The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act Introduced in Senate

March 26, 2026

Legislation aims to codify highly successful USDA Migratory Big Game Initiative to enhance wildlife habitat connectivity on private and working lands

Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) have introduced the Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act into the Senate. This bill would expand voluntary efforts to improve wildlife habitat, including big game migratory habitat, on working lands. This is now a bipartisan, bicameral effort, with the House version of this bill led by Representatives Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M) and Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.).

Building on the success of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Migratory Big Game Initiative (MBGI) in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, the bill would codify USDA’s ability to leverage unique cost-share, technical assistance, and payments provided under the Grassland Conservation Reserve Program (GCRP) and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the benefit of wildlife and agricultural producers.

The MBGI partnership has been both innovative and highly successful. In Wyoming, enrollment in conservation programs in priority corridors increased by 264% compared to before the partnership. However, the USDA is unlikely to expand this model nationwide unless the Farm Bill is updated as proposed in this legislation.

In addition, the bill will spur USDA research on virtual fencing technologies, which allow for greater wildlife movement and animal safety on livestock operations while enabling fine-scale grazing management for better fish and wildlife habitat. It also provides additional incentives through EQIP for the adoption of conservation practices that conserve or restore wildlife habitat connectivity.

“Working lands provide key habitat for migratory fish and wildlife, including big game like elk and mule deer. USDA’s voluntary conservation programs need to work together to support farmers and ranchers who create and enhance this habitat, and the next Farm Bill is our opportunity to make that happen,” said Joel Webster, chief conservation officer for TRCP. “The Habitat Connectivity on Working Lands Act removes unnecessary barriers to working lands stewardship and TRCP thanks Senator Heinrich and Senator Sheehy for their leadership on this bill.”

Learn more about Farm Bill conservation programs HERE.

Learn more about TRCP’s big game migration policy priorities HERE.

Photo Credit: Josh Metten

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by: Tristan Henry

posted in: Migration

March 5, 2026

Oregon Legislature Passes Landmark “1.25 Percent for Wildlife” Act

After three legislative sessions and more than a decade of advocacy, a bipartisan coalition secures Oregon’s most significant conservation funding victory in a generation

Yesterday, the Oregon legislature passed HB 4134, the “1.25 Percent for Wildlife” act, which will generate approximately $38 million annually for fish, wildlife, and habitat conservation across the state. The bill now heads to Governor Kotek’s desk to be signed into law. The measure passed the Senate with bipartisan support after clearing the House on a 36–22 vote, marking the culmination of more than a decade of work by hunters, anglers, landowners, conservation organizations, and community leaders.

The legislation was championed by Representatives Ken Helm (D–Beaverton), Mark Owens (R–Crane), and Senator Todd Nash (R-Joseph) among others, who built bipartisan support across both chambers to advance the proposal.

“This is what happens when sportsmen and sportswomen, ranchers, conservation organizations, and community leaders refuse to give up,” said Tristan Henry, Oregon field representative for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership has worked to advance this funding in some form for three sessions now. Today, Oregonians reaffirmed our commitment to the fish, wildlife, and landscapes that define this state. Hunters and anglers have shouldered the financial load of conservation for over a century. This bill asks the broader public, and the visitors who come here to enjoy what we’ve helped build, to share in that investment.”

HB 4134 ensures that visitors contribute to sustaining the resources they come to Oregon to experience. (James Wicks)

Where the Money Comes From

HB 4134 increases Oregon’s statewide transient lodging tax by 1.25 percentage points, from 1.5 percent to 2.75 percent, beginning January 1, 2027. Oregon will remain among the lowest lodging tax states in the nation after the increase. Roughly two-thirds of the tax is paid by out-of-state visitors. For Oregonians, the cost amount rises to roughly $1.25 to $2.50 on an average overnight stay.

The new revenue is dedicated to nine clearly defined conservation and natural resource programs through predictable funding that does not depend on biennial budget negotiations or one-time General Fund deposits.

Where the Money Goes

The scale of this investment is best understood in context. ODFW’s entire biennial budget is approximately $562 million, funded primarily through a combination of hunting and fishing license revenue, federal grants, and limited General Fund support. Before this bill passed, the agency had zero dedicated funding for implementing Oregon’s State Wildlife Action Plan, the science-based blueprint that identifies 321 species of greatest conservation need and 11 habitat types requiring proactive restoration. One-time General Fund deposits of $10 million per biennium had been used in prior budget cycles, but those are phased out entirely in the current 2025–27 budget.

