reconciliation bill.

Now is the time for you to reach out to your elected officials in Congress and urge them to oppose public land sales in federal reconciliation legislation.

“America’s public lands are invaluable in providing recreational access to millions of American hunters and anglers,” said Joel Pedersen, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP is opposed to selling off the public’s favorite hunting and fishing spots and we urge Congress to keep public land sales out of federal reconciliation legislation.”

Click the button below to complete our easy-to-use action alert to contact your Senators and Representatives.

If you decide to call your elected officials, you can use this script to help guide your comments.

Thank you for your commitment to our public land legacy.

Speak Up for Public Lands!

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.

by: Alex Aguirre

posted in: General

March 27, 2025

Wyoming 2025 Legislative Session Wrap Up

Big wins for public land and conservation were the theme of 2025

Wyoming’s 2025 legislative session ended in early March, and thanks to hunters and anglers like you, we can count several wins for wildlife and the future of our great state!

Wyomingites Stop Anti-Public Lands Legislation!

Senate Resolution 2 – Resolution demanding equal footing ordered the transfer of federal land to the state, which could have compromised wildlife habitat management and public hunting and fishing access in Wyoming. Transferring federal public lands to state ownership would put the land at risk of development, fragmentation, or sale to private interests. SJ2 died on third reading in the Senate.

House Bill 118 – Limitations on net land gain for the federal government would have prohibited net increases of federal land in Wyoming, including voluntary sales by private landowners like the Marton Ranch and historic sales between state and federal agencies like the recent Kelly Parcel sale. The $100 million sale of the Kelly Parcel to Grand Teton National Park conserved 640 acres of valuable wildlife habitat nestled between the park and Bridger-Teton National Forest.

The TRCP supported this monumental deal because it safeguarded crucial migration corridors, retained elk and bison hunting, and generated a windfall of revenue for Wyoming’s public education system. Without this sale, the land could have been auctioned to developers—a fate avoided thanks to overwhelming public support and private donations. Read more about the Kelly Parcel in this recent blog.

Finally, House Bill 118 would have impeded the State’s ability to pursue future land exchanges that could be a net benefit to the State of Wyoming and sportspeople. This bill passed the House of Representatives but did not meet the deadline to be introduced in the Senate.

Senate File 105 – Preserving state territorial sovereignty would have prohibited the sale of private land to the federal government without legislative approval, hindering opportunities to improve access to public lands, and a clear violation of private property rights.

Due to an uproar of public opposition, all three of these anti-public land bills failed to pass during this legislative session. It’s clear Wyomingites place great value on the places we hunt and fish and are willing to speak up for these places so future generations can enjoy.

Learn more about our efforts to ensure public land access here.

Alex Aguirre, TRCP’s Wyoming Community Partnerships Coordinator, speaks during the Camo at the Capital event.

Large Projects Funding Passed!

This annual legislation authorizes the Wildlife Trust to allocate matching funds to leverage important conservation projects across the state. This year’s projects include $6.1 million towards highway crossing structures along highway 189 near Kemmerer to ensure the safety of motorists and migrating wildlife and $550,000 to restore four miles of the North Fork of the Shoshone River to improve spawning conditions for trout and adjacent wetland habitat for wildlife.

Wildlife License Plates Easier to Acquire Thanks to SF0149

The Wildlife Conservation License Plate, launched in 2019, has raised nearly $1 million with an additional $1.8 million of donations for wildlife crossing projects in Wyoming. With more than 8,000 wildlife-vehicle collisions occurring in our state annually, this funding aims to reduce these occurrences by building infrastructure to ensure the safety of both people and wildlife. SF0149 will make purchasing these plates easier by allowing the transaction to happen at the county treasurer’s office instead of solely through the Wyoming Department of Transportation. Buy your plate here!

Camo at the Capitol

On February 13, we joined other sporting partners and over 70 sportsmen and sportswomen for Wyoming Wildlife Federation’s annual Camo at the Capitol.

The day included advocacy training, a tour of the capitol, a press conference, and concluded with a wild game reception attended by Governor Gordon and many other lawmakers. We want to thank all those who attended and our partner organizations in conservation for making the event a success. We hope to see YOU there next year!

Thanks for Entering the Arena of Conservation

While this session delivered wins for large conservation projects funding and a streamlined process for funding highway crossings infrastructure, we were also faced with multiple threats to our public land legacy. We thank our dedicated supporters for entering the arena of conservation and advocating for our issues. Wyoming is one small town and every voice matters. Thank you for using yours.

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.