HB 4134 changes that picture. The largest allocation, approximately $27.4 million per year, flows to the newly renamed Recovering Oregon’s Wildlife Fund Subaccount to implement the State Wildlife Action Plan and Oregon Nearshore Strategy. allocating 0.9% of Oregon’s transient lodging revenue for habitat restoration, species recovery, and conservation strategy implementation. For an agency that has been forced to cut $1.3 million from anti-poaching campaigns, $1.9 million from fish research and monitoring, and $1.5 million from hatchery operations in recent budgets, this is not incremental. It is transformative. The remaining [approximate] $10.6 million per year is allocated across eight additional programs.

Oregon Conservation Corps (0.10% [of transient lodging revenue]): Stable funding for wildfire risk reduction, community resilience, and natural resources workforce development. This investment supports young Oregonians working in land management careers while building fire-adapted communities across the state.

ODFW Wildlife Connectivity Program (0.050%): Funding for wildlife crossing structures, passage improvements, and research to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions and reconnect fragmented habitats. Oregon’s highway system intersects critical migration corridors for elk, mule deer, and other species, and connectivity work is among the highest-return conservation investments available.

Oregon State Police Fish and Wildlife Division (0.050%): New resources for the troopers on the front lines against poaching, a persistent threat to Oregon’s fish and wildlife that directly undermines the work of hunters and anglers. ODFW’s most recent budget included a $600,000 cut to OSP enforcement funded by the agency. This allocation more than reverses that reduction and provides a durable funding base.

Wolf Management Compensation and Proactive Trust Fund (0.050%): Dedicated funding for livestock loss compensation, nonlethal deterrence tools, and conflict reduction programs. For ranching families in Eastern Oregon who have borne the costs of wolf recovery with limited and uncertain state support, this delivers on a long-standing commitment.

Oregon Conservation and Recreation Fund (0.050%): Community-based conservation and recreation grants that engage Oregonians in hands-on outdoor stewardship. This fund, established by the legislature in 2019 but chronically underfunded, will finally have a sustainable revenue source.

Wildlife Stewardship Program (0.020%): Support for wildlife rehabilitation facilities and stewardship priorities statewide.

Invasive Species Response (0.005%): Resources for detection, prevention, and removal of harmful invasive species that threaten native fish, wildlife, and habitat.

Department of Justice Anti-Poaching (0.010%): Stabilized capacity within DOJ to support prosecution of wildlife crimes.

The new revenue is dedicated to nine clearly defined conservation and natural resource programs through predictable funding that does not depend on biennial budget negotiations or one-time General Fund deposits. (Jim Davis)

A Decade in the Making

The passage of HB 4134 is the product of persistent, bipartisan advocacy that stretches back more than a decade. Representative Ken Helm (D-Beaverton) and Representative Mark Owens (R-Crane) have served as the bill’s chief sponsors, building support across party lines in both chambers. The concept was first introduced as a legislative concept and advanced in varying forms through prior sessions. The TRCP has worked to advance this funding mechanism for three consecutive legislative sessions, helping to build the hunting and fishing coalition that gave the bill credibility with lawmakers in both parties and from every corner of the state.

The broader coalition behind HB 4134 spans more than 60 organizations, from the Oregon Hunters Association and Backcountry Hunters & Anglers to Oregon Wild and the Nature Conservancy, from the Oregon Cattlemen’s Association to the League of Women Voters of Oregon. More than 2,000 pieces of public testimony were submitted during the legislative process, with over 84 percent in support. That breadth of support reflects a simple truth: Oregonians across the political spectrum understand that healthy fish, wildlife, and habitat are the foundation of the state’s identity, economy, and quality of life.

What This Means for Oregon

Oregon’s outdoor recreation economy generates $16 billion in consumer spending, supports 192,000 jobs, and accounts for 2.6 percent of the state’s GDP. Ninety percent of visitors come to Oregon to enjoy the state’s natural landscapes and wildlife. HB 4134 ensures that those visitors contribute to sustaining the resources they come here to experience.

For ODFW, this bill represents the most significant new funding stream in the agency’s modern history. The TRCP thanks the representatives and senators who supported this bill, the conservation organizations that engaged their members and provided testimony, and the thousands of Oregon hunters and anglers who sent emails, made phone calls, and championed this measure. For all this work, a brighter future for our hunting, fishing, ranching, and outdoor heritage has been secured.

Feature Image: James Wicks

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: Dan Morgan

posted in: Migration

February 20, 2026

Why TRCP Works to Conserve America’s Special Places

TRCP works to conserve special places like the Boundary Waters and landscapes that define hunting and fishing. Here’s why.

“The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.” – Theodore Roosevelt

At the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, that idea is not a slogan. It is a responsibility.

Hunters and anglers know conservation is not abstract. It is a duck blind at sunrise, a bull elk crossing a high ridge, a trout rising in clean, cold water. It is also the rare chance to hunt, fish, and travel through landscapes where solitude is still possible—where distance, quiet, and undeveloped character shape the experience itself.

We believe in the wise use of natural resources. Responsible development strengthens communities and supports our economy and quality of life. But we also recognize that some landscapes are so ecologically intact, and so vital to fish, wildlife, and outdoor experiences, that their highest and best use is long-term stewardship.

Not every place meets that threshold and TRCP is judicious in where we engage. But where intact watersheds, big game habitat, resilient fisheries, and recreation depend on stability at scale—and where there is broad agreement among hunters and anglers—conservation is not symbolic. It is practical. It is how opportunity endures.

This is why TRCP works to conserve America’s special places. This principle guides our work from Alaska to Florida and in places like the Boundary Waters and the Brooks Range.

Following in Roosevelt’s Footsteps

Photo: Theodore Roosevelt Collection Harvard College Library

President Theodore Roosevelt believed conservation and prosperity belonged together. He hunted, he ranched, he fished, and he understood that wildlife abundance depends on intact habitat and clean water.

As T.R. wrote, “Conservation means development as much as it does protection.” Stewardship meant ensuring natural resources endure, productive and accessible, for generations to come. Yet Roosevelt also believed that some special places, by their very character, warranted enduring stewardship. That dual commitment of wise use and careful restraint where necessary, continues to guide TRCP’s work today.

Recently, Theodore Roosevelt’s direct descendants sent a letter to U.S. Senators urging them to uphold that legacy by protecting the Boundary Waters. They reminded lawmakers that Roosevelt worked “exceedingly hard to protect Minnesota’s forests and water,” emphasizing that safeguarding extraordinary landscapes reflects foresight, responsibility, and bipartisan leadership.

Their appeal was not nostalgic. It was a call to carry forward a distinctly American tradition of stewardship—recognizing that when certain waters, wildlife habitats, and public lands are placed at risk, leaders have a duty to act with the long view in mind.

For hunters and anglers, that long view is simple: intact habitat today means opportunity tomorrow.

Speak Up for the Boundary Waters

Why Special Places Matter to Hunters and Anglers

For hunters and anglers, special places are not abstract. They are the source of opportunity.

They are the cold headwaters that sustain trout. The migratory habitats that carry elk and mule deer across vast landscapes. The intact watersheds that support wild salmon and thriving waterfowl. They are also landscapes where Americans can escape the noise of everyday life and immerse themselves in nature – experiences afield that are increasingly rare and important in a busy world.

When systems are altered in ways that cannot be easily reversed, the impacts are not theoretical – they show up directly in fewer fish, displaced herds, and diminished experiences. When habitat fragments or water quality declines, opportunity declines with it.

This is why TRCP engages selectively and strategically in conserving nationally significant landscapes where habitat is irreplaceable and long-term sporting opportunity depends on stewardship.

When we step into the arena, we intend to make it count.

A Record of Stewardship – and a Responsibility to Continue

For more than two decades, TRCP has worked alongside hunters, anglers, landowners, and elected leaders from both parties to conserve landscapes that define American sporting opportunities.

In Wyoming’s Wyoming Range, we helped secure the withdrawal of 1.2 million acres of the Bridger-Teton National Forest from mineral entry, safeguarding critical habitat for one of North America’s most important mule deer herds. In Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front, we supported efforts to maintain the integrity of a landscape long valued for elk, native trout, and backcountry access. In Alaska’s Bristol Bay, we mobilized sportsmen and women to help sustain one of the world’s most productive wild salmon fisheries.

These efforts were not about opposing development everywhere. TRCP supports responsible development projects needed to benefit our economy, protect national security, and advance the interests of the United States, and we will work with decisionmakers and businesses to advance sensible projects. But certain landscapes—because of their ecological integrity, sporting value, and national significance, including the significant economic contributions they make through outdoor recreation and conservation investments —warrant durable safeguards.

That same principle guides our engagement in Alaska’s Brooks Range, one of North America’s last largely intact hunting and fishing landscapes. The very qualities that hunters and anglers value the most about the Brooks Range—the unbroken expansiveness, the lack of human activity, the unmatched solitude—are simply incompatible with a major industrial access corridor.

Across administrations and political shifts, TRCP has approached this work steadily and pragmatically, grounded in science and focused on lasting outcomes for fish, wildlife, and the sporting community.

The Boundary Waters: Stewardship in Practice

Photo: Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters

The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the surrounding Rainy River watershed form one of the most intact freshwater systems in the country. These cold, connected waters sustain lake trout, walleye, and smallmouth bass, while the broader landscape supports moose, deer, and waterfowl—and it is all linked by more than 1,100 lakes and historic portage trails that allow people to experience this wildlife-rich landscape by canoe.

TRCP has engaged in this region with that responsibility in mind. In 2023, we joined several of our partners in celebrating the 20-year mineral withdrawal in the Rainy River watershed because of its national significance to hunting and fishing and the long-term risks sulfide-ore copper mining poses in such an interconnected system.

Our position has remained consistent: where development presents a high likelihood of irreversible harm to fisheries, recreation, and wildlife habitat—and where sporting interests broadly agree that conservation is needed – long-term stewardship is the prudent course.

The recent letter from Roosevelt’s descendants reinforces that tradition of foresight and bipartisan responsibility. Safeguarding places like the Boundary Waters reflects a continuation of America’s conservation ethic.

For hunters and anglers who believe stewardship requires participation, speaking up is part of that responsibility.

Take action through the Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters alert: Senate Resolution : Sportsmen for the Boundary Waters

Click here to sign up today.

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Migration

February 12, 2026

TRCP Appreciates Make America Beautiful Again 250 Strategy and Migration Announcements

Efforts will continue progress on habitat, access, and big game migration corridor conservation

On Wednesday, February 12, the Make America Beautiful Again Commission announced its strategic initiative, MABA 250, which will be used to advance the administration’s conservation priorities, including voluntary land and water conservation, species recovery, and increased access for sportsmen and sportswomen.

“The MABA 250 strategy represents a clear opportunity to advance the interests of America’s 40 million hunters and anglers,” said Joel Webster, chief conservation officer for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. “TRCP looks forward to working with the Make America Beautiful Commission to make this effort a success by securing conservation and access wins that benefit fish, wildlife, and the American people.”

Additionally, and directly related to the priorities of MABA 250, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced a request for proposals to fund projects that improve the quality of big game seasonal habitat, stopover areas, and migration corridors on federal land and/or voluntary efforts on private and Tribal land. These actions related to big game migration corridors reflect continued progress building on an approach established under the first Trump administration through Secretarial Order 3362, and one that also advances the priorities of the MABA Commission.

“We appreciate the continued leadership of the Trump administration to advance big game migration conservation,” continued Webster. “Hunters and anglers depend on healthy, connected habitats, and we look forward to building on today’s positive announcement through sustained coordination and investment that helps keep habitats connected for the future—and to protect the traditions that define our sporting heritage.”

Click here to sign up today.

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: Migration

December 19, 2025

Looking Ahead: TRCP’s Conservation Priorities for 2026

The year ahead provides hunters and anglers with opportunities to further advance America’s legacy of conservation, habitat, and access

Building on the achievements of 2025, the year ahead will require the same steady engagement, practical problem-solving, and bipartisan collaboration that have long defined conservation success for hunters and anglers. Theodore Roosevelt understood that progress is not forged from the sidelines, but by those willing to step into the arena, accept responsibility, and do the work. That spirit continues to guide TRCP forward.

While political uncertainty remains and agency capacity is strained, the path ahead is clear. As T.R. urged, “Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action.” Conservation advances when hunters, anglers, landowners, policymakers, and partners stay engaged, work together, and “get action” with purpose and resolve. In 2026, TRCP will remain focused on durable solutions that safeguard access, strengthen habitat, and carry forward the hunting and fishing traditions that define a vigorous American conservation legacy.

With that focus guiding our work, TRCP’s conservation priorities for 2026 include:

Championing Access

Access is where conservation becomes personal. In 2026, TRCP will continue to champion policies that ensure hunters and anglers can reach – and responsibly enjoy – the places that define America’s conservation legacy and our outdoor traditions.

Public lands remain central to this work. TRCP will stay engaged on public access, forest health, habitat restoration, wildlife connectivity, and active stewardship. This work also includes maintaining special places and conserving intact habitats, while advancing management activities that improve habitat conditions and reduce the risk of severe wildfire. We will also focus on ensuring land management plans are implemented as intended, balancing conservation goals with hunting and fishing opportunities.

Access also depends on thoughtful decision making on infrastructure and permitting. TRCP will work to support reforms that improve efficiency without sacrificing longstanding safeguards, recognizing that strong conservation and responsible development must coexist. Bringing diverse stakeholders to the same table will remain central to finding workable, durable solutions.

On private lands, TRCP will continue advancing programs that strengthen access while supporting landowner interests, ensuring these tools remain effective, well-supported, and relevant for hunters, anglers, and landowners alike.

Strengthening Habitat

Healthy habitat is a foundation of conservation – and in 2026, TRCP’s focus will be on turning policy momentum into on-the-ground results. That includes conserving intact habitats where they still exist, while advancing thoughtful management that improves resilience and reduces the risk of severe wildfire.

On private lands, that means ensuring conservation programs deliver real benefits for landowners, wildlife, and sportsmen and women. Historic conservation investments have created opportunities but staffing shortages and delivery challenges threaten outcomes. TRCP will continue working with agencies and partners to identify solutions that keep voluntary conservation effective and accessible, including sustained attention to programs like the Conservation Reserve Program.

Water will remain central to habitat work. In the West, rivers like the Colorado and Rio Grande face increasing pressure from drought, demand, and sustained extreme weather events. TRCP will support bipartisan efforts that promote collaborative river management, invest in watershed health, and recognize that resilient watersheds support fish, wildlife, agriculture, and communities alike.

Habitat priorities also include planning for change. In regions experiencing rapid development, shifting land use, and more extreme weather, TRCP is working to identify priority landscapes and guide smarter conservation investments – particularly where privately owned lands play an outsized role.

Conserving Wildlife Through Habitat and Access

Healthy wildlife populations depend on science-based management and coordination across boundaries. In 2026, TRCP will continue advocating for policies that sustain fish and wildlife while strengthening habitat and supporting the fishing and hunting opportunities they make possible.

This includes championing science-driven marine fisheries management along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts – particularly for forage fish species like menhaden that underpin entire ecosystems and recreational fisheries. TRCP will remain engaged with management bodies to advocate for decisions that reflect the best available science, while building broader regional support for conservation outcomes that benefit anglers, coastal communities, and wildlife alike.

Freshwater systems will also remain a priority. Along the Mississippi River, TRCP is working to elevate interstate and non-profit coordination on fisheries management, nature based solutions, and invasive species – challenges that no single entity can solve alone, but that directly affect habitat restoration and sporting opportunities throughout the basin.

On land, wildlife health continues to demand sustained attention. Chronic wasting disease remains a complex, evolving challenge. In 2026, TRCP will continue focusing on collaborative research and thoughtful engagement that reflects reality – there are no quick fixes, but informed, coordinated action can make a meaningful difference over time.

Across these efforts, TRCP will continue strengthening the links between hunters, anglers, science, and policy – and work to ensure that decision-makers have access to credible research and practical pathways to act.

Staying Engaged, Together

The year ahead will bring both challenges and opportunity – but conservation has never advanced by standing still. It moves forward when people stay engaged, build on what works, and commit for the long haul.

In 2026, TRCP will continue prioritizing durable, bipartisan solutions grounded in science and strengthened through collaboration. Progress may not always come quickly, but history has shown that steady engagement, shared responsibility, and persistence deliver lasting results.

As we look ahead, the call is the same one Theodore Roosevelt issued more than a century ago: step into the arena, get action, and do the work. Conservation moves forward when hunters, anglers, partners, and decision makers show up together. With your continued support, TRCP will keep working to advance solutions that safeguard wildlife, strengthen habitat, and secure access – today and for generations to come. As TR urged, we will “get action” and do the work necessary to guarantee all Americans quality places to hunt and fish.

When we unite, we win.

Stay connected in 2026. 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